Be inspired! USA TODAY's Women of the Year share their stories.
Be inspired! USA TODAY's Women of the Year share their stories. | The Excerpt
On a bonus episode (first released on March 3, 2025) of The Excerpt podcast: USA TODAY's Women of the Year recognizes women who are making a significant difference in their communities and across the country. A paralympian, tv host and astronaut are just a few of the honorees who describe in their own words what motivates them most on this bonus episode of the Excerpt. We hope you find their stories as inspiring as we do. To learn more about all of the women honored this year, you can visit womenoftheyear.usatoday.com.
Have feedback on the show? Please send us an email at podcasts@USATODAY.com.
Hit play on the player below to hear the podcast and follow along with the transcript beneath it. This transcript was automatically generated, and then edited for clarity in its current form. There may be some differences between the audio and the text.
Podcasts: True crime, in-depth interviews and more USA TODAY podcasts right here
Zulekha Nathoo:
Hello, and welcome to The Excerpt. I'm Zulekha Nathoo, and this is a bonus episode of The Excerpt.
USA TODAY's Women of the Year recognizes women who are making a significant difference in their communities and across our country. On today's special episode, we're bringing you stories from our 2025 honorees. We hope you find their stories as inspiring as we have. First up, former Today Show host, Hoda Kotb on her choice to make a big change; a pivot away from the anchor desk.
Hoda Kotb:
Because I turned 60, I was like, "Well, what's that decade going to be about?" And I thought to myself, "Let's make it something different."
Zulekha Nathoo:
And with that, Kotb announced she was leaving the Today Show after more than 25 years with NBC.
Hoda Kotb:
Oh, love you.
Zulekha Nathoo:
Kotb has remained open about life's joy and pain, including challenges she faced with fertility after having cancer.
Hoda Kotb:
The idea of having kids came back a million times in my brain before things finally changed.
Zulekha Nathoo:
That change came more than 10 years later. Kotb adopted two girls, Haley and Hope, when she was in her 50s.
Hoda Kotb:
We come with knowledge and emotions and maturity that no 23-year-old has. I lost my dad when my dad was 53. Tomorrow's not guaranteed. If you're saying I'm not going to do it because maybe down the road I'll be an older parent. So what. So what, you're an older parent. Your heart's ability to expand is beyond measure.
Zulekha Nathoo:
And now that her mornings are free to have breakfast as a family and walk her daughters to school, Kotb says she's ready to soak it all in.
Hoda Kotb:
I love you.
We all have a time pie and you slice it up, and I decided that my kids needed more of my time pie. I imagined cuddling up at the end of the day and watching my kids dance around. I just imagine like a regular old Wednesday, just like that. I didn't win the lottery that day. I didn't get an award. I didn't get honored. Nothing great, but it's just like the perfect day.
Zulekha Nathoo:
Our next honoree is US Paralympic track and field athlete, Scout Bassett. Deciding to pursue that international stage was a big risk. She lived out of her car and on friends' couches to make ends meet while training. But in 2016, she made it to the Paralympics in Rio.
Scout Bassett:
In that moment, it wasn't tears of sadness, but of just incredible gratitude of like, "Oh my gosh, we've done it. We've made it, and how unlikely this story has been."
Zulekha Nathoo:
Today, she holds the world record in Women's 400 meter T42 and the American record in Women's 200 meter T42.
Scout Bassett:
One of the interesting things about disability and the narrative that has been told, in particular about women with disabilities, is that women with disabilities are perhaps less attractive or less desirable or not as beautiful because there is a very visible imperfection or a flawed deficiency. And for me, that's something that I'm hoping to continue to change those perceptions and the stories that are told.
Zulekha Nathoo:
Outside of sports, Bassett is dedicated to breaking down barriers that prevent athletes with disabilities from reaching their full potential.
Scout Bassett:
I know that just existing, just by being recognized in this way, that somebody else is going to see it and get a glimmer of hope, or some young girl is going to read it or see these photos and think, "Okay, I have a future. I'm going to be okay."
Zulekha Nathoo:
Our next honoree has a similar motivation to Bassett, to inspire young people to follow her lead. Commercial astronaut, Kellie Gerardi wants to show them, especially young girls, that they belong in STEM fields, like space exploration.
Kellie Gerardi:
My entire career has been underpinned by this mission of wanting to open up access to space for the next generation, and especially for researchers to be able to use space as a laboratory to benefit humanity. I am someone who really personally believes that space is our shared past and our shared future as a species.
Zulekha Nathoo:
She grew up in Jupiter, Florida where she'd watch launches from nearby Cape Canaveral, basically from her own backyard.
Kellie Gerardi:
I felt like I had front row seats to the final frontier growing up, and it felt kind of inevitable that humanity would be moving in that direction. And I remember just wanting to be a part of that in any way.
Zulekha Nathoo:
Gerardi is also an author, fashion innovator, and mother. She documents her successes and challenges online, including the IVF journey she's on right now.
Kellie Gerardi:
I've struggled with secondary infertility and recurrent pregnancy loss for the last seven years since I've had my daughter. And having my daughter was also a struggle seven years ago. I wanted to just share a little transparency around what that actually looks like for so many women, and hopefully bring a little less stigma and a little less isolation to an experience like that.
I have an update. So I got the results today. Only one is genetically normal and compatible with life.
I have a superpower to be willing to fail publicly, over and over and over, because I'm going to keep putting my dreams out there. I'm going to keep reaching for them. I might not get all of them, and I might fail along the way, multiple times, but that's not going to stop me. And I think that is an underappreciated form of resilience for people who have big dreams.
Zulekha Nathoo:
Two-time rugby Olympian, Ilona Maher is another 2025 honoree who uses social media to tell her own authentic story, capturing both her successes and her struggles.
Ilona Maher:
I think a lot of times athletes, especially female athletes, are put in a box. I just think that's wrong. I think women are so much more than the stereotype of the sports we play. What's so special about rugby is that it is a sport that doesn't want you to, in any way, tone down your strength, your speed, your skill. It wants you to be as powerful, as fast, as you can.
Zulekha Nathoo:
She played sports throughout her life, but one stood out the most; rugby.
Ilona Maher:
I decided to try it out my senior year of high school, and I remember how I just understood it from the moment I got on the field. I kind of figured out and knew the spacing. I understood how to tackle, when to do what, and it just kind of fit my body like a glove. And I think I wanted to keep going with it because it felt so right.
Zulekha Nathoo:
Maher was relentless. She made it to her first Olympics in Tokyo, finishing 6th. A severe injury in 2023 could have knocked her out for the season, but she fought her way back to the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris and earned a bronze medal for Team USA. But it was her candid social media videos that captured the world's attention.
Ilona Maher:
I think it's just so impactful that these girls see me in that way, that they also see that I struggled as well, and they understand that I was also somebody who didn't always just love my body, but I've grown to love my body. And I think, hopefully this gives them the right or maybe the idea that they also can grow into that as well.
Zulekha Nathoo:
Our last honoree in today's bonus episode is United Way CEO, Angela Williams. She says that knowing how to mobilize communities for the greater good is in her DNA.
Angela Williams:
My parents worked alongside Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. My dad was the head of the NAACP for the state of South Carolina, and he was pastor of a Baptist church. He wrote a letter to all of the clergy in Anderson, South Carolina in 1961, where he said, "Now is the time to be brave and to stand up for your neighbors." That lesson from 1961 stands true today.
Zulekha Nathoo:
She says her faith in justice and in one another is what keeps her going when the road gets tough.
Angela Williams:
I don't care how bad it gets, I always just have this smile on my face, and I'm hopeful. And the way I regenerate is through the quiet times, through my spirituality, by knowing that if we just all hang in there, we're going to be okay. And if you just smile at somebody, they can't help but smile back at you, and then that sparks that connectivity and building a relationship. And hopefully, as I smile and pass on joy, others will feel it and they'll pass it along.
Zulekha Nathoo:
Thanks for listening to this bonus episode featuring just a few of USA TODAY's Women of the Year. To learn more about all the honorees, you can visit womenoftheyear.usatoday.com. I'm Zulekha Nathoo. Taylor Wilson will be back tomorrow morning with another episode of The Excerpt.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
2 hours ago
- USA Today
Ben Stiller, Robert De Niro tease 'Meet the Parents 4' with Ariana Grande
Ben Stiller, Robert De Niro tease 'Meet the Parents 4' with Ariana Grande Show Caption Hide Caption Ben Stiller talks new holiday movie 'Nutcrackers' Ben Stiller tells USA TODAY's Marco della Cava what it was like working with kids and animals on his new Hulu movie 'Nutcrackers.' NEW YORK − They "Meet" again! "Meet the Parents" director Jay Roach and stars Ben Stiller, Robert De Niro and Teri Polo reunited on Saturday, June 7, at Tribeca Film Festival for a 25th anniversary screening of the classic 2000 comedy. During a post-screening panel discussion, they teased the upcoming "Meet the Parents 4" and confirmed Ariana Grande has joined the cast. John Hamburg, who co-wrote the three previous films, will direct the new sequel. "What spurred the idea was that at this point in time, I'm the age that (De Niro) was when we did the first movie," Stiller, 59, said. "It felt like this mirror to the first film in terms of the fact that my kids are grown, and one of my kids is thinking about introducing his person to the family." But the actor added that there had to be a "reason to make" another sequel, and "this new point in our lives, where the characters are, felt like it really was an organic reason." While he said he's thinking of the fourth movie as a "new thing," Stiller said it will also benefit from the audience's relationship with the characters. Join our Watch Party! Sign up to receive USA TODAY's movie and TV recommendations right in your inbox "The cool thing about doing the next one, too, is that the audience has this history with the characters, and they're going to bring that to the film," he said. "There's something that's kind of emotional about it for me, for the actors: the connection that people have with the movies." Stiller starred in the original "Meet the Parents" as Greg Focker, who meets his girlfriend Pam's (Polo) mother (Blythe Danner) and father (De Niro) while getting ready to propose to her, only for absolutely everything possible to go wrong. It spawned two sequels: 2004's "Meet the Fockers" and 2010's "Little Fockers." De Niro praised the script for the fourth film as "really good." He also recalled telling Stiller and Hamburg they should start working on another sequel while on the set of "Little Fockers." "They said, 'Yeah, yeah, yeah, sure, sure, sure.' They were humoring me," De Niro said. "They didn't want to do it. But it was fine. And now, finally, we are doing another one." Roach noted that the relatable predicament made the original "Meet the Parents" work, and he teased that Hamburg has come up with a similarly great setup for the fourth film. "Everybody's going to love squirming through it, just like they did the old ones," he said. And with Grande joining the family, Stiller joked, "The name of the movie is 'Wicked 3.' " Ben Stiller on 'Nutcrackers': The actor thought his sweet Hulu movie might be a 'parody' While looking back on the original "Meet the Parents" during the Tribeca panel, Stiller pointed out that its events mirrored his own life at the time. During rehearsals, he had just met his future wife, actress Christine Taylor, and decided he was going to propose to her "Her parents lived in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and her dad owned a security company," Stiller said. "We had to go back for her grandfather's funeral, and I found myself in the basement of her house with her father after the funeral telling him that I loved his daughter and wanted to marry her. It was good research for the movie." 'People are seeing me' for first time: Ariana Grande on taking off the pop star mask Stiller also noted that to this day, people still scream Focker, his character's last name, at him in public "all the time." "I don't dislike it. It's just when someone yells 'Focker,' it doesn't necessarily feel respectful," he quipped. Polo recalled joining the film shortly before filming began and remembered thinking during her screen test that "if I mess this up, I will never forgive myself. I will never have this chance again." She added, "It was an amazing, amazing experience, and I thought it would never happen again. And now look at us."
USA Today
3 hours ago
- USA Today
Every 'John Wick' movie, ranked (including new spinoff 'Ballerina')
Every 'John Wick' movie, ranked (including new spinoff 'Ballerina') Show Caption Hide Caption Ian McShane talks working with Ana de Armas in 'Ballerina' Ian McShane shares why it was smart to bring Ana de Armas into the "John Wick" franchise in the new film "Ballerina." Love movies? Live for TV? USA TODAY's Watch Party newsletter has all the best recommendations, delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now and be one of the cool kids. "John Wick" is the one movie franchise beloved by action movie nerds and dog lovers alike. It seems like the original film has been around for much longer than 11 years, given the influence it's had on Hollywood, from those awesome "gun fu" stunt sequences to Keanu Reeves' movie star revival. The scrappy indie thriller cast Reeves as an ex-hitman who puts retirement on hold for a righteous revenge mission, and since then there have been three more "Wick" flicks, a prequel TV series and now a new cinematic spinoff. "Ballerina" features Ana de Armas as a dancer/assassin raised in the same criminal organization that unleashed Wick. In honor of the latest outing, here are all the "John Wick" franchise movies, ranked. (For those catching up: "Ballerina" is in theaters now, while the four "Wick" films are streaming on Peacock and video-on-demand platforms.) Join our Watch Party! Sign up to receive USA TODAY's movie and TV recommendations right in your inbox 5. 'John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum' (2019) Excommunicated from his assassin's guild and with a $14 million bounty on his head, courtesy of the all-powerful High Table, John gets into nasty blade-throwing brawls and even rides a horse through New York to escape a city full of secret killers. He makes his way to Morocco, seeking help from friend and fellow dog lover Sofia (Halle Berry), and winds up back in the Big Apple for a climactic throwdown with martial-arts master Zero (Mark Dacascos). The operatic action and intriguing exposition is there, but this solid third installment winds up a good but not great effort, owing to a convoluted last act and underdeveloped supporting characters. 4. 'Ballerina' (2025) Although Wick is a master of various weaponry, Eve Macarro (Ana de Armas) is down to use everything but the kitchen sink. (And probably would use that if a sink was just hanging out somewhere.) A rookie assassin, Eve goes rogue from her crime family to track down the cult who murdered her father. Her path of vengeance includes an amazing flamethrower shootout and a brawl involving dinner plates as she makes new friends and enemies, plus faces off with Wick himself. It's a spinoff movie that both feels like a "John Wick" noir thriller as well as something interestingly original. 3. 'John Wick: Chapter 4' (2023) In this very globetrotting installment, Wick's had enough and goes on the offensive against the High Table. The Marquis (Bill Skarsgård), a sadistic new antagonist, sends Wick's old friend, blind martial-arts master Caine (Donnie Yen), after him and their tussle lands both in a finale for all the marbles in Paris. The fourth "Wick" is the best in terms of sheer jaw-dropping action sequences. The festival of bangers includes a waterfall-filled throwdown in a German nightclub, a "doll house" fight seen from overhead where Wick lights people up with fire bullets, and a most excellent and electrifying traffic jam at the Arc de Triomphe. 2. 'John Wick' (2014) The first "Wick" is high up for any fan, either for the sheer action-movie chutzpah or the fact that it's the one where the bad guys kill a puppy. And especially because they murdered the adorable last gift given to John by his late wife, it's completely understandable why he'd re-enter the fray he worked to get out of and just wreck a whole bunch of enemies. We would, too, Johnny! Willem Dafoe and John Leguizamo are the recognizable faces, Reeves turns in a terrific performance as our hero hunts down the canine-murdering culprit – a Russian crime boss' son (Alfie Allen) – and the legend of the relatable hard-luck assassin begins in memorable fashion. 1. 'John Wick: Chapter 2' (2017) As good as the first movie was, "Chapter 2" packs in all the great stunts and jaw-dropping gunfights but is really where the rules and mythology of John's world begin to fill out and become this epic story. For one, viewers learn more about the High Table, the assassin hotel The Continental and John's long history in it. Wick is forced to fulfill a blood oath "marker" held by underworld boss Santino D'Antonio (Riccardo Scamarcio), the man who helped him retire, and much chaotic ruckus ensues as Wick returns full bore into this dangerous world. John winds up murdering the guy on Continental grounds – a huge no-no – and sets the stage for him being a wanted man through two more movies.
USA Today
7 hours ago
- USA Today
A floating Disney bubble: What families can expect on Disney cruises
A floating Disney bubble: What families can expect on Disney cruises Show Caption Hide Caption Deluxe Family Oceanview Stateroom tour on the new Disney Treasure USA TODAY took a ride on the brand new Disney Treasure cruise ship. Here's what to know about the Deluxe Family Oceanview Stateroom. "Family travel' is a six-part series showcasing the best experiences and destinations for young families looking for an escape. If you'd like to contribute to our future reporting and share your experience as a source, you can click here to fill out this quick form. I've been visiting Disney parks my entire life. I thought I knew what the Disney bubble was. Disney Cruise Line blew my definition out of (or into) the water. Everything Disney fans look for in a Disney vacation is – as Disney likes to say – plussed up on their ships. Here's what I experienced on my first Disney cruise and what your family can expect on yours. What is special about a Disney cruise? Disney cruises are made for Disney fans. 'We know that when guests get on one of our ships, 40, 50% of them are saying the only reason I'm cruising today is because Disney is here,' Disney Experiences Chairman Josh D'Amaro told USA TODAY last August, ahead of the cruise line's expansion announcements at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event. 'These cruise ships are ways that we can tell all of the amazing stories that we have. We bring them to life in dining; we bring them to life theatrically. We bring them to life through technology and our cast members.' Many ship venues are inspired by Disney stories. Guests who want to learn how they can take an Art of the Theme Show Tour during their sailing. Disney characters roam about regularly and unlike in the parks, never have long waits to meet them. The entertainment on board is truly Broadway quality, not only because Disney is at heart an entertainment company, but it's also produced numerous shows on Broadway. My favorite show on our Disney Treasure sailing was "Disney the Tale of Moana," which Disney developed with Broadway veterans and Polynesian cultural advisors and cast. The youth clubs, particularly for younger children, feel like stepping into Disney movies. Many kids happily spend hours there, and adults wish they could, too. The closest grown-up guests get is during open houses. Guests rotate through a variety of themed restaurants for dinner each night of their sailing, and servers rotate with you so they can get to know you and your preferences, as well as any dietary needs. The level of customer service is exactly what you'd expect from Disney. Ships are designed with families in mind. Most staterooms have split bathrooms, so multiple people can get ready at the same time, and most feature bathtubs, which are clutch with young children. You're traveling with fellow Disney families and fans, who share your enthusiasm. Non-Disney fans can still enjoy sailings, but for those who love Disney, it's the ultimate floating Disney bubble. Disney parks take to the seas: How the new Disney Treasure makes magic Is a Disney cruise all-inclusive? Disney cruises include lodging, most dining, entertainment, recreation, youth club access, and more in their standard fare. There is an additional fee for childcare for infants and toddlers under age 3 at 'it's a small world nursery.' Extra experiences like adult-exclusive dining, makeovers at Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique at Sea, the Royal Court Royal Tea Party with Disney princess, and spa and salon services also have fees. Is all the food on a Disney cruise free? Meals at rotational dining restaurants, on-board buffets, and various food stands are included in the cruise fare, as is most room service. Guests may choose to pay extra for adult-exclusive dining like Remy or Enchanté by Chef Arnaud Lallement. Treats at smoothie and sweets shops and snacks at concession stands near onboard movie theaters have à la carte fees. Specialty coffee drinks and alcohol are also extra. Do Disney cruises have good food? Yes. There are various options at each rotational restaurant. Guests are also welcome to ask for other offerings off menu, but what stuck out to me were everyday dishes like comforting congee at breakfast and a mountain of succulent crab legs during lunch at the Treasure's Marceline Market buffet. Mickey Churro Waffles and Disney Cruise Line chicken tenders are other fan favorites. So are Mickey ice cream bars, which you can order for free through room service. Italian-inspired Palo and other adult-exclusive restaurants, which cost extra, are so popular that reservations book up well ahead of sailings. Guests who miss out in advance can try to book in person upon embarkation. Is there unlimited alcohol on Disney cruises? No. There are no unlimited alcoholic beverage packages on Disney cruises. You can buy individual drinks and bottles of wine on board or pre-order bundles of hard seltzer, beer or wine. There are also deals like Drinks of the Day and the Beer Mug Savings package, which, for a one-time $15.25 fee, gets you 21-ounce beer refills for the price of 16 ounces. Upon initial embarkation and at each port, guests of legal drinking age may also carry on up to two unopened bottles of wine or champagne or six unopened beers no larger than 12 ounces. These must be brought in carry-on luggage, not checked, and may not be consumed in lounges or public spaces, aside from restaurants, where there is a corkage fee. Is there a casino on the Disney cruise? No. There are no casinos on Disney cruise ships. The closest thing to gambling is BINGO, which is extremely popular. Is there free Wi-Fi on Disney cruises? Yes. Guests can use free DCL Guest Wi-Fi to access the Disney Cruise Line Navigator App and message fellow guests. You can also message folks back home using third-party tools like Apple Messages and WhatsApp. However, you'll need paid internet service for anything more substantive like making calls, accessing social media, browsing the internet, posting or streaming video, and more. How much does a Disney cruise cost per person? Prices vary widely by sailing (ship, dates, itinerary, cruise duration and more), stateroom category, how many guests share the same stateroom and guest age. Kids under age 3, ages 3-12, and 13-17 are charged at different rates than adults, according to Plan Disney. Limited-time promotions also impact pricing. For instance, Disney Cruise Line is currently offering up to 30% off select summer 2025 sailings from the U.S. Prospective guests can find the latest special offers on the cruise line's website. Additionally, Disney Cruise Line passengers can lock in 10% off a future cruise when they purchase a refundable placeholder reservation while onboard a ship. At last check, the lowest priced sailing for a family of four departing the U.S. with two adults and two kids between the ages of 3-12 was priced at $2,620. That works out to $655 per person in an interior cabin on the Disney Wish for a 3-night Bahamas cruise leaving Port Canaveral on Aug. 22, 2025. Three-night cruises on the new Disney Adventure, launching in Singapore this December, start even lower. Does Disney Cruise Line go to Europe? Yes. Disney sails from three European ports: Barcelona, Spain Citavecchia, Italy (outside Rome) Southampton, England Transatlantic sailings are also offered several times a year. Do adults with no kids go on Disney cruises? Yes. Even though the cruises are designed with families in mind, lots of Disney adults sail kid-free. Many enjoy getting to feel like kids again themselves. Each ship and both of Disney's private island destinations have adult-exclusive areas and experiences. What are Disney's two private islands? Disney's has two private island destinations in the Bahamas: Castaway Cay and Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point. Is it cheaper to go to Disney or Disney cruise? That depends on how long you plan to sail versus visit parks, as well as choice of accommodations, dining and time of year. It can go either way. What is the cheapest way to book a Disney cruise? Guests will generally find the best prices the day itineraries are released. This happens a few times a year, about 15 to 18 months in advance of sailings, according to Plan Disney. Travelers can work with travel agents to keep tabs on when the next batch will be released or sign up for Disney Cruise Line email updates and follow the cruise line on social media. Are Disney cruises worth it? They are for many fans. 'They rate us very, very highly, and they tend to want to come back,' D'Amaro said. But just like any vacation, the cruises may not be worth it for everyone. The reporter on this story received access to the ship from Disney Cruise Line. USA TODAY maintains editorial control of reviews.
