Hear Her Sports

Alexa Brabec grew up in Steamboat Springs, CO where she trained with the Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club. In 2020, she qualified for the US National Team for the first time. After graduating high school, Alexa moved to Lillehammer, Norway to train with the Norwegian Team as a part of a partnership between the US and Norwegian Teams. She competed in the first women's Nordic Combined World Cup in 2020 in Ramsau, Austria, the first Youth Olympic Games for women's Nordic Combined in 2020 in Laussane, Switzerland, and the first World Championships for women's Nordic Combined in 2021 in Oberstdorf, Germany.  Some highlights of her career are winning two silver medals at the 2024 Junior World Championships in the Individual and Women's Team Event, which were the first US women's Nordic Combined medals at Junior Worlds, a 4th place finish in the 2025 Seefeld Triple World Cup, a 4th place finish at the 2025 World Championships in Trondheim, Norway, which is also the best US women's Nordic Combined finish at World Championships, and finishing the 2024/25 World Cup season ranked 9th in the world.  Get involved and support the show directly at https://bit.ly/givetoHHSpodcast Find all episodes http://www.hearhersports.com/ Sign up for Hear Her Sports newsletter at https://bit.ly/HHSnewsletter Find Alexa at https://awesomesaucelex.wixsite.com/alexabrabecFollow Alexa on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/lex_brabec/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the episode host Elizabeth Emery speaks with Staci Mannella about ski racing legally blind with a guide, training for effective communication, why working with a counselor as an athlete is great idea, and why and how sport has been so important in her life, plus where it is leading her now.  Staci Mannella is a third year Ball State University PhD. student in counseling psychology with a focus on sport and performance. She is a mental health therapist and mental performance consultant in training at SKADI Sport Psychology. Drawing from her journey as a visually impaired Paralympic skier at the Sochi 2014 and PyeongChang 2018 Paralympic Games, Staci brings a unique blend of firsthand experience and academic rigor to her clinical work and research. Staci's academic journey, including a Bachelor of Arts at Dartmouth College, a Master's of Science from the School of Kinesiology at the University of British Columbia, and a Masters of Arts in Counseling from Ball State University, underscores her commitment to evidence-based practice. Her ability to produce, consume, and apply sport psychology research ensures that her clients receive the most effective strategies for optimizing their performance. When she's not supporting the performance and wellbeing of athletes, Staci enjoys staying active herself! She loves hiking, skiing, spending time with her animals, and enjoying the outdoors.  Get involved and support the show directly at https://bit.ly/givetoHHSpodcastFind all episodes http://www.hearhersports.com/Sign up for Hear Her Sports newsletter at https://bit.ly/HHSnewsletterFind Staci at https://stacimannella.com/Follow Staci on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/staciskier96Follow Staci on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/staciskier96/Find Sisters in Sports at https://sistersinsportsfoundation.org/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 2017, Megan Jastrab was an early guest on Hear Her Sports. She was 15 years old then and just, barely just, imagining her future cycling career. She is now a pro racer with Team Picnic PostNL. She's also an Olympic medalist and three time Junior World Champion. !!! In this episode, host Elizabeth catches up with Megan and hears about her recent experiences at La Vuelta Femenina, one of the three women's stage races called grand tours. Megan shares her thoughts about if La Vuelta should be called a grand tour, growth of women's cycling since she started, living in Europe, and her love of bike racing despite the rain and crashes. Megan began riding bikes with her brother Ryan at the age of eleven in her hometown of California. Two years later she competed in her first race, and by the age of seventeen, Megan was Junior World Champion in not only the road race but both the madison and omnium on the track. Hungry for more, Megan joined the national track team and came away from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics with a Bronze medal in her first ever elite team pursuit, at the ripe old age of 19.Megan earned a double degree in Exercise Science and Business graduated from Milligan University. She now races full-time, based out of Sittard in Holland. Be sure to listen to her early episode (Ep18) because it's still applicable to youngsters wanting to get into the sport. Get involved and support the show directly at https://bit.ly/givetoHHSpodcast Find all episodes http://www.hearhersports.com/ Sign up for Hear Her Sports newsletter at https://bit.ly/HHSnewsletter Follow Megan on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/meganjastrab/ Megan coaches. Learn more at https://mile2marathon-ride.com/coach/megan-jastrab/ Find out about La Vuelta Femenina at https://www.lavueltafemenina.es/en Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week host Elizabeth Emery is talking to Karen Heintz, a starting point guard, with the Houston Angels of the Women's Basketball League (WBL), which was founded in 1978. In that inaugural year of the league, the Angels won the Championship over the Iowa Cornets.  Before playing with the Angels, Karen walked onto Texas A&M in 1974, then transferred to Baylor as a sophomore. She is still in the record books at both schools in rebounding and scoring. Karen is also one of the early female athletes to receive an athletic college scholarship.  In the episode, Karen tells all those stories and we'll hear what it was like to play in the WBL, Karen's memories from those days, what she was paid, plus her thoughts on the current momentum in women's sports. We also talk about coaching because Karen has been teaching and coaching for 47 years. She was a head coach for 34 years, winning 797 games, multiple Regional Finals, and District Championships.  Karen still plays basketball competitively with the Connecticut Classics, an exceptional 50+ team. They regularly win National Senior Games championships.  Get involved and support the show directly at https://bit.ly/givetoHHSpodcast Find all episodes http://www.hearhersports.com/ Sign up for Hear Her Sports newsletter at https://bit.ly/HHSnewsletterFollow National Senior Games at https://www.instagram.com/seniorgames1/p/DGVyITkifn0/?locale=id&img_index=1Hear Karen Heintz and Coach Knodal on KHOU television at https://www.khou.com/article/sports/houston-angels-womens-basketball-championship/285-d7d338d2-6532-41d7-9f0f-5b7cbd1cc0f4 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Francesca Clapcich was born in Trieste, Italy and now lives in Park City, Utah with her wife (former Olympic and round-the-world sailor, Sally Barkow) and daughter, Harriet.  In our conversation, Francesca explains sailing, what it's like to be out on the ocean with dolphins and other wildlife. Then tells tales of the physical and mental preparations for the 2028 Vendee Globe, kid sports in Italy, building a diverse team, belief in yourself, belonging, and being a mom athlete. Our conversation couldn't have been more full and wonderful.  Francesca has twice represented Italy at the Olympic Games, is a World Champion, European Champion, Italian Sailor of the Year. In 2023, competing with 11th Hour Racing Team, she became the first Italian to win The Ocean Race, the world's longest and toughest team sporting event. Francesca is also the first female Italian to compete in the notoriously challenging Solitaire du Figaro, a solo multi-stage sprint around the coastline of France,. There she was presented with the Fighting Spirit award. After studying nautical construction in high school, Francesca went on to earn a degree in sports science at San Raffaele University in Rome, with a thesis on Olympic Performance. She then joined the Italian Air Force in their elite athlete program, where she served for nine years, finishing as a Senior Airman.  Beyond sailing, Francesca stays active in Park City. She is a qualified ski instructor, a CrossFit and weight-lifting coach, and she volunteers as an Emergency Medical Technician in her community for youth events. Francesca sits on the board of the Park City Task Force, advocating for LGBTQ+ rights in the community, building programs and events to expand the outreach of the organization, creating a safe place and access to support resources, sport and the outdoors for everyone in the region. Get involved and support the show directly at https://bit.ly/givetoHHSpodcast Find all episodes http://www.hearhersports.com/ Sign up for Hear Her Sports newsletter at https://bit.ly/HHSnewsletterFind Francesca Clapcich at https://www.francescaclapcich.com/ Follow Francesca on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/francescaclapcich/ Follow Francesca on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@FrancescaFrankieClapcich Learn more about 11th Hour Racing at https://11thhourracing.org/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Danette Leighton is a 30-year sports industry and corporate executive with experience serving both men's and women's professional and collegiate sports leagues and teams. Since March of 2022, Leighton has led the Women's Sports Foundation (WSF) as CEO, joining the 51-year-old organization, founded by Billie Jean King in 1974. Leighton was most recently chief marketing officer at the Pac-12 Conference. Prior to her nearly 12 years with the Pac-12, Leighton was with Maloof Sports & Entertainment's NBA Sacramento Kings as vice president of marketing and brand development, as well as vice president of business operations for the WNBA Monarchs, where she led the business of the World Championship-winning WNBA franchise. She also previously worked for Sony and managed their sponsorship of the PGA Tour's Sony Open in Hawaii and was Stanford University's executive director of the 1999 NCAA Women's Final Four. A graduate of the University of Arizona, she was named a Game Changer by Sports Business Journal and recognized for her innovation and excellence by Media Inc. She currently serves as a member of Women Leaders in College Sports Board of Directors. Get involved and support the show directly at https://bit.ly/supportWsports Find all episodes http://www.hearhersports.com/ Sign up for Hear Her Sports newsletter at https://bit.ly/HHSnewsletter Follow Women's Sports Foundation on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/womenssportsfoundation/ Find Women's Sports Foundation at https://www.womenssportsfoundation.org/ Read the Play to Lead Executive Summary at https://www.womenssportsfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Play-to-Lead-Report-Executive-Summary-2024.pdf Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Narcisse Jordan is a passionate artist, dedicated athlete, and advocate for women in sports. She currently plays for the USA Rugby League team and is a member of the new Women's Elite Rugby professional team Chicago Tempest. Beyond her athletic achievements, she is a devoted mother who inspires others to pursue their passions on and off the field.  As the founder of Mom You Play, a platform designed to empower and uplift mothers in sports, Narcisse is committed to challenging stereotypes and highlighting the stories of women who balance motherhood and competitive sports. Through her advocacy, she aims to create a supportive community that celebrates the strength and resilience of sports moms at every level.  Her work as an artist adds another layer to her storytelling, blending creativity with her love for sport. Whether she's creating on the canvas or making big tackles on the pitch, her message is clear: women – especially mothers – belong in sport, and they belong at every level.  Get involved and support the show directly at https://bit.ly/supportWsports Find all episodes http://www.hearhersports.com/ Sign up for Hear Her Sports newsletter at https://bit.ly/HHSnewsletter Follow Narcisse Jordan on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/kekijordan/ Follow Mom You Play on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/momyouplay/ Find Women's Elite Rugby at https://www.womenseliterugby.us/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lynn Holzman returned to the NCAA in February 2018 as the vice president of women's basketball. She is responsible for the strategic direction, oversight, operations, and management of women's basketball in Divisions I, II and III. She serves as the primary liaison to the women's basketball committees and provides strategic oversight of the site-selection process for each championship. In 2014, Holzman was appointed commissioner of the West Coast Conference after serving in various leadership roles within the conference office, including executive senior associate commissioner/chief operating officer and senior associate commissioner of governance and administration. Before her conference office tenure, she worked at the NCAA national office for 16 years, last serving as a director of academic and membership affairs. Holzman serves on various Boards, such as the Board of Directors of the Women's Basketball Coaches Association, Kay Yow Cancer Fund and Women's Basketball Hall of Fame. She has also served on numerous other Boards such as Women Leaders in College Sports, San Jose Sports Authority, National Association for Athletics Compliance and the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Center for Research in Intercollegiate Athletics. Holzman earned her Bachelor of Science and secondary major degrees at Kansas State University where she was captain of the women's basketball team and a three-time Academic All-Big Eight Team member. She also earned a Master of Arts degree from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and a Master of Business Administration from Purdue University. Lynn discusses with host Elizabeth Emery some changes coming up in the March Madness site-selection process, how she ended up working on the administrative side of sports, consequences of the pandemic on women's sports, the importance of sport for player and fans, the NCAA equity report that came out after Sedona Prince's weight room TikTok in 2021, and being a natural introvert but learning how to use her voice. Get involved and support the show and more sports media for women through https://www.buymeacoffee.com/hearher Find all episodes http://www.hearhersports.com/ Find Hear Her Sports on all social @hearhersports Follow NCAA Women's Basketball on IG at https://www.instagram.com/marchmadnesswbb/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

2x Olympian, Molly Huddle is an American long-distance runner who competes in track and cross-country running events. She is currently pregnant with her second child. She has won twenty-eight USA titles, held six American records, looked down the start line of two Olympic finals, and run four major marathons. Huddle set the American record in the 5,000 meters at the 2014 Herculis Diamond League meet in Fontvieille, Monaco (14:42.64). She also set the American record in the 10,000 meters at the 2016 Olympics (30:13.17). Huddle lives and trains in Providence, Rhode Island. Get involved and support the show directly at https://bit.ly/supportWsports Find all episodes http://www.hearhersports.com/ Sign up for Hear Her Sports newsletter at https://bit.ly/HHSnewsletter Find Hear Her Sports on all social @hearhersports Order How She Did It by Molly Huddle and Sara Slattery at https://bookshop.org/a/16267/9780593234259 Find Molly Huddle on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/mollyhuddle/ Listen to Keeping Track podcast with Molly Huddle, Alysia Montano, and Roisin McGettigan at https://keeping-track.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Favor Anyanwu talks with host Elizabeth Emery about coming from behind in the U19 World Championships, details of being part of USA Volleyball, transferring from USC to SMU after a semester, opportunities in sport, and tips for success. This episode is a terrific insight into being an elite athlete as a college student and what comes next. Favor is a standout volleyball player at Southern Methodist University (SMU) and a key contributor to the team's success. Known for her dedication and athleticism, she excels both on and off the court. Favor is also passionate about dentistry and aspires to make a positive impact in the field of oral health. Her drive and well-rounded focus inspire others to pursue their goals with discipline and ambition. Favor's successes include being Under Armour All-American, USA Volleyball All-Star Team member, Dallas Star News First Team and Middle Blocker of the Year, and American Volleyball Coaches Association Phenom selection, and a member of the USA U19 Gold Medalist team at the World Championships. Get involved and support the show directly at https://bit.ly/supportWsports Find all episodes http://www.hearhersports.com/ Sign up for Hear Her Sports newsletter at https://bit.ly/HHSnewsletter Find Hear Her Sports on all social @hearhersports Read more about Favor Anyanwu on the SMU roster page at https://smumustangs.com/sports/womens-volleyball/roster/favor-anyanwu/14827 Find Favor Anyanwu on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/fav_an6/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rebecca McConville is a board certified sports specialist and IAEDP approved eating disorder supervisor. She is an internationally recognized expert on REDs (relative energy deficiency) authoring the book Finding Your Sweet Spot - how to avoid REDs. The updated version will be released in 2025. She also created the first of its kind REDs informed provider certification program for clinicians. IN this fascinating discussion excellent for athletes, coaches, parents, and other sport team staff members, Rebecca discusses with host Elizabeth Emery about what happens in the body when underfueled, what recovery takes, and how to look for physical, nutritional, and psychological reasons for underfueling. Get involved and support the show directly at https://bit.ly/supportWsports Find all episodes http://www.hearhersports.com/ Sign up for Hear Her Sports newsletter at https://bit.ly/HHSnewsletter Find Hear Her Sports on all social @hearhersports Find Rebecca McConville at https://beccamcconville.com/ Find Rebecca McConville on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/rebeccaeddietitian/ Find the REDs Informed Provider Directory at https://beccamcconville.com/certified-reds-informed-provider-directory/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Professional cyclist Veronica Ewers is from a small town in the United States and currently lives and trains in Girona, Spain. Since she began her pro career in 2021, she has raced to stellar results, especially in stage races. Just a few examples are a 4th overall in the Giro d'Italia, 9th overall in the Tour de France Femme avec Zwift, and 1st overall in the Classica Feminina Navarra. Veronica decided to take a break from racing to recover from RED-S and works hard to be transparent about that journey as well as mental health. Veronica is looking to come back strong in 2025 with her team EF Education-Oatly and to see exactly what kind of rider she can be. Veronica explains how all that is going, what taking time off was like, struggles, goals, and where she has improved her fueling habits. We also talk about women's racing right now, team chefs (and all the other staff at stage races), eating on tour, lifting heavy, measuring food –or NOT, and the cruelty of RED-S. Get involved and support the show directly at https://bit.ly/supportWsports Find all episodes http://www.hearhersports.com/ Sign up for Hear Her Sports newsletter at https://bit.ly/HHSnewsletter Find Hear Her Sports on all social @hearhersports Find Veronica Ewers on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/vkewers Find EF Education-Oatly on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/efeducation.oatly Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sports Psychologist Dr. Erin Ayala joins host Elizabeth Emery to discuss the struggles of being a woman involved in male-dominated sports, athlete identity, gravel racing, being prepared to compete, nerves, anxiety, racing with confidence, the pain cave, performance slumps, different types of goals and how they work, plus since it's the new year, resolutions. With over a decade of research and clinical experience, Dr. Erin Ayala is a Licensed Psychologist and Certified Mental Performance Consultant based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She is the founder of Skadi Sport Psychology, a mission driven sport psychology practice that specializes in working with girls, women, and non-binary endurance athletes. Dr. Ayala is a published author of over 20 research articles and book chapters, and has been featured in Trailrunner Magazine, the New York Times, and other media outlets. Beyond her professional achievements, she is an accomplished endurance athlete, a lover of spreadsheets, and is likely reading 12+ books at any given time. Get involved and support the show directly at https://bit.ly/supportWsports Find all episodes http://www.hearhersports.com/ Sign up for Hear Her Sports newsletter at https://bit.ly/HHSnewsletter Find Hear Her Sports on all social @hearhersports Find Skadi Sport Psychology at https://www.skadisportpsychology.com/ Find Skadi Sport Psychology on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/skadisportpsychology Find Erin Ayala on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/erinayala/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on Hear Her Sports is writer and runner Katie Holmes. Katie is currently researching and writing a book on Women's running history with a focus on women who break the rules. Katie is also interested in and researches older women runners, like herself. You can read more about running as an older woman on her blog Run Young 50. In the episode, Katie and host Elizabeth Emery talk about discovering her competitive side through running, being an older female athlete, the discussions she's having with a bunch of older, fast, British female runners who made their mark in running history, the importance of history, and her upcoming book due to be published by Bloomsbury Sport in 2026. Katie Holmes lives in Nottingham, UK. She started her RunYoung50 blog in 2014 because she wanted to share the stories of female runners over 50 and highlight their achievements. In 2020 Katie was awarded an Independent Researcher Fellowship by the Women's History Network towards her research into Scottish distance running pioneer Dale Greig. Katie is a member of the British Society of Sports History and has presented at two BSSH annual conferences. In 2022, she was awarded the Society's Sporting Inequities Prize for outstanding work in an under-researched area – for her conference paper “The Reluctant Bride” (on the governance of women's athletics in the UK in the 1970s). Get involved and support the show directly at https://bit.ly/supportWsports Find all episodes http://www.hearhersports.com/ Sign up for Hear Her Sports newsletter at https://bit.ly/HHSnewsletter Find Hear Her Sports on all social @hearhersports Find Katie Holmes' blog at https://runyoung50.co.uk/ Find Katie Holmes on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/runyoung50/ And on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/runyoung50 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of the Hear Her Sports podcast, host Elizabeth Emery sits down with professional squash player Melissa Alves. Despite facing early-season injuries, Melissa has had a remarkable year including a well-deserved victory at the Cape Town Squash Open in late November. The episode delves into Melissa's journey, from her early days on the court to her collegiate career at the University of Pennsylvania. She discusses the challenges and rewards of transitioning from a top collegiate player to a professional athlete. Melissa discusses her wrist injury and the subsequent adaptation of her playing style. She shares her inspiring story of resilience and innovation, demonstrating how necessity can drive significant changes in technique and performance. Additionally, the episode explores Melissa's training regimen, including her off-season cycling routine, and her passion for culinary arts. She also discusses the mental aspects of the sport, emphasizing the importance of self-belief and taking up space on the court. Get involved and support the show directly at https://bit.ly/supportWsports Find all episodes http://www.hearhersports.com/ Sign up for Hear Her Sports newsletter at https://bit.ly/HHSnewsletter Find Hear Her Sports on all social @hearhersports Find Melissa Alves on IG at https://www.instagram.com/malves973/ For a short bio go to http://www.hearhersports.com/#/ep180-melissa-alves-pro-squash-player For more of Melissa's results take a look at her PSA Squash Tour page. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Elizabeth Holden is a writer, a physics teacher, a travel company owner, an X-Files podcast host, and an avid roller derby player. Her debut novel, Mighty Millie Novak, was released by Flux Books in 2024. She believes the ideal conditions in which to write a novel are in the dining car of a train traveling through the Alps, with a pot of tea beside you -- though she does most of her writing at her home in Wisconsin. Like Millie, Elizabeth Holden is an avid roller derby player, a blocker with Madison Roller Derby since 2015. Liz's league-mates know her as Auntie Matter; her derby name is a reference to her job teaching college physics. (And, yes, she is also an aunt. Hi, William and Hugo!) When not busy writing, playing derby, or teaching, Liz is most likely leading international trips with her company, Leaping Hound Travel. Liz also co-hosts an X-Files podcast, We Want to Believe, with her sister. Liz's tattoos are vibrant and numerous, her laugh is loud, and her heart belongs to her pet greyhounds. Learn more about her at elizabeth-holden.com. Get involved and support the show directly at https://bit.ly/supportWsports Find all episodes http://www.hearhersports.com Sign up for Hear Her Sports newsletter at https://bit.ly/HHSnewsletter Find Hear Her Sports on all social @hearhersports Find Elizabeth Holden on IG at https://www.instagram.com/elizabethh_wi/ Elizabeth Holden's website elizabeth-holden.com Order Mighty Millie Novak at https://bookshop.org/a/16267/9781635831030 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Natasha Camy is an NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Referee now in her 14th season. She has officiated at the very top level, including in the 2024 Elite 8 game featuring LSU and Iowa, the most watched women's basketball game in history! She has also officiated in the Conference USA championship, Big 10 conference playoffs, Big 10 final, SEC conference playoffs, WNIT final, WBIT quarterfinal and final. In the episode, Natasha shares with host Elizabeth Emery about how she prepares for games, nerves, cute interactions with players, and how things have changed in the fourteen years she's been oficiating. Beyond her own officiating career, Natasha is helping others grow in the profession. She founded and runs Referee Ready Academy, a holistic referee development training program. In January 2024 she was announced as an investor for the Cape Town Tigers, a South African basketball club belonging to The Basketball Africa League (BAL); founded by the National Basketball Association (NBA) and International Basketball Federation (FIBA); making her one of the first African American women to do so. The investment deems Camy one of the only African American women to invest in a BAL team. Get involved and support the show directly at https://bit.ly/supportWsports Find all episodes http://www.hearhersports.com/ Find Hear Her Sports on all social @hearhersports Find Natasha on IG at https://www.instagram.com/natashacamy/ Find Referee Ready Academy on IG at https://www.instagram.com/refereeready/ Learn more about Referee Ready Academy at https://refereeready.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Natasha Camy is an NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Referee now in her 14th season. She has officiated at the very top level, including in the 2024 Elite 8 game featuring LSU and Iowa, the most watched women's basketball game in history! She has also officiated in the Conference USA championship, Big 10 conference playoffs, Big 10 final, SEC conference playoffs, WNIT final, WBIT quarterfinal and final. In the episode, Natasha shares with host Elizabeth Emery about how she prepares for games, nerves, cute interactions with players, and how things have changed in the fourteen years she's been oficiating. Beyond her own officiating career, Natasha is helping others grow in the profession. She founded and runs Referee Ready Academy, a holistic referee development training program. In January 2024 she was announced as an investor for the Cape Town Tigers, a South African basketball club belonging to The Basketball Africa League (BAL); founded by the National Basketball Association (NBA) and International Basketball Federation (FIBA); making her one of the first African American women to do so. The investment deems Camy one of the only African American women to invest in a BAL team. Get involved and support the show directly at https://bit.ly/supportWsports Find all episodes http://www.hearhersports.com/ Find Hear Her Sports on all social @hearhersports Find Natasha on IG at https://www.instagram.com/natashacamy/ Find Referee Ready Academy on IG at https://www.instagram.com/refereeready/ Learn more about Referee Ready Academy at https://refereeready.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Corrine Leistikow is a 65 year old family physician living in Fairbanks, Alaska. Her passion is being physically active outdoors. She started doing endurance biking and skiing events at age 50, when her children became teenagers. She continues to push her limits as an older athlete. Corrine tells host Elizabeth Emery about her adventures, pushing ourselves as older athletes, staying, why more older women don't do endurance bikepacking, strength training, her own severe stomach issues while racing, and hostess donuts. Corrine's first event was the Fireweed 200. Since then she has done the Leadville 100 mountain bike race, White Mountain 100 -- twice on skis and once on a fat bike, the Smoke N Fire 400, BC Epic 100, Tour Divide (a 2700-mile bikepacking race from Banff, Canada to the Mexico Border in New Mexico), the 700 mile Trans South Dakota, and 700 mile Cross Washington. And she has tried twice to finish the 350 mile Unbound Gravel XL. Get involved and support the show directly at https://bit.ly/supportWsports Find all episodes http://www.hearhersports.com/ Find Hear Her Sports on all social @hearhersports Follow Corrine through her blog at https://notquiteoverthehillcorrineanderic.blogspot.com/ Find Corrine on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/corrine.leistikow Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Iris Slappendel shares with host Elizabeth Emery stories of all things Tour de France Femmes Avec Zwift. Iris is a commentator and reporter for Eurosport and is an expert source about the women's peleton, teams, politics, and racing tactics. Iris raced professionally for 12 years with much success including a Dutch national road race title in 2014. After retiring at the end of 2016, Iris launched her own apparel brand called I R I S, her first name but also an abbreviation of ‘I Ride In Style'. Being educated as a product designer and having the experience of being a pro cyclist, Iris designs all products from start to finish, having complete control over the materials, the fit and the design. Bold, fearless and colorful, I R I S is for anybody and everybody that wants to express their own personality on the bike and most importantly have fun with every ride. Her products address the specific needs of female cyclists. Iris co-founded and is now executive director of The Cyclists' Alliance (TCA), an organization that supports women pro cyclists and campaigns to improve their working conditions. Get involved and support the show directly at https://bit.ly/supportWsports Find all episodes http://www.hearhersports.com/ Find Hear Her Sports on all social @hearhersports Find Iris apparel line at https://www.i-ris.cc/ Follow Iris on IG at https://www.instagram.com/irisslappendel/ Hear Iris Slappendel on Ep42 about The Cyclists' Alliance https://www.hearhersports.com/archives#/episode-42-iris-slappendel-womens-cycling-union/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Katie Moon is two time World Champion and a two time Olympic medalist. At the Tokyo Olympics she won a gold medal and in Paris 2024 she won silver. Katie graduated from Olmsted Falls High School where she started her pole vaulting career. She returned there this summer to host the inaugural Katie Moon Pole Vault Classic. She went to the University of Dayton and then transferred to Ashland University, where she won two NCAA Division II national titles. Learn more about Katie in Hear Her Sports Episode 14, in which she talks about body image, nutrition, poles, and how she got started. She also talked to host Elizabeth Emery during Covid about how tough it was to train and recently in another bonus episode about being a gluten free athlete. Donate to support everything Hear Her Sports is doing to increase media coverage for female athletes and women in sports. Go to https://www.hearhersports.com/checkout/donate?donatePageId=6176b09220b0c3018b78ca66 Find all episodes http://www.hearhersports.com/ Find Hear Her Sports on all social @hearhersports Follow Katie Moon on IG at https://www.instagram.com/ktnago13/ Listen to Katie Moon on Episode 14 at https://www.hearhersports.com/archives#/episode-14-pole-vaulter-katie-nageotte-more-than-1-way-to-look-healthy/ Hear from Katie about training during Covid in a Hear Her Sports Fast Track https://www.hearhersports.com/archives#/fast-track-katie-nageotte/ Katie is a gluten-free athlete. Hear more about that in this bonus episode: https://www.hearhersports.com/#/bonus-katie-moon-becoming-gluten-free-athlete/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Katie Moon is two time World Champion and a two time Olympic medalist. At the Tokyo Olympics she won a gold medal and in Paris 2024 she won silver. Katie graduated from Olmsted Falls High School where she started her pole vaulting career. She returned there this summer to host the inaugural Katie Moon Pole Vault Classic. She went to the University of Dayton and then transferred to Ashland University, where she won two NCAA Division II national titles. In this Bonus episode Katie explains how she discovered she was celiac, how she has managed being gluten free as a professional athlete, and she shares some tips, favorite foods, and apps. Learn more about Katie in Hear Her Sports Episode 14, in which she talks about body image, nutrition, poles, and how she got started. She also talked to host Elizabeth Emery during Covid about how tough it was to train. Get involved and support the show and more sports media for women through https://www.buymeacoffee.com/hearher Find all episodes http://www.hearhersports.com/ Find Hear Her Sports on all social @hearhersports Follow Katie Moon on IG at https://www.instagram.com/ktnago13/ Listen to Katie Moon on Episode 14 at https://www.hearhersports.com/archives#/episode-14-pole-vaulter-katie-nageotte-more-than-1-way-to-look-healthy/ Hear from Katie about training during Covid in a Hear Her Sports Fast Track https://www.hearhersports.com/archives#/fast-track-katie-nageotte/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is a bonus episode of a cross posting of a Casual FC podcast episode featuring a deep dive into the world of Angel City FC, with discussions on its unique charm, importance of community, inclusivity, and fan culture. The discussion, involving Catherine Dávila from the Angel City front office, covers her diverse career journey and underlines the integral role of the community in shaping the team's identity and activities. The podcast sheds light on the milestones, outreach efforts, and the balance between being a business and driving social good, with an outlook on deepening community engagement for the third season. It also explores the evolution of professional women's soccer in LA, the impact of fan culture and exciting expectations for the upcoming season. The Casual FC hosts are: Mario Salazar is a born and bred Angelino who grew up playing soccer. Although of the two Casual FC hosts, he has the "most experience" on the pitch, he still is the soccer "Casual" of the podcast. Eager to learn about the NWSL and the larger arena of the Women's Soccer world, he brings the curiosity that both he and Angela hope the audience brings. Mario often can be found attending both mens and womens soccer in LA. Sometimes he brings his two kids and wife. Angela Morales is a born and bred Angelino who has worn sports equipment since before she could walk. An accomplished athlete she brings the "Expert" to the podcast. Her knowledge of players, tactics and sports psychology is no accident as she holds a Masters in Sports Psychology from PennWest University. You will likely find her at live music shows all over LA when she's not at a soccer game. Get involved and support the show and more sports media for women through https://www.buymeacoffee.com/hearher Find all episodes http://www.hearhersports.com/ Find Hear Her Sports on all social @hearhersports Follow Causal FC podcast on IG at https://www.instagram.com/casualfcpod/ Follow Catherine Dávila on IG at https://www.instagram.com/communitycatdav/ Find the Casual FC website at https://casualfc.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Amanda Sobhy is the highest ranked American born squash player ever. She is the first US player to win a world championship title, which she did on her 17th birthday at the 2010 world junior championships. She graduated from Harvard University in 2015 with a remarkable 62-0 undefeated college career, three team titles, and four individual titles.  As a professional squash player, Amanda reached a career high of world No. 3 in 2021, making her the first American player ever to crack the top 3 in the world rankings. She has captured twenty titles on the PSA World Tour, and has won six US Women's National titles. Amanda represented Team USA in three Pan-American Games (winning seven gold medals and two silver medals). She also represented Team USA in five World Team Championships. Outside of the squash court, Amanda is an inspirational speaker who uses her story about overcoming adversity and setbacks as a professional athlete to inspire others. Amanda ruptured her left Achilles in 2017 and her right achilles in late 2023. Amanda also spent a decade struggling privately with an eating disorder. Amanda serves on the board of the Professional Squash Association, Squash & Education Alliance, and USSquash, and is an ambassador for the recently launched USSquash Foundation. In the episode, Amanda talks to Hear Her Sports host Elizabeth Emery about her experiences with injury, recovery, rehab, and maintaining her mental strength. Get involved and support the show and more sports media for women through https://www.buymeacoffee.com/hearher Find all episodes http://www.hearhersports.com/ Find Hear Her Sports on all social @hearhersports Follow Amanda Sobhy on IG at https://www.instagram.com/asobhy93/ Hear Amanda on Ep145 about her eating disorder https://www.hearhersports.com/#/ep145-amanda-sobhy-us1-pro-squash-player/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the episode, decathletes Adeline Audigier, Patricia Mehlich, and Roséva Bidois who all represent Team France tell host Elizabeth Emery what it was like to compete in the inaugural Women's Decathlon World Championships that took place in Geneva, Ohio at Spire Academy on August 3rd and 4th, 2024. These championships were historic and a big step towards achieving their goal of bringing the women's decathlon to the LA Olympics in 2028 as an exhibition sport. Tune into the previous Hear Her Sports episode to learn more about their fight to do so and why decathlon is the sport for the complete athlete. Get involved and support the show and more sports media for women through https://www.buymeacoffee.com/hearher Find all episodes http://www.hearhersports.com/ Find Hear Her Sports on all social @hearhersports Follow Adeline on IG at https://www.instagram.com/adeline_audigier/ Follow Patricia on IG at https://www.instagram.com/p.a.t.r.i.c.i.a__m/ Follow Roséva on IG at https://www.instagram.com/roseva.bidois/ Follow Lauren Kuntz on IG at https://www.instagram.com/lo_kuntz/ Follow Jordan Grey on IG at https://www.instagram.com/grit_goddess/ Follow Women's Decathlon at https://www.instagram.com/decathlon.femmes/ Learn more about decathlon & Adeline's project at https://www.hearhersports.com/#/ep173-adeline-audigier-patricia-mehlich-womens-decathlon/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Adeline Audigier was born in the city of Marseille in the South of France. She is about to turn 32 and is living her second athletic life as a decathlete. Before turning to decathlon, she was a heptathlete. She grew up in a sporty family. She and her brother and sister do dozens of sports. She has a degree in EHS (Environment, Health, Safety) engineering, was a professional firefighter, and is now a shipboard firefighter trainer. Adeline embodies the multi-sport life: absolutely everything interests her and she wants to try it all. “My biggest problem is that I won't have enough life to do everything I want.” When she was 30 she began the decathlon project, which allows her to help her sport that has always offered her great things. For her, it's important to contribute to the development of the sport by correcting the oversight that stalled the evolution of the heptathlon into the completed version of multisport events, the decathlon. Patricia Mehlich is German but has been living in France for about 10 years. She works as a chartered accountant. Like Adeline, Patricia is a multi-eventer on and off track. She enjoys playing the piano, reading, and writing books, crocheting/knitting, and gardening. In the decathlon, her best event is the 100 meter hurdles, but she stresses that she's not exceptional anywhere. Patricia is dedicated to the decathlon project, so girls don't have to miss out on the pole vault, discus, and 1500m like she did. Get involved and support the show and more sports media for women through https://www.buymeacoffee.com/hearher Find all episodes http://www.hearhersports.com/ Find Hear Her Sports on all social @hearhersports Follow Adeline on IG at https://www.instagram.com/adeline_audigier/ Follow Patricia on IG at https://www.instagram.com/p.a.t.r.i.c.i.a__m/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pole Vaulter Gabi Leon was one of the most successful student-athletes in the history of University of Louisville. She competed for the Cardinals from 2017 to 2022, finishing her career as the program record holder in both the indoor and outdoor women's pole vault. During her time competing for Louisville, Gabi was a four-time NCAA All-American, won two individual ACC championships, was recognized as All-ACC seven times, and earned USTFCCCA All-Academic distinction twice while receiving All-ACC Academic honors four times. In 2022 Gabi won the NCAA outdoor National Championships. That year she also won numerous awards including USTFCCCA Outdoor Southeast Region Women's Field Athlete of the Year, ACC Female Outdoor Field Scholar Athlete of the Year, and ACC Track & Field Female Scholar Athlete of the Year When she graduated, Gabi became a professional athlete sponsored by Puma. At the 2022 USATF Outdoor Championships she placed 4th earning her a spot on Team USA for the World Championships, where she place 12th. Gabi's indoor personal best is 4.70 which she did this past February at the USA indoor track and Field Championships, earning her a bronze medal in the competition. Her outdoor PB is 4.62, which she achieved in July 2024 at Hengalo, Netherlands. In addition to talking about the Olympic Trials & the Katie Moon Pole Vault Classic, Gabi shared a very cool story about calf cramps, mastering the mental aspect of sport, initially being scared of pole vaulting, the importance of a varied diet and nutrition in general, and supporting herself as a pro athlete. Get involved and support the show and more sports media for women through https://www.buymeacoffee.com/hearher Find all episodes http://www.hearhersports.com/ Find Hear Her Sports on all social @hearhersports Follow Gabi Leon on IG at https://www.instagram.com/gabiileonn_/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mechelle Lewis Freeman is a graduate of the University of South Carolina, where she earned a Bachelor's and Master's Degrees in Mass Communications. At USC, she was a member of the 2002 Women's Outdoor Track & Field team who, brought the first National Championship in any sport to the university. After a successful marketing career, she transitioned back to an athlete to pursue her childhood dream of becoming an Olympic athlete. Mechelle is a Track & Field 2007 Pan American Double Silver Medalist, 2007 World Champion, and 2008 Olympian. Her events included the 100 meters and the 4×100 meter relay. Mechelle serves as Head Women's Relays Coach for USA Track & Field National Teams, achieving gold medal successes at the 2020 Olympics and the 2022 & 2023 World Championships.   In 2015, Mechelle founded TrackGirlz, a national nonprofit that provides access to track and field to middle-school and high-school girls. She is an active coach for the organization.   In their 2022-23 season, over 200 girls were empowered through the TrackGirlz workshops and events. They awarded $40,000 through a grant program that supports girls' participation in track and field in their local communities. TrackGirlz also provided to girls over 50 direct mentorship opportunities with world class women track and field athletes, coaches, and influencers. Mechelle discusses with host Elizabeth Emery the selection process for the US Women's relay teams, the qualities of each leg of the race, creating chemistry in the team, the value of every role on the team, the hardest part of her job, what she's looking forward to in Paris, and her organization TrackGrilz. Get involved and support the show and more sports media for women through https://www.buymeacoffee.com/hearher Find all episodes http://www.hearhersports.com/ Find Hear Her Sports on all social @hearhersports Follow Mechelle Freeman on IG at https://www.instagram.com/mechellelewisfreeman/ Follow Track Girlz on IG at https://www.instagram.com/trackgirlz/

Lynn Holzman returned to the NCAA in February 2018 as the vice president of women's basketball. She is responsible for the strategic direction, oversight, operations, and management of women's basketball in Divisions I, II and III. She serves as the primary liaison to the women's basketball committees and provides strategic oversight of the site-selection process for each championship. In 2014, Holzman was appointed commissioner of the West Coast Conference after serving in various leadership roles within the conference office, including executive senior associate commissioner/chief operating officer and senior associate commissioner of governance and administration. Before her conference office tenure, she worked at the NCAA national office for 16 years, last serving as a director of academic and membership affairs. Holzman serves on various Boards, such as the Board of Directors of the Women's Basketball Coaches Association, Kay Yow Cancer Fund and Women's Basketball Hall of Fame. She has also served on numerous other Boards such as Women Leaders in College Sports, San Jose Sports Authority, National Association for Athletics Compliance and the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Center for Research in Intercollegiate Athletics. Holzman earned her Bachelor of Science and secondary major degrees at Kansas State University where she was captain of the women's basketball team and a three-time Academic All-Big Eight Team member. She also earned a Master of Arts degree from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and a Master of Business Administration from Purdue University. Lynn discusses with host Elizabeth Emery some changes coming up in the March Madness site-selection process, how she ended up working on the administrative side of sports, consequences of the pandemic on women's sports, the importance of sport for player and fans, the NCAA equity report that came out after Sedona Prince's weight room TikTok in 2021, and being a natural introvert but learning how to use her voice. Get involved and support the show and more sports media for women through https://www.buymeacoffee.com/hearher Find all episodes http://www.hearhersports.com/ Find Hear Her Sports on all social @hearhersports Follow NCAA Women's Basketball on IG at https://www.instagram.com/marchmadnesswbb/

Annie Villareal, the vibrant force behind the Rippedgrandma brand, is not your typical personal trainer. With a background in pharmaceutical sales, Annie took a leap of faith 17 years ago, embarking on a journey of personal reinvention. Inspired by her love for sports and movement, she shed 60 pounds, rediscovered her passion for running, and even completed the Big Sur Marathon at the age of 50. Annie's fitness journey didn't stop there. Armed with a diverse fitness background including yoga, Pilates, strength training, and more, she became a beacon of inspiration for those seeking a functional and holistic approach to fitness. Her training philosophy is rooted in post-rehab work, specializing in shoulders, hips, and low back issues—the "big 3" as she calls them. In 2019, just before the global pandemic hit, Annie created a space dedicated to keeping aging adults strong and fully functional. Now, Annie's average client age is 75. Beyond the gym, Annie found solace and passion in outrigger canoeing, fostering a sense of family and competition. Her mantra, encapsulated in the Hawaiian word "Imua," reflects her commitment to moving forward with strength, grace, and a touch of fun. Annie Villareal is not just a personal trainer; she's a testament to the transformative power of embracing movement and competition at every stage of life. Topics Annie shares with Elizabeth include how becoming active again was not an easy or quick transition, the importance of moving move every day, working with older clients, ways to improve balance, lifting weight that challenges you, Annie's 15-minute strength workouts, rucking, and her love of outrigger canoeing. Get involved and support the show and more sports media for women through https://www.buymeacoffee.com/hearher Find all episodes http://www.hearhersports.com/ Find Hear Her Sports on all social @hearhersports Find Annie Villareal at https://rippedgrandma.com/about-ripped-grandma/ Find Annie Villareal on IG at https://www.instagram.com/rippedgrandma/ and on Youtube at https://www.youtube.com/@rippedgrandma1059

Vanese Barnes is a 2023 Women's Sports Foundation Tara VanDerveer fellow with Tufts University Women's Basketball team. At the same time Vanese was a part of a two-year Future Leaders Fellowship program at Tufts, where she earned her master's degree in Diversity and Inclusion Leadership within the Tufts Graduate School of Arts & Sciences in addition to her coaching duties.  In 2019, Vanese earned a degree in elementary education at St. Joseph's College in Maine, where she was a member of the Great Northeast Athletic Conference championship team. She also played at Southern Maine Community College in South Portland, Maine and was captain of the team and selected as a United States Collegiate Athletic Association Academic All-American. For four seasons after graduating from college, Vanese was an assistant coach for Southern Maine Community College, where she temporarily took over the lead role while the head coach was out on maternity leave. She was also a varsity assistant and the junior varsity head coach at Portland High School for a year. She has also participated in a number of professional development opportunities in recent years, including being a member of the Maine Women's Basketball Coaches Development Series since 2020. Vanese joins Elizabeth Emery to talk about the NCAA Final Four weekend in Cleveland, the terrific Women's Sports Foundation panel she was on, the Tara VanDerveer Fellowship, confidence, imposter syndrome, aggression, controlling emotions, her identity as a mixed-race woman, representation, women's coaching now, burnout, and Dawn Staley. Get involved and support the show and more sports media for women through https://www.buymeacoffee.com/hearher Find all episodes http://www.hearhersports.com/ Find Hear Her Sports on all social @hearhersports Find Vanese on Twitter at https://twitter.com/CoachVBarnes Find Women's Sports Foundation at https://www.womenssportsfoundation.org/

Mary Ellen Kelly is credentialed as a registered dietitian and board-certified sports dietitian. She holds a Bachelor of Science in nutrition from Boston University, where she was a 4-year member of the NCAA Division 1 varsity women's track and field team. She earned her master's degree in clinical nutrition from New York University and completed her clinical training at the James J. Peters Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Bronx, New York.  Mary Ellen is the Manager of the Collegiate and Professional Sports Dietitians Association Sports Nutrition Immersion Program fellowship. She is also currently an Adjunct Faculty for Boston University and has previously served as an Adjunct Professor at Bloomsburg University and online Adjunct Faculty at Drexel University. In 2014 she was hired into a full-time team dietitian role in the NFL with the Miami Dolphins and worked with them for over three years. Mary Ellen was the Head Sports Nutritionist at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and prior to UNC, she served as the Campus Dietitian/Sports Nutritionist at St. John's University in Queens, NY. She began her career as a staff dietitian at the JJPVA. In 2018 Mary Ellen Kelly founded Fuel Forward, private practice and nutrition consulting business offering nutrition-related speaking, writing, consulting, and coaching for groups and individuals. Current or former clients include but are not limited to: Baylor University, Bloomsburg University, Boston College Varsity Women's Lacrosse and Field Hockey, Boston University, Golf Mind & Body, LaSalle University, New York Liberty (WNBA), North Coast Seafood, Trimsarter.com, University of Delaware, USA Lacrosse. In the episode Mary Ellen and I discuss her work with Liberty, being a vegan athlete, importance of getting enough protein and fiber, why nutrition is both simple and complicated, essentials of fueling adequately, and high school, collegiate, and aging athletes. Get involved and support the show and more sports media for women through https://www.buymeacoffee.com/hearher Find all episodes http://www.hearhersports.com/ Find Hear Her Sports on all social @hearhersports Find Mary Ellen's nutrition consulting, Fuel Forward at https://www.fuelforward.me/ Find Mary Ellen on IG https://www.instagram.com/fuelforwardllc/

AJ Hurt's passion for skiing and ski racing began at a very early age. Growing up in North Lake Tahoe, Palisades Tahoe was her winter playground. At four years old, she entered the Team Palisades Tahoe and fell in love with the sport. With a father who has been a member of the Squaw Valley Ski Patrol for the past 30 years, Hurt was raised a true member of the Palisades Tahoe (formerly Squaw Valley) family. At 14, Hurt was invited to be a part of the National Training Group. As a first-year FIS racer in the 2016-17 season, she was the top junior for birth year 2000 in NorAm qualifying race points—not only in the speed disciplines but also the technical disciplines. Hurt scored her first World Cup points in 2020 placing 18th in the Courchevel giant slalom. The 2023-24 season was a major breakout year for Hurt. Each World Cup race she improved upon the last scoring person best after person best. In Kranjska Gora, Slovenia, Hurt had a major slalom result scoring third place, her first ever World Cup podium. Then later in the season she did it again! This time in giant slalom, a third place in Soldeu, Andorra. AJ and I discuss injury, going fast, control and lack of control, the recent NCAA women's final four, and what aggression in women's sports looks like now. And she talks about the not-glamourous, living-out-of-a-bag-for-6-months World Cup tour. This episode is a perfect follow up to last week's episode with rock climber Beth Rodden because AJ too likes being in the mode of figuring things out, which she was happy to share with us. I like that mode as well! Always looking for a little bit of improvement or some greater understanding of how things work. Get involved and support the show and more sports media for women through https://www.buymeacoffee.com/hearher Find all episodes http://www.hearhersports.com/ Find Hear Her Sports on all social @hearhersports Find AJ Hurt on IG https://www.instagram.com/ajhurti/ Find US Ski Team on IG at https://www.instagram.com/usskiteam

Beth Rodden is one of the best female rock climbers of all time, and a globally recognized ambassador for the outdoor community. She has achieved a number of notable free climbs on El Capitan, the 3,000-foot monolith in Yosemite National Park, and has also established the hardest first ascent of a crack climb ever done by a woman. She has been climbing for thirty years, and she hopes to be climbing for thirty more. She lives with her family in California. For more information, visit: bethrodden.com. In our conversation, Beth speaks to me about the book, climbing, of seeing strength in young female rock climbers, REDs, the beauty of sports, and she compares climbing to golf and writing. Get involved and support the show and more sports media for women through https://www.buymeacoffee.com/hearher Find all episodes http://www.hearhersports.com/ Find Hear Her Sports on all social @hearhersports Find Beth Rodden at www.bethrodden.com Find Beth on IG at https://www.instagram.com/bethrodden/ Find A Light through the Cracks at https://bookshop.org/a/16267/9781503903791

Sydney Palmer-Leger is one of the young cross country ski racers on the US National B team. She made a quick trip to Falun, Sweden for the season finale, where she skied to her best-ever World Cup result -- a 23rd place. Right before Falun, Sydney capped off a stellar collegiate career with a victory at the NCAA National Championships in Steamboat, Springs Colorado. Sydney is a three-time NCAA National Champion, was a member of the 2020 Junior World Championship Silver Medal Relay Team and is a 40k classic U.S. National Champion. In 2023, she represented the USA at the 2023 World Championships in Planica, Slovenia, placing 20th in the skiathlon. Sydney is part of an exciting-to-follow, strong class of skiers climbing up the ranks and representing her nation at the top level. Before she decided to focus exclusively on ski racing (which we talk about in the episode), Sydney also raced mountain bikes. In fact, she is a five-time US Mountain Bike National Champion. In the episode Sydney discusses some tactics in the 20-kilometer Freestyle race in Falun, starting in the back, the US National Team camp in Bend Oregon, and traveling as a vegan. On the academic side, Sydney is set to graduate from the University of Utah in May of 2024. She also shares what's next for her post college and about her goals for the 2024-25 season. Outside of skiing, she enjoys acrylic painting, baking, rock climbing, and finding the best vegan recipes, as she has been a vegetarian her entire life and a vegan for 12 years.  Get involved and support the show and more sports media for women through https://www.buymeacoffee.com/hearher Find all episodes http://www.hearhersports.com/ Find Hear Her Sports on all social @hearhersports Find Sydney Palmer-Leger on IG at https://www.instagram.com/sydneypalmerleger/ Find Stifel US Ski Team on IG at https://www.instagram.com/usskiteam/

Kendra Coleman is a professional track and field athlete sponsored by Oiselle. She is currently focused on the Olympic Track & Field Trials in Eugen, Oregon June 21-30, 2024, where she will compete in the 800. Her top accomplishments include her Highschool UIL State Championship in the 400 meters and a 9th place finish at 2016 Olympic Trials in the 800 meters. Kendra is also the Senior Administrative Coordinator at The University of Texas where she producers Blackademics TV airing on PBS and facilitates grants for education under the black studies department. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in Corporate Communications from The University of Texas and a master's degree in Sports Management from Northcentral University. She has been involved in community relations and community service for over six years. In addition to these activities, her other interests include advocacy for women in sports, sitting as an officer on the USATF Athletes Advisory's Committee as the Director of Athlete Services and working with community organizations that serve student athletes. Her next goals are to find a career that allows me to use my passions and talents and also help others live better lives through my work with athletes, women in sports and athletes of color. In the episode Kendra speaks with Elizabeth about her training in spectacular detail, visualizing big races, being competitive and friendly with her adversaries, preferring female coaches, her support team, and racing from a positive mindset. Get involved and support the show and more sports media for women through https://www.buymeacoffee.com/hearher Find all episodes http://www.hearhersports.com/ Find Hear Her Sports on all social @hearhersports Find Kendra at https://www.oiselle.com/pages/kendra-coleman Find Kendra on IG at https://www.instagram.com/ms_kchambers/ Find Oiselle Pocket Joggers at https://www.oiselle.com/collections/pockets/products/pocket-jogger-tights

Ski Coach, Julia Hayes grew up skiing, running, cycling, climbing, and hiking in Frisco, Colorado. She attended and cross country ski raced for Montana State University, graduating with a degree in exercise physiology. She has been coaching with Bridger Ski Foundation for five years, where she works with high school/early college age skiers. In 2023, she earned the opportunity to coach at the Junior World Championships in Canada. For the 2024 season, Julia is one of 8 coaches named as Trail to Gold Coaching Fellows. Julia loves to mountain bike in the summers and spend all her free time with my husband and dogs outside. Get involved and support the show and more sports media for women through https://www.buymeacoffee.com/hearher Find all episodes http://www.hearhersports.com/ Find Hear Her Sports on all social @hearhersports Find Trail to Gold Fellowship at https://nationalnordicfoundation.org/nnf-announces-trail-to-gold-fellowship-giving-american-women-coaches-opportunity-for-world-cup-experience/

Wang Ping is a poet, writer, photographer, installation artist, founder and director of Kinship of Rivers project. Her multi-media exhibitions include “Kinship of Rivers: We Are Water,” “Behind the Gate: After the Flood of the Three Gorges,” and hundreds of other installation exhibitions at schools, colleges, galleries, museums, lock and dams, confluences around the world, including the interactive installations at the Everest (Tibet and Nepal sides) and Kilimanjaro. Ping, Professor Emerita of English at Macalester College, has authored 15 award winning books of poetry, prose and translations. Her awards include Minnesota Book Award, Eugene Kagen, and Asian American Studies awards. Ping is also a recipient of grants from the NEA, Bush Artist Fellowship for poetry, McKnight Fellowship and residencies through the Lannan Foundation Residency, Vermont Studio Center, and many others. She received Distinct Immigrant Award in 2014, Venezuela International Poet of Honor in 2015, and Minnesota Poet Laureate 2021-2023, appointed by International Beat Poetry Foundation. Get involved and support the show and more sports media for women through https://www.buymeacoffee.com/hearher Find all episodes http://www.hearhersports.com/ Find Hear Her Sports on all social @hearhersports Find Ping at www.wangping.com Find Ping on IG at https://www.instagram.com/wangping9/ Find Oiselle Pocket Joggers at https://www.oiselle.com/collections/pockets/products/pocket-jogger-tights

Leann Bentley is the Press Officer/Attaché for the Stifel U.S. Cross Country Ski Team and Communications Manager at U.S. Ski & Snowboard. Based in Park City, Utah, Leann has been with the team for almost two years and is inspired daily by the incredible athletes and staff, pushing her to keep raising the bar and doing what she can to elevate the sport and athletes to new levels. Originally from Wyoming, Leann finds happiness when outside in the mountains, whether it be skiing, running, biking, climbing, hiking – and loves a good, loud laugh. Get involved and support the show and more sports media for women through https://www.buymeacoffee.com/hearher Find all episodes http://www.hearhersports.com/ Find Hear Her Sports on all social @hearhersports Find Leann Bentley on IG at https://www.instagram.com/leannbentley/ Find the The Loppet Foundation at https://www.loppet.org/ Find Share Winter Foundation at https://sharewinterfoundation.org/

Kristen Bourne has coached cross country skiing at the collegiate and professional level for the past four years. She was the assistant coach at The College of Saint Scholastica for two years where she was a 2021 Women's Sports Foundation Tara VanDerveer Fellow. During the summer, she was an assistant coach with the Craftsbury Green Racing Project professional team in Vermont. Prior to coaching, she skied for Northern Michigan University for five years, qualifying for the NCAA Championships three-times and representing the United States at the World Junior Championships and U23 World Championships in 2015 and 2016. After college, she moved to Oslo, Norway where she skied full-time and was an intern at the Norwegian School of Sports Science. Currently, Kristen is the US Ski Cross Country D-Team World Cup coach at US Ski and Snowboard. She oversees the top junior and U23 athletes in the US as well as travels full-time on the World Cup supporting all national team athletes. She is also a graduate student at the College of Saint Scholastica studying Exercise Physiology. Get involved and support the show and more sports media for women through https://www.buymeacoffee.com/hearher Find all episodes http://www.hearhersports.com/ Find Hear Her Sports on all social @hearhersports Find Kristen Bourne on IG at https://www.instagram.com/kristenmbourne/ Find Trail to Gold Fellowship at https://nationalnordicfoundation.org/nnf-announces-trail-to-gold-fellowship-giving-american-women-coaches-opportunity-for-world-cup-experience/

Madeline Depman is early on in her career as a professional mountain biker. She completed her first bike race when she was 16, which was her first introduction to being part of any competitive sport. Since then, she has been working hard to gain fitness and technical skills with the goal of being one of the best in the country. In 2021 she raced her first Cross Country Mountain Bike World Cup in Snowshoe, WV. In 2022 her daughter Ruth was born. Madeline started racing again in 2023 with a lighter schedule to give ample time for recovery but a 3rd place in the Ring of Fire (part of the NUE series) in Bend, OR was a notable post-partum result.   Outside of racing, Madeline is busy with a mobile 1 year old but is still very involved in her local cycling community as a coach and board member for Duluth Devo.  Get involved and support the show and more sports media for women through https://www.buymeacoffee.com/hearher Find all episodes http://www.hearhersports.com/ Find Hear Her Sports on all social @hearhersports Find Madeline Depman at Madelinedepman.com  Find Madeline Depman on IG at https://www.instagram.com/madeline._jay/ Find Oiselle Pocket Joggers at https://www.oiselle.com/collections/pockets/products/pocket-jogger-tights

Erin Bianco began skiing as a young kid in Ely, Minnesota, which is right on the Canadian border. Erin graduated with a sociology degree from Colby College in Maine. There, she was a leader on the Colby Mules cross country ski team under coach Tracey Cote. After college, Erin moved to Bozeman, Montana to train with the Bridger Ski Foundation (BSF) team under former U.S. Ski Team athlete and now coach, Andy Newell.  Erin Bianco finished her first World Cup in Oberhof, Germany with an impressive 35th in the classic sprint in 2024. Outside of skiing, Erin loves to spend time at coffee shops, play badminton, piano, among many other things. For summer training, her go-to cross training workouts are either strength or road biking. Get involved and support the show and more sports media for women through https://www.buymeacoffee.com/hearher Find all episodes http://www.hearhersports.com/ Find Hear Her Sports on all social @hearhersports Find Erin Bianco on IG at https://www.instagram.com/erinbiancs/ Find Stifel US Ski Team on IG at https://www.instagram.com/usskiteam/

Dr. Margo Mountjoy received her medical education and her family medicine training at McMaster University, Canada and her sports medicine specialty degree in Ottawa, Canada. Margo received her PhD from the VU University in Amsterdam. Margo was the medical and scientific lead at the Health & Performance Centre at the University of Guelph where she focused her practice on promoting elite athlete care. In addition, Margo has acted as the national team physician for Synchro Canada for 20 years as well as for the National Endurance Training Centre Athletes (middle- and long-distance track athletes) and the National Triathlon & Wrestling team training centers.  Margo is a Clinical Professor in the Faculty of Family Medicine in the Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine, McMaster University, Canada where she is the Dean of the Waterloo Regional Campus. Margo is the Chair of the ASOIF Medical Consultative Group and a member of the IOC Medical Commission Games Group. She works with the following International Federations: FIFA, World Rugby, and the International Golf Federation. Margo's areas of research focus on elite athlete health and well-being. She is the lead author of the IOC consensus statements on REDs. Get involved and support the show and more sports media for women through https://www.buymeacoffee.com/hearher Find all episodes http://www.hearhersports.com/ Find Hear Her Sports on all social @hearhersports Find Dr. Mountjoy on IG at https://www.instagram.com/drmargomountjoy/ Find the IOC consensus statement on REDs at https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/57/17/1073 Find Oiselle Year of the Underbird at https://www.oiselle.com/pages/year-of-the-underbird

Jessie Diggins grew up in Afton, Minnesota where she started skiing with her parents as a very young girl. Now she is one of the most dominant and successful cross country skiers in the world. Jessie is a three-time Olympic medalist, 2023 World Champion, 17x World Cup winner, and 2021 World Cup overall winner. She's been a US Ski and Snowboard Team athlete since 2011 and joined her current club team, the Stratton Mountain School T2 Team in 2012. In her book, Brave Enough, Jessie tells the inside details of becoming and being an elite athlete. Jessie also partners with the Emily Program, Protect Our Winters, and Share Winter Foundation. Get involved and support the show and more sports media for women through https://www.buymeacoffee.com/hearher Find all episodes http://www.hearhersports.com/ Find Hear Her Sports on all social @hearhersports Find Jessie Diggins at https://jessiediggins.com/ Find Jessie Diggins on IG at https://www.instagram.com/jessiediggins/ Find Jessie Diggins on TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@jessiediggins Find Stifel US Ski Team on IG at https://www.instagram.com/usskiteam/

Kristen Rozell moved to Fairbanks, Alaska in 1997. She now works for a private consulting firm as a wildlife biologist conducting nesting studies on geese and sea duck on the North Slope of Alaska. She's also worked all over the state conducting breeding bird and migration surveys. Kristen has been a cross country ski coach since 2004. She coaches a high school team, leads a training program for adults preparing for 50-kilometer skate-ski races, and teaches group and private lessons through the Fairbanks Nordic Ski Club. Kristen is also a strong and active competitor. Over the years she has raced in five one-hundred-mile ski races, many local races from sprints to 50 kilometers. And, as you will hear in our conversation, she has done many multi-day backpack ski trips. In the show notes, I've listed some details of many of those. Kristen is also a stellar runner and has completed the Equinox marathon almost 20 times, placing second tow times. Get involved and support the show and more sports media for women through https://www.buymeacoffee.com/hearher Find all episodes http://www.hearhersports.com/ Find Hear Her Sports on all social @hearhersports Find Oiselle at https://www.oiselle.com

Novie McCabe is a cross country ski racer on the APU Ski Team and U.S. Ski Team. She started skiing with her family at a young age. Since then, she has excelled in the sport and is racing at the highest level. She attended the University of Utah to pursue her skiing goals while studying. Novie notably swept the 2023 NCAA Championships in Lake Placid, NY winning both classic and skate races. This impressive achievement among others led her to compete in the 2022 Olympics where she placed in the top ten in the 4x5k relay.  On the World Cup circuit, Novie is consistently in the mix, securing several top-30 results. Her best World Cup individual result goes back to the 2022 Tour de Ski in the final race - the Hill Climb. Known as one, if not the, hardest race on the Tour, Novie crossed the line in seventh.  Skiing runs in Novie's family, as her mom was also a professional skier giving her a greater passion for the sport. When Novie is not competing, she can be found camping, backpacking, or trying new Trader Joe's snacks. Get involved and support the show and more sports media for women through https://www.buymeacoffee.com/hearher Find all episodes http://www.hearhersports.com/ Find Hear Her Sports on all social @hearhersports Find Novie McCabe on IG at https://www.instagram.com/novie.mccabe/

Sophia Laukli is a force in both skiing and running. A professional in both sports, Sophia is a University of Utah graduate, member of the 2020 silver-medal-winning Junior World Championships relay team, had her first FIS World Cup podium in the final stage of the 2022-23 Tour de Ski and is fluent in English, Norwegian and French. From her first World Cup start in Lahti, FIN in January 2021, Sophia has consistently been climbing the ranks. Since 2021, she has 10+ top-30 results - highlighted by a third-place finish in the hardest stage of the Tour de Ski in the final climb, finishing third. At the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, Sophia finished within the top-20 in 15th place. Outside of skiing, she is a professional trail runner with Salomon and went on to win the overall in the prestigious Golden Trail Series world series. This 2023-24 season, her goals are to podium in the Tour de Ski, remain consistently in the top 20-30 on the FIS World Cup and compete on the full World Cup circuit.  Get involved and support the show and more sports media for women through https://www.buymeacoffee.com/hearher Find all episodes http://www.hearhersports.com/ Find Hear Her Sports on all social @hearhersports Find Sophia Laukli on IG at https://www.instagram.com/sophialaukli/

Born and raised in Park City, Utah, Rosie Brennan is a four-time U.S. champion, 2018 and 2022 Olympian, and ranked in the top-10 in the world for cross country skiing. Rosie is one of the strongest and most dominant athletes on the World Cup circuit. As she enters her 10th year on the national team, she has over 200 World Cup starts, nine podiums and two victories - she just landed on the podium TWICE in one-weekend and the 2023-24 FIS World Cup season-opener in Ruka, FIN. Even though she only started skiing when she was 14, her later-than-typical start never hindered her from finding success on the world stage.  Rosie has represented the USA at two Olympic games, starting in seven races. She was the first American to hold the overall World Cup leader's bib, World Cup sprint leader's bib and the World Cup distance leader's bib all at the same time - showing her versatility in distances and techniques.  Outside of racing, Rosie is very involved behind-the-scenes. When she's not racing and training, she volunteers with Fast and Female—a program dedicated to empowering young women through sport—and Skiku, which provides nordic ski instruction to children and communities all around Alaska. Get involved and support the show and more sports media for women through https://www.buymeacoffee.com/hearher Find all episodes http://www.hearhersports.com/ Find Hear Her Sports on all social @hearhersports Find Rosie at https://www.rosiebrennan.com/ Find Rosie Brennan on IG at https://www.instagram.com/rosiewbrennan/

Gina Kennedy is a Professional Squash Player from London. She is currently ranked number 6 in the world, has won 11 titles on the PSA World Tour and is the 2022 Commonwealth Games Gold Medalist. Gina enjoyed a very successful junior career, holding nine national titles, a European title, and was ranked number 1 in England at every age group. In 2016, she began her studies at Harvard University. While at Harvard, she won the women's individual national championships three times and the team national championships four times. Gina was also received many accolades for sportsmanship, including the Betty Richey award and the Radcliffe prize. She graduated from Harvard University in 2020 AND within eight months of playing on the professional circuit she rose from world number 187 to world number 10! Get involved and support the show and more sports media for women through https://www.buymeacoffee.com/hearher Find all episodes http://www.hearhersports.com/ Find Hear Her Sports on all social @hearhersports Find Gina Kennedy on IG at https://www.instagram.com/gina_kennedy26 Hear Her Sports and Women's Running Stories is partnering with Oiselle. Read more at https://www.oiselle.com/blogs/oiselle-blog/hhs-wrs Find Oiselle at https://www.oiselle.com Find Women's Running Stories at https://womensrunningstories.com/ Find Urban Squash Cleveland at https://urbansquashcleveland.com/

2023 World Championship medalist and 2022 Olympian Julia Kern is making a name for herself as one of the fastest sprinters in cross country skiing. Julia is a 2022 Olympian and World Championship bronze medalist. She has secured two podiums in the ultra-competitive World Cup field, becoming the youngest American to podium on the World Cup, is a four-time National Champion, was the U23 World Champs bronze medalist, and was a key part in the World Junior Championships Relay (first ever USA relay medal at World Juniors). She was named to the U.S. team at only 17, now she is entering her ninth year on the team, her goals remain - winning Olympic medals, adding more World Cup podiums to her resume and positively impacting her community and the sport of cross-country skiing. Outside of skiing, Julia is always on the move. She enjoys anything outdoors, from climbing, hiking, surfing, mountain biking, swimming, beach volleyball or shooting hoops; she captures all her adventures with a camera in hand. She is also involved with the Share Winter Foundation, Little Bellas and Fast and Female. Get involved and support the show and more sports media for women through https://www.buymeacoffee.com/hearher Find all episodes http://www.hearhersports.com/ Find Hear Her Sports on all social @hearhersports Find Julia Kern on IG at https://www.juliakernski.com/ Find Julia Kern on TikTok at https://www.tiktok.com/@juliakernski

Molly Bookmyer is long distance runner who is a member of the Oiselle Underbird Team. She lives and trains in Columbus, Ohio with her husband Eric and dog Cooper. She holds a degree in Operations Management from The Ohio State University and works full time in Supply Chain. She currently holds personal bests of 2:30:37 in the marathon and 1:10:51 in the half marathon.  Get involved and support the show and more sports media for women through https://www.buymeacoffee.com/hearher Find all episodes http://www.hearhersports.com/ Find Hear Her Sports on all social @hearhersports Find Molly Bookmyer on IG at https://www.instagram.com/mollybookie/ Hear Her Sports and Women's Running Stories is partnering with Oiselle. Read more at https://www.oiselle.com/blogs/oiselle-blog/hhs-wrs Find Oiselle Underbirds 2023 https://www.oiselle.com/pages/year-of-the-underbird Find Women's Running Stories at https://womensrunningstories.com/