Alexi Pappas

Olympic runner, filmmaker, actor, and author; represented Greece in the 10,000 meters at the 2016 Rio Olympics, where she set a Greek national record, and later became known for the memoir Bravey and films including Tracktown and Olympic Dreams. She was the TEDNext 2025 speaker for “Why I Love My Bad Days.”

The Rule of Thirds Reframes Bad Days as Part of Hard Work

Olympic runner Alexi Pappas says bad days are not necessarily evidence that a difficult pursuit is failing. Drawing on advice from her coach before the Rio Olympics, Pappas frames serious work through a Rule of Thirds: roughly one-third good days, one-third okay days and one-third bad days. Within that pattern, she argues, bad days can indicate that the challenge is real; when they become constant, they may be a warning that the effort is unsustainable.

TEDJun 23, 20266 min read