“Obviously, we're not in a good place,” Kayla says of Ryan as she launches a new podcast, 'The Comeback Era,' with friend Caroline Lunny
NEED TO KNOW
- Nearly a year after filing for divorce from her Olympic gold medalist husband, Ryan Lochte, Kayla Reid Lochte is ready to open up
- “I really pray that he becomes the father our kids deserve,” she says
- She recently launched a podcast, The Comeback Era, with co-host Caroline Lunny that will cover dating, divorce and much more
Kayla Reid Lochte is ready to open up for the first time about her marriage to Ryan Lochte and what ended it.
Nearly a year after filing for divorce from the Olympian, Kayla tells PEOPLE she's been on a journey toward finding herself again.
“Obviously, we're not in a good place,” she says of her messy and still unresolved split from Ryan, a six-time Olympic gold medal swimmer with whom she shares three children.
“I really pray that he becomes the father our kids deserve,” says Kayla, 34.
Last month, she launched The Comeback Era podcast with co-host Caroline Lunny. The second episode, a look back at Lunny’s time on the Bachelor franchise, premiered this week.
Kayla, a Realtor, influencer and former model, will also be diving deep on marriage to and split from Ryan, 41, she says.
Speaking with PEOPLE, she says of her ex: “I wish him well.” And while she notes that they are “parallel parenting” son Caiden, 8, daughter Liv, 6, and 2-year-old daughter Georgia, there remains a real rift between the estranged spouses.
“We try to have minimal interaction,” she says.
The new podcast, Kayla says, will run the gamut: divorce, dating, grief, the ups and downs of relationships past and present; self-help and self-love; silliness and sisterhood.
Take the name literally, she says.
Courtesy Kayla Reid Lochte
“We were like, ‘How can we create a show to inspire women to show them that the bottom is not a failure?’ ” Kayla says. “The redemption and gaining control of your life, the do-over, it's … truly a gift from God. So why not share that with other people while we learn along the way?”
Future guests will be eclectic, too, including influencers, names from Bachelor Nation, other athletes’ wives, even some professionals — for life advice.
“I hope it's a little cozy place on the internet that is something that people really enjoy and get replenished from,” Kayla says.
Lunny agrees, telling PEOPLE, “I feel like women are so dynamic and wear all the hats so I don’t want to leave any topic untouched. It’ll be a solid balance of depth and not so serious.”
“I’m excited to dig in to everyone else’s stories and have some fun with our friends and guests,” Lunny, 35, adds. “From celebrities, to reality stars, to child psychologists, to divorce attorneys and fertility doctors … we’re going all in.”
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Both Lunny and Kayla will speak candidly on their podcast about their painful past relationships.
“I went through an abusive relationship, found out I had fertility issues, had nine surgeries, a stalker, some death threats, multiple restraining orders, and everything in between,” Lunny says. “It was a doozy.”
“My life came to a screeching halt, and I had no choice but to power through in survival mode. Eventually you have to get back up or you can lose your whole life to the chaos,” she says.
Kayla says she’s also been learning how to be herself — both old and new.
“I admire the woman I was before. Obviously, I'm proud of who I am, and what I've overcome, and all that stuff, but … I would like to find bits and pieces of her again,” she says.
She’s been taking stock, she says.
Kayla Rae Reid/Instagram
“I look back, and I'm like, ‘Oh, my gosh, this year, I can't believe what I made it through. I have said it a thousand times, but I don't know where I'd be if I didn't have my girlfriends and my family. They have carried me on their backs this past year,” she says.
Her divorce from Ryan is still pending in court, delayed by disagreements over finances and other matters.
“It could be a long road ahead still,” Kayla says.
In a statement last year, Ryan described the divorce as difficult but “the right step toward peace and well-being for us both. I remain committed to healing, growth, and co-parenting with care and respect as we move forward separately.”
He recently moved in with new girlfriend Molly Gillihan.
Kayla, however, is taking things slower in her personal life.
“I’m single. I’ve dated, but right now I’m choosing to remain single,” she says.
“My focus is on my kids and building the life I envision for our future,” she says.
As for the children, she says, “They're doing okay. They have a great community of friends, and great school.”
“Obviously, they have their little struggles, and they have their confusion, because they are wondering what's going on,” she says.
Courtesy Kayla Reid Lochte
Kayla is grateful, she says, for the bond she’s forged with Lunny — formerly a sort of social media-only friend who clicked as they worked to develop the Comeback Era over the last year.
Now, says Kayla, “she's like a sister to me.”
Lunny calls their bond “effortless.”
“Kayla and I can yap about everything for hours on end,” she quips.
“I had a front row seat to some things with her ex and for her divorce, and some other pretty awful things she’s dealt with behind the scenes lately … I feel like it really helped to deepen our friendship,” Lunny says.
Now they’re both looking forward to finding their voices, and an audience, together.
“It’s nice to have a friend and business partner to lean on on the days you can’t seem to put one foot in front of the other,” Lunny says. “And I hope as we navigate this broad spectrum of emotions life throws our way, our listeners can see themselves in our stories and maybe feel a little inspired to remember who tf they are too.”
The Comeback Era is available on YouTube and major podcast platforms.
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