Express to Success

Tegan McGrady, a professional soccer player currently for the Washington Spirit, attended Stanford University and played for the Stanford Cardinal women's soccer team. She was a member of the 2017 national championship team. Washington Spirit drafted McGrady with the No. 7 overall pick in the 2019 NWSL College Draft where she has been ever since. McGrady had a very succesful youth and collegiate soccer career adn continues to prove that she is an elite pro athlete in the NWSL. Tegan has made several appearance with Team USA throughout her career including the U20 team and also the Senior National Team. Tegan joins the podcast to share her experience from a young three sport athlete to being part of one of the best collegiate soccer teams in the history of Stanford Athletics and where her journey has taken her. 

Haley Videckis is a very succesful former Women's College Basketball Division I athlete. She is also a bright young activist in the LGBTQ+ community, using her own personal experiences from college to inspire change. Haley is also a passionate writer and soon to be published author. Listen to Haley's journey from collegiate athlete to advocate and social influencer as she describes her experiences. 

Dana Vollmer, one of the world's greatest swimmers 19-year career was one filled with accomplishements and accolades, Dana competed in 3 Olympics, won 32 international medals, and broke 6 world records—despite many setbacks and hurdles along the way. In 2016, she became the first ever mother to win a gold medal in the olympics. Her illustrious career transitioned into motivational speaking after she was finished in the pool. Dana now speaks about the secrets that helped her become the fourth most gold-medaled athlete in US history while balancing a loving family and a rewarding career. Her goal is to empower others to take control of their journey and live more fulfilling lives.

Alaina Coates, most recently a member of the Washington Mystics, was drafted in 2017, 2nd overall pick, by the Chicago Sky. During her time in the WNBA she spent time with the Chicago Sky, Atlanta Dream and Washington Mystics. Alaina has also spent time competing professionally overseas, most recently in Israel. Alaina played at the University of South Carolina where she won an NCAA Championship.  She went on to become a 4x All-SEC player, and All-American. She sits down to discuss her recruiting experience, college and professional career. 

Amanda Scarborough is currently a sports broadcaster for ESPN and former softball player. Amanda player her college softball at Texas A&M, where she was a two-time NFCA All-American and the 2005 Big 12 Conference Player of the Year. As a freshman in 2005, Scarborough went 26–2 (11–1 in Big 12 Conference games) as a pitcher with an 0.73 earned run average and was the team's best hitter with a .405 batting average. A first-team NFCA All-American, she became the first player to earn both Freshman of the Year and Player of the Year honors from the Big 12. After a stellar career and starting nearly her whole career, Amanda joined the Texas A&M staff as graduate assistant before becoming a professional broadcaster at ESPN. Tune in to hear her amazing journey!

Aurora Straus is a 22-year-old professional racecar driver in the USA, a student, and a musician. She currently competes in the IMSA Continental Tire Sportscar Challenge, and previously raced in the Battery Tender Mazda MX-5 Cup. She is currently attending Harvard University while competing as a professional.  At 19 years of age, was the only professional teenage female sportscar racer in North America. Tune in to her how she balances professional race car driving, school and her own personal passions. 

Megan Oldham is a 17-year-old freestyle skier winning golds and rising to the top in the winter sports arena very quickly. Megan most recently medaled at the 2021 X-Games in Aspen and also won a bronze in slopestyle at the FIS Freestyle Ski and Snowboarding World Championships 2021. Megan continues to climb FIS Slopestyle World Cup standings and sits down to talk about her journey to the podium from being a young athlete and the many adjustments she has made being one of the younger pro athletes on the winter ski circuit. 

From the gridiron to the slopes, AJ has covered it all. She's been behind the camera and in front to it, she's written for magazines and communicated over the FM airwaves. Aj is currently a Sports Reporter and Anchor for Koin 6 CBS Portland Affiliate and Co Host of  “AJ & Dusty” on 1080 The Fan.  A passionate story-steller and professional journalist, AJ is currently a sports anchor and reporter for KOIN TV in Portland, Oregon. Since moving to the PNW she has thrust herself into all things Pac 12, Rip City, MLS and NWSL. Prior to the move back to her native West Coast, AJ spent nearly three years in Fayetteville, Arkansas as the weekend sports anchor and reporter for the ABC affiliate. There she was often a one-woman band, shooting, writing, producing and delivering stories that mattered to her audience. She covered everything from the SEC to breaking news and severe weather. Prior to that, AJ covered the Olympic qualifying events for Universal Sports Network for the 2014 Sochi Winter Games. She shared the stories of some of the most amazing Paralympic and Olympic athletes. 

Carolyn Swords had one of the most illustrious careers as a post in women's college basketball history at Boston College. In her 4 years at BC she scored over 2,000 points and had over 1,000 rebounds. One of the elite women's players in BC history, Carolyn was drafted in the second round of the WNBA draft by the Chicago Sky in 2011. She spent 9 years in the WNBA along with many teams across the globe. Most recently, Carolyn was working for the Las Vegas Aces when two of their players opted out of the Bubble for the WNBA 2020 season. Carolyn, in one of the most memorable moments in WNBA history, decided to return to play in the WNBA and helped the Las Vegas Aces reach the 2020 WNBA Championship. Tune in to hear about her college, pro and WNBA careers along with one of her best seasons at last minute notice in 2020.     

Jessica Long, a double amputee since infancy, is a four-time Paralympian in swimming and, with 23 medals, the second-most decorated U.S. Paralympian in history. She was adopted into a large from a Russian orphanage at thirteen months, her disability no barrier for her future parents. While overcoming obstacles and challenges from a young age, Jessica has made history in swimming but also shared her journey in a documentary that debuted during the 2014 Sochi Olympics where she was reunited with her birth family. Jessica also chronicled her story in her book titled 'Unsinkable - From Russian Orphan to Paralympic Swimming World Champion." Jessica continues to be an inspiration sharing her story as a motivational speaker and across many platforms. Most recently Jessica story was featured as a Super Bowl LV in a 60 second commercial.

Sarah Spain is an Emmy and Peabody Award-winning radio host, TV personality and writer. She is the host of “Spain and Company,” airing weeknights on national ESPN radio, host of ESPN’s “That’s What She Said” podcast, a writer for espnW.com, a regular panelist on “Around The Horn” and “Highly Questionable” and a “SportsCenter” reporter.  Listen in as Sarah and Taina talk the treatment of female sports reporters in todays industry, finding the right opportunities to build your career, the importance of networking and much more. 

Margaux Alvarez, an outstanding athlete, competed in the CrossFit Games, NBC Titan Games and is now both a coach, trainer and small business owner of G.O.A.T Wines sits down to shre her experiences. Succesful in both athletic competition and running her own business, Margaux discusses the many challenges of competing as an elite athlete and training, while also sharing the business managment side of creating and owning a business where she has built it from the ground up.  

Ami Houde, a professional moto cross athlete, has competed on dirt bikes, monster trucks and you name it! One of the most succesful motor sport athletes in the industry, Ami began her career at the age of 3 when she began dirt bike racing. A native of Canada and graduate of Winnipeg University, Ami turned pro in 2017. She shares her experiences from being one of the first women to drive a monster truck to winning dirt bike races, all while keeping everything in perspective. 

Polina Edmunds, a now retired professional figure skater, is a decorated figure skating champion. Polina was the 2015 Four Continents Champion, CS US Classic Champion and two time US National Silver Medalist. Polina was the youngest athlete to represent the United States in the 2014 Olympics in Sochi. Polina currently hosts her own podcast, @bleavpodcasts where she discusses the many issues that young athletes face in their career. Polina shares an inside look at what being an elite athelte at such a young age took and is actively working to bring light to the issues that many young female athletes face in society and how to overcome these obstacles. 

Arielle Chambers is a multi-media journalist, host, and social media manager based in New York City.  She utilizes storytelling to amplify the voices of women and magnify their excellence. Intentionally staying on the women's side of things, Chambers seeks to show girls and women, world-wide, that their potential is limitless.   Chambers has since dedicated her efforts to grassroots coverage and the utilization of social media to close the coverage gap. She has served as a reporter for the WNBA and NCAA women's basketball, covering multiple WNBA All-Star games, NCAA Women's Final Fours, and ACC Women's Basketball Tournaments. For the 2019 WNBA Draft, Chambers was chosen to be the WNBA digital news host and delivered #WNBANews. She also has experience in hosting and was the Connecticut Sun's back-up in-arena host for the 2018 season. ​ Earlier 2019, Chambers spearhead Bleacher Report's new platform, highlightHER and has grown it from the very beginning to now over 70,000 followers and counting. HighlightHER has been the fastest growing women's sports platform for the majority of 2020 and the potential is limitless.  ​  

Gabrielle Reece, a volleyball legend, inspirational leader, New York Times bestselling author, mother and fitness expert sits down to discuss the many aspects of her storied career and success after retirement from volleyball. The former professional beach volleyball player was Nike’s first female spokeswoman and Nike's first female athlete to design a shoe. Gabby attended Florida State University where she played two seasons before accepting offers from the modeling world. Despite the demand of modeling and competing, Gabby set two school volleyball records for FSU that still stand today. She is the Creator of HIGHX®, Co-Founder of XPT® and Executive Member of Laird Superfood®.     

Traci Callahan, a current professional volleyball athlete, is a graduate of Concordia University, Irvine, where she was named Female Athlete of the Year (2009) and a 1st team All-American 3 straight seasons (2006-2009). In 2005, she was the NCAA Freshman of the Year.  In 2015, she was the Assistant Beach Volleyball Coach at Florida State helping guide them to a 2nd place finish in the inaugural NCAA Beach Volleyball National Championships. Traci began playing on the AVP in 2012, qualifying for the AVP Championships in Santa Barbara, CA.  After a 4 year break from competition (2015-2018), Traci returned to the AVP in 2019, finishing 7th in her first tournament back on tour. In 2020, she and her partner Crissy Jones were the only qualifying team to make all three main draw events in the AVP Champions Cup Series, with a 5th place finish in the Wilson Cup and 7th place finishes in the Monster Hydro Cup and the Porsche Cup. Their only losses came to teams that made the finals. In 2020, Traci competed in her first FIVB event (finishing 5th), and will continue to play both domestically and internationally in 2021.

Dr. Jen Welter is the first female to coach in the NFL. In the summer of 2015, she served as a linebackers coach for the Arizona Cardinals, a period of time defined by the bond she has formed with the players. Widely known as a trailblazer and pioneer in professional football, becoming the first woman to coach in the NFL was only her most recent first. She most recently served  as a defensive specialist for the Alliance of American Football (AAF). Following her record-breaking accomplishment with the Cardinals, Welter became the head coach of the first Australian women’s national team in 2017. Widely known as a trailblazer and pioneer in professional football, Welter became the first woman to play running back in a men's professional football league with the Texas Revolution. Welter has served on the advisory board for the NFL’s Pro Football Hall of Fame Game for Life Academy since 2017. She holds a doctorate degree in Psychology, a Master’s in Sport Psychology, and a Bachelor’s degree from Boston College.

Shana Dobson, a pioneer in the UFC flyweight division, began her professional career MMA career in 2016. She holds a an overall record of 4-4. Shana participated in the Ultimate Fighting Championship Series 26 and in her promotional debut she defeated Ariel Beck by TKO on the season finale. Shana was the biggest betting underdogs in UFC history to win a fight. Shana is one of the proffesional MMA fighters who has paved the way for so many young athletes aspiring to be in her shoes. Shana shares her journey through the UFC, her experience on the Ultimate Fighting Championship Series and how she has used her platform to impact the athletic community. 

Natalie van den Adel, a member of the Dutch National Team and a professional hooper on Ensino Lugo in the Spanish League sits down to discuss her journey from a young age in the Netherlands to her short time in the United States and then returning to play professional basketball overseas. Natalie is an accomplished pro hooper having won the silver medal in the 2018 FIBA 3X3 Tournament. As the EuroLeague Qualifiers and Olympic Qualifiers approach she shares some of her greatest achievements and osbtacles she had to overcome as she leads her national team to potential history. 

Taina Maldonado sits down with one the biggest advocates for equality in women's sports, World Champion Boxer Heather "The Heat" Hardy. She first made waves on the scene of amateur boxing in 2011-2012, winning every title you could win at 125lbs. Regionals, Metros, Nationals and Golden Gloves, along with a NE Kickboxing title. Hardy was ranked #1 in the USA at 125lbs. before turning professional August 4, 2012. After turning professional, Hardy racked up an impressive 15 straight wins and no losses at Super Bantamweight (122lbs.) including capturing a WBC and UBF International title. Hardy became the first female to be signed to a long term promotional contract by DiBella entertainment and the first female to box professionally on a boxing card ar The Barclays Center. Hardy was then known as “The First Lady of Brooklyn Boxing”. In August of 2016, on the night she captured the WBC Featherweight Title, Hardy/Vincent was aired on NBC Sports, and was the first female bout to be televised in over 20 years. In June of 2017, Hardy decided to try her hand at MMA and became the first athlete (male or female) to be co-promoted in two combat sports. She signed to Belabor and became an instant fan favorite when she won her pro debut at MSG by knockout.  In 2018, Hardy fulfilled her dream of becoming a world champion where she defeated Shelly Vincent for a second time and was only the second female fight ever to be aired on HBO.

Taina Maldonado sits down with Cecelia Townes, a graduate of Howard University and UCLA School of Law and discusses her succesful career from the start as she has focused on empowering young women in the sports industry. As an undergraduate Cecelia was a 4-Time Academic All-American of the Women’s Tennis team. Cecelia's legal practice focuses on federal personnel and labor law. While engaging in a full-time legal practice, Cecelia also remains dedicated to sports and empowering women. As such she created and runs GladiatHers.com, a site dedicated to women in sports and women who want to achieve their maximum potential. GladiatHers® also hosts events, workshops and a mentorship program. Cecelia serves on the Board of Directors of the national nonprofit, Play Like a Girl! (an organization dedicated to creating opportunities for girls to be active) and Next Level Tennis & Education, (a non-profit dedicated to developing talented, well-rounded, successful tennis players who excel on the court and in life outside of sports). She makes regular appearances on podcasts and provides sports law commentary on espnw.com.  She also hosts her own series, Workin’ Women Wednesdays which provides tips on professional and personal development. Cecelia is a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and mentor with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Atlanta.

Taina is joined by rising star in the sports media, Jessica Slate, currently a Digital Marketing Specialist with the Connecticut Sun. Jessica began her career with the Texas Longhorns as an intern and has spent time as an ESPN Sideline Analyst, In-Arena Host for the Phoenix Suns, Director of Social Media for Arizona Christian University before her most recent achievements. Jessica was a contributor to University of Texas' Hook Em Headline and Los Angeles Lakers "Lake Show Life." Jessica, a succesful volleyball player began her journey in sports media at a young age, and her journey through the industry is an motivating story about sacrifices and hard work paying off. 

After a very successful weekend for the Italian National Team in the Eurobasket Qualifying Rounds, Taina Maldonado sits down with national team member and Euro League Hooper Sabrina Cinili. Sabrina, a 6'3 point guard, started her professional career while in High School. Having competed at the professional level for nearly 16 years, Sabrina Cinili shares her growth in the game, the many experiences she had in strengthening her game to eventually be a crucial part of the Italian National Team. 

A special episode with World Class UFC fighter, Megan Anderson. Taina sits down to talk with Megan about her upcoming 2021 challenge with Amanda Nunes to become the undisputed champion after a very succesful career in Invicta and the UFC. Megan shares her experiences from the beginning of her journey at age to where she is today. Listen in to the many challenges she has faced, obstacles she has overcome and her ultimate rise to the top. Megan currently holds 11-4-0 record with 6 knockouts and 3 submissions. A chance to learn about one of the most feared female fighters in the world. 

Sanya Richard-Ross sits down to discuss her epic career in track and field and how she achieved greatness, winning 4 olympic gold medals, 3 of them coming in the 400M Relay and winning the 400M Individual at the 2012 Olympic Games in London. Sanya did not only win multiple Olympic medals but won 19 medals, 13 of which were gold in the World Championships, World Athletics & World Indoor Finals. She was inducted into the Texas University Track and Field Coaches Hall of Fame in 2016. Her record breaking 400M sprint and gold medals are not her only accomplishments as she currently is the Host of Central Avenue TV. She is also the creator of Mommi Nation Blog. Check out Central Ave TV HERE

Taina Maldonado sits down with the 5th overall pick in the 2013 WNBA draft and WNBA All Star, Kelsey Bone. Hear Kelsey share her experience through college to being a Top 5 pick in the WNBA and her journey as a professional hooper. 

Our first episode features Sportscaster Rebecca Haarlow, who is currently working for MSG Networks in NY and NBA broadcasts. Rebecca shares her journey from Princeton Univeresity as a member of Track and Field to her current success as a Sportscaster in the NBA. An inside look at her experiences.