The Feisty Women's Performance Podcast

If you've ever felt mentally foggy or struggled with decision-making during or after a long training session, this episode is for you.Dr. Sara Gross and Dr. Erin Ayala sit down with Kat Boere, a Ph.D. candidate in Cognitive Neuroscience at the University of Victoria, whose research explores how the brain recovers from cognitive depletion—especially under the demands of endurance sports.With a background in biomedical engineering and personal experience recovering from brain injury, Kat brings a unique lens to how physical exertion impacts cognitive resilience, decision-making, and mental recovery.Her research shows:The real cognitive toll of fatigue—particularly in high-performance environments How low energy availability affects brain function, especially in female endurance athletes Why fueling and hydration are essential for mental performance, not just physical outputThe cognitive benefits of outdoor exercise over indoor settingsHow mindfulness and decision delegation can reduce mental strain during training and racingSimple, everyday strategies to support brain health and cognitive recoveryWhether you're an athlete, coach, or someone curious about boosting brain performance, this conversation offers research-backed strategies you can use right away.Brain Power Course Pre-Sale Special: Sign Up for The Brain Power Course Pre-Sale and Take Advantage of the Lowest Price We Will Offer: https://www.womensperformance.com/offers/z6Yj3pHG/checkout Sign up to Receive The Feisty 40+ Newsletter:https://www.feistymenopause.com/blog/Feisty-40-plus Sign up to Receive The Feist Newsletter:https://www.womensperformance.com/the-feist Follow us on Instagram:@feisty_womens_performance Feisty Media Website:https://livefeisty.com/ https://www.womensperformance.com/ Support our Partners:Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with the code PERFORMANCE at https://www.previnex.com/

We hear it all the time—stay strong, keep your bones healthy, hit the weights. But what about your brain? For midlife women, keeping your mind sharp is just as important as keeping your body strong.In part two of this series on brain health co-hosted by Dr. Sara Gross and Dr. Erin Ayala, they are joined by Dr. Carla DiGirolamo, a Board Certified Obstetrician/Gynecologist, Reproductive Endocrinologist and Menopause Society Certified Practitioner.Hormonal shifts in midlife can impact cognitive function and it's worth paying attention to. As both a doctor and a recreational athlete, Dr. DiGirolamo brings a personal and professional perspective to the table as she discusses what really happens to our brains during hormonal changes, why it matters, and how to stay sharp through it all.She discusses:The latest (and muddy) research around menopausal hormone therapy and reduced dementia riskMyths and misconceptions around hormones and brain healthPowerful Tools and habits for protecting brain healthThe significant effects of nutrition and hydration on brain healthSelf-sabotaging behaviors that may impact our brain health as we ageHow to combat trendy topics and the impact of diet culture on women at this stage of lifeUnderstanding your own body is the key to making smart and confident decisions about your health and as Erin and Carla stress, being “empowered” doesn't mean doing what everyone else is doing. It means paving your own way and making the decisions that are best for you. Your brain will thank you.Brain Power Course Pre-Sale Special: Sign Up for The Brain Power Course Pre-Sale and Take Advantage of the Lowest Price We Will Offer: https://www.womensperformance.com/offers/z6Yj3pHG/checkout Sign up to Receive The Feisty 40+ Newsletter:https://www.feistymenopause.com/blog/Feisty-40-plus Sign up to Receive The Feist Newsletter:https://www.womensperformance.com/the-feist Follow us on Instagram:@feisty_womens_performance Feisty Media Website:https://livefeisty.com/ https://www.womensperformance.com/ Support our Partners:Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with the code PERFORMANCE at https://www.previnex.com/

We spend so much time focusing on nutrition, strength training, and bone health as we age—but what about our brain? How can we build mental resilience and protect our brain health starting now?In this new Feisty series, co-hosted by Sara Gross and Dr. Erin Ayala, we're diving into the intersection of brain health, stress, and performance. In this first episode, Dr. Erin Ayala, a Licensed Psychologist and Certified Mental Performance Consultant, sits down with Jill Colangelo, a researcher at the University of Bern specializing in Sports Psychiatry. Jill works with athletes and teams on critical topics like endocrine health, hypothalamic amenorrhea, stress, overtraining syndrome, and athletic identity.Together, Erin and Jill explore the real impact of stress—both short-term and long-term—on the brain and body. While stress itself isn't the enemy, chronic stress without proper recovery can lead to brain fog, fatigue, hormonal imbalances, and metabolic issues.In this episode, they break down:Common stressors for women, including underfueling, toxic productivity, and the relentless push to do morePractical strategies for managing stress and setting boundaries for mental and physical well-beingWhy recovery should be a non-negotiable part of your training routineThe truth about cortisol—friend or foe?Which recovery trends (cold plunges, sauna, acupuncture) actually workAs active women, we often use movement as a way to relieve stress—but when does “more” become too much? This conversation is a call to action to reassess your relationship with stress, challenge the culture of overtraining, and develop a mindset that values mental resilience as much as physical strength.To learn more about the Brain Power Course click here! Brain Power Course Pre-Sale Special: Sign Up for The Brain Power Course Pre-Sale and Take Advantage of the Lowest Price We Will Offer: https://www.womensperformance.com/offers/z6Yj3pHG/checkout Sign up to Receive The Feisty 40+ Newsletter:https://www.feistymenopause.com/blog/Feisty-40-plus Sign up to Receive The Feist Newsletter:https://www.womensperformance.com/the-feist Follow us on Instagram:@feisty_womens_performance Feisty Media Website:https://livefeisty.com/ https://www.womensperformance.com/ Support our Partners:Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with the code PERFORMANCE at https://www.previnex.com/

Recorded live at South by Southwest in Austin, Texas, this special episode of The Think Tank from Essentially Esports dives into the booming growth of women's sports. The Think Tank show is where industry leaders—CMOs, brand strategists, team executives, elite athletes, and coaches—break down the forces shaping the sports world.In this exclusive episode, Host Trey Holder teams up with co-host Angella Goran, a former Canadian National Team cyclist and entrepreneur, alongside Feisty Media CEO and two-time Ironman champion Sara Gross and Naomi Clarkson, Senior VP of Marketing at Momentous. Together, they explore how strategic marketing and media initiatives are not just increasing visibility but also driving real investment and long-term growth in women's athletics.The panel dives into key factors fueling the rise, including:The power of authentic storytelling to elevate both athletes and brandsStrategic partnerships that create meaningful industry impactSmart resource allocation, backed by data proving the success of women's sports initiativesCommunity-driven events like The Power Hour, designed to promote physical and mental wellnessContinued media coverage with new product launches, podcasts, and educational resourcesMore than just a conversation, this episode is a call to action, highlighting the need for collaboration, ongoing support, and a shared responsibility to champion inclusivity and equality in sports.Links to Brands:Brand Innovators Sports and EntertainmentThink Tank from Essentially SportsEssentially Sports on YouTubeTAPanGO TechnologiesFeisty MediaMomentousSupport our Partners:Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with the code PERFORMANCE at https://www.previnex.com/ Sign up to Receive The Feisty 40+ Newsletter:https://www.feistymenopause.com/blog/Feisty-40-plus Sign up to Receive The Feist Newsletter:https://www.womensperformance.com/the-feist Follow us on Instagram:@feisty_womens_performance Feisty Media Website:https://livefeisty.com/ https://www.womensperformance.com/

In the final episode of our series on coaching young athletes, Sara Gross and co-host Jill Colangelo are joined by MD student, scientist, coach, and pro-runner Keely Henninger (@runwidkeel) to debunk myths about body weight, nutrition, and the often-overlooked role of mental health in sports—especially during the late-teen and early collegiate years.Through a true-or-false format, Jill and Keely tackle key questions:Does a lighter body weight lead to better performance?Is it okay to skip breakfast before a tough training session?Do I really need rest days?Is missing a period a badge of honor?Sara, Jill, and Keely also share personal experiences with underfueling, overtraining, and moments when they ignored their intuition—decisions they now look back on with regret.This conversation encourages young athletes to recognize warning signs, make informed choices, and build a healthy relationship with their sport—one that supports both performance and long-term well-being.Sign up to Receive The Feisty 40+ Newsletter:https://www.feistymenopause.com/blog/Feisty-40-plus Sign up to Receive The Feist Newsletter:https://www.womensperformance.com/the-feist Follow us on Instagram:@feisty_womens_performance Feisty Media Website:https://livefeisty.com/ https://www.womensperformance.com/ Support our Partners:Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with the code PERFORMANCE at https://www.previnex.com/

In the second episode of our three-part series on coaching young athletes, Sara Gross and guest co-host Jill Colangelo turn the spotlight to the coaches who work with young female athletes through topics like body image, menstruation, and proper fueling. As awareness grows about the impact of body image on performance, coaches—both male and female coaches—must learn to navigate these conversations effectively.Guest Jason Russo, a veteran high school cross-country coach, shares his experience in fostering open communication, involving parents and experts to create a supportive and non-judgmental environment.Sara and Jill also share their own personal experiences and anecdotes surrounding the female aesthetic myth, particularly the harmful notion that being “skinny” equates to being a better athlete.This episode calls on coaches, parents, and athletes to prioritize health, well-being, and open dialogue as key pillars of athletic development.Sign up to Receive The Feisty 40+ Newsletter:https://www.feistymenopause.com/blog/Feisty-40-plus Sign up to Receive The Feist Newsletter:https://www.womensperformance.com/the-feist Follow us on Instagram:@feisty_womens_performance Feisty Media Website:https://livefeisty.com/ https://www.womensperformance.com/ Support our Partners:Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with the code PERFORMANCE at https://www.previnex.com/

Frequent mirror checks, comments from teammates and parents, and feeling the need to “earn” food—these are common red flags of disordered eating in youth sports.In the first of a three-part series, Sara Gross and guest co-host Jill Colangelo explore eating disorders among young female athletes, a growing concern for parents and coaches.Colangelo, a researcher in Forensic and Sports Psychiatry, speaks with Sarah Naticchia, a Harvard-trained athlete who shares her struggles with disordered eating in high school and college. Also joining the conversation is Stephanie Roth-Goldberg, LCSW, CEDS-C, a psychotherapist specializing in eating disorders and athletes.Together, they discuss the pressures young athletes face, the need for a cultural shift toward health over aesthetics, and how parents can support their children by focusing on well-being and performance rather than appearance.Sign up to Receive The Feisty 40+ Newsletter:https://www.feistymenopause.com/blog/Feisty-40-plus Sign up to Receive The Feist Newsletter:https://www.womensperformance.com/the-feist Follow us on Instagram:@feisty_womens_performance Feisty Media Website:https://livefeisty.com/ https://www.womensperformance.com/ Support our Partners:Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with the code PERFORMANCE at https://www.previnex.com/

As more people seek to "clean up" their diets, we're seeing how rigid rules and an obsession with food purity can disrupt lives. In this episode, Kylee and Zoë dive into the evolving conversation around Orthorexia—a term for the unhealthy obsession with healthy eating. We explore the impact of societal norms, social media, and misinformation on people's relationship with food, particularly athletes. And they unpack how Orthorexia isn't officially recognized in the DSM but still significantly impacts mental and physical health, drawing from professional insights and research. They also talk through how athletes and active folks can work towards a more balanced healthy approach to nutrition, and avoid the pitfalls of over-restriction. It's that time of year when the world is drowning in bad diet advice and unsustainable fitness trends. That's why we're teaming up with the Your Diet Sucks podcast to bring you a series of Your Diet Sucks episodes this January aimed at ditching diet culture and getting you ready to fuel your goals.Hosts Kylee Van Horn, RDN, (@flynutrition3) and Zoë Rom (@carrot_flowers_z) combine years of research, professional expertise (as well as unprofessional nutrition mishaps!), and athlete experience to deliver evidence-backed explorations of nutrition—no fluff, no fads, just science. Want more on how to "unf*ck your food"? Subscribe to the Your Diet Sucks podcast feed.And if you want to join the hundreds of women who have learned how to fuel their bodies with us, you can still sign up for Feisty's Fueled course that starts at the end of the month.

So, are you in a diet cult??In this second episode teaming up with the Your Diet Sucks podcast, Zoë and Kylee discuss the shocking parallels between diet fads and cult dynamics, emphasizing how these trends often create a false sense of community and manipulate individuals into restrictive eating patterns. How do you know if your diet is just a little bit cult-y? There are plenty of red flags, including: extreme language in the messaging (clean eating, detox, this is the best and healthiest diet)social isolation from other groups or ways of eatingmanipulation of your personal identitythe allure of belonging and identity (especially on social media) Instead of blindly following your favorite “influencer,” this episode encourages you to think critically about your choices and the motivations behind them. Recognize those cult-like patterns and consider healthier, more balanced approaches to nutrition and community.It's that time of year when the world is drowning in bad diet advice and unsustainable fitness trends. That's why we're teaming up with the Your Diet Sucks podcast to bring you a series of Your Diet Sucks episodes this January aimed at ditching diet culture and getting you ready to fuel your goals.Hosts Kylee Van Horn, RDN, (@flynutrition3) and Zoë Rom (@carrot_flowers_z) combine years of research, professional expertise (as well as unprofessional nutrition mishaps!), and athlete experience to deliver evidence-backed explorations of nutrition—no fluff, no fads, just science. Want more on how to "unf*ck your food"? Subscribe to the Your Diet Sucks podcast feed.And if you want to join the hundreds of women who have learned how to fuel their bodies with us, Feisty's Fueled course goes on sale today.

New year, same diet BS. It's that time of year when the world is drowning in bad diet advice and unsustainable fitness trends. That's why we're teaming up with the Your Diet Sucks podcast to bring you a series of Your Diet Sucks episodes this January aimed at ditching diet culture and getting you ready to fuel your goaks,Hosts Kylee Van Horn, RDN, (@flynutrition3) and Zoë Rom (@carrot_flowers_z) combine years of research, professional expertise (as well as unprofessional nutrition mishaps!), and athlete experience to deliver evidence-backed explorations of nutrition—no fluff, no fads, just science. In this first episode of our Feisty Women's Performance x Your Diet Sucks collab, Zoe and Kylee discuss the history and trends around fasting, low-carb, and (can you even believe it?) NO-carb fueling for ultras. Sure, there is a rich history of fasting practices in most religions, but does that mean we need to become zealots when we're talking about optimal performance?In addition to diving into the historical context of fasting, Kylee and Zoe also talk about:How social media trends influence athlete behavior (for the sake of 'likes' and 'shares')The performance benefits and risks of fasting and low-carb, high-fat dietsThe impact of extreme dietary practices on endurance athletesFinding a shift towards more balanced fueling practices in endurance sportsWhy are athletes drawn to a mentality of doing more with less fuel? Even if you could do it, does that make it the best way to train and race? Even if you think there are short-term benefits, study after study confirms the long-term costs.So, instead of being swept up in the latest social media trend, find the fueling plan that works for both Present You and Future You. Want more on how to "unf*ck your food"? Subscribe to the Your Diet Sucks podcast feed.And if you want to join the hundreds of women who have learned how to fuel their bodies with us, Feisty's Fueled course will be on sale starting in mid-January. Get yourself on the waitlist now.Sign up to Receive The Feisty 40+ Newsletter:https://www.feistymenopause.com/blog/Feisty-40-plus Sign up to Receive The Feist Newsletter:https://www.womensperformance.com/the-feist Follow us on Instagram:@feisty_womens_performance Feisty Media Website:https://livefeisty.com/ https://www.womensperformance.com/ Support our Partners:PILLAR Performance: use code FEISTY for 15% off first-purchases at https://pillarperformance.shop/, or https://thefeed.com/ for North American listeners. Hettas: Use code FEISTY20 for 20% off at https://hettas.com/ Tifosi Optics: Use code FM20! for 20% off at https://tifosioptics.com/ The Amino Co: Shop Feisty's Favorite 100% Science-Backed Amino Acid Supplements. Enter code PERFORMANCE at Aminoco.com/PERFORMANCE to Save 30% + receive a FREE gift for new purchasers! MOTTIV: Get two months of full premium access with the code FEISTY at mymottiv.com

Here we go again with the bombardment of “New Year, New You” ads and messages to “eat this, not that,” or “do this specific workout for 30 days to get amazing abs.” You know the drill and they're probably in your feed as we speak. In this first-of-its kind episode, Feisty Media podcast hosts Kathryn Taylor (Girls Gone Gravel), Sara Gross (Women's Performance Podcast), Kelly O'Mara (If We Were Riding), and Selene Yeager (Hit Play Not Pause) unite for a candid conversation about these societal pressures of New Year's resolutions and the pitfalls of Fitness Challenges within women's fitness culture.Building positive new habits isn't a bad thing, but the problem is that most of the challenges, diets, and cleanses often lead to underfueling, which can sabotage your goals as an active woman.Sharing their own personal experiences with diet culture and disordered eating, Kathryn, Sara, Selene, and Kelly advocate for more self-acceptance and celebrating what the body can achieve, emphasizing overall health over aesthetics. Quite simply - they want you to be fueled for your 2025 goals. That's why we're launching the Feisty Fueled Challenge in January to foster healthier food and fitness dialogues. This FREE five day challenge will help you dive deeper into some of the internalized messages that we all struggle with, and feel empowered to make smart and mindful decisions about how to fuel in 2025. Starting January 6th, you'll receive daily emails from leading fueling & mindset experts that will reframe your mindset around fueling and cover some practical ways to fuel your 2025 goals.With just 10 minutes each day, you'll be ready to be your best feisty, fueled self in 2025 and redefine health and fitness on your own terms. To sign up for the FREE Feisty Fueled Challenge: https://www.womensperformance.com/fueled-challenge

Obviously, the best way to deal with a concussion is to not get a concussion. But that's not always possible, and nearly 30% of adults report having a concussion in their lifetime. In this episode we cover the basics on how to prevent concussion and what to do if you do hit your head based on what we've learned during this series. We also take a deeper dive into who might be more susceptible to concussion, including if females have special risk factors with special guest Dr. Julie Rios, who is leading a groundbreaking Women's Health Concussion Study that aims to understand the broader effects of concussion on women's health.Julie Rios, MD, specializes in reproductive endocrinology and infertility. She practices at UPMC Center for Fertility & Reproductive Endocrinology and is affiliated with UPMC Altoona, UPMC East, and UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital. You can learn more about her and her work at Julie Rios, MD.Rebecca Rusch is an adventure athlete, 7x World Champion, and 2x Hall of Fame inductee for mountain biking and gravel cycling. She is also a keynote speaker, the bestselling author of Rusch to Glory, and an Emmy Award winner for the documentary Blood Road about her journey to find the spot where her father, a US Air Force pilot, was shot down during the Vietnam War. She is also the founder of the Be Good™ Foundation, which is dedicated to transforming individuals and communities by using the bicycle as a catalyst for healing, empowerment, and evolution. You can learn more about her and her work at rebeccarusch.com.Get Our Active Women's Guide to Concussion: https://www.womensperformance.com/brain-storm-resourcesEpisode 4 Show Notes and Resources: https://www.womensperformance.com/blog/brain-storm-episode-4-podcast-resources Episode 3 Show Notes and Resources: https://www.womensperformance.com/blog/brain-storm-episode-3-podcast-resourcesEpisode 2 Show Notes and Resources: https://www.womensperformance.com/blog/brain-storm-episode-2-podcast-resourcesEpisode 1 Show Notes and Resources: https://www.womensperformance.com/blog/brain-storm-episode-1-the-crash-podcast-resourcesMomentous: Use code BRAINSTORM to get 20% off your first order at https://www.livemomentous.com/

A head injury like concussion can fundamentally change you–especially if you have prolonged post-concussive symptoms, which can upend your life and sense of self for months, and sometimes years. Head injuries are also traumatic and they can leave you vulnerable to reliving other past traumas that may have been long buried. That's where therapy comes in. Therapy can help you deal with your past and current trauma and importantly, put some new coping tools in your toolbox. As she struggled to cope with her lingering injury and depression, Rebecca pursued talk therapy and then later psychedelic-assisted therapy, both of which she credits with being pivotal turning points in her recovery. This episode takes a deep dive into her therapy experience, including insights from two of the therapists who helped guide her recovery. We also discuss the current state of psychedelic-assisted therapy, the FDA's recent non-approval decision, and what it means going forward.Rebecca Rusch is an adventure athlete, 7x World Champion, and 2x Hall of Fame inductee for mountain biking and gravel cycling. She is also a keynote speaker, the bestselling author of Rusch to Glory, and an Emmy Award winner for the documentary Blood Road about her journey to find the spot where her father, a US Air Force pilot, was shot down during the Vietnam War. She is also the founder of the Be Good™ Foundation, which is dedicated to transforming individuals and communities by using the bicycle as a catalyst for healing, empowerment, and evolution. You can learn more about her and her work at rebeccarusch.com.This episode also features interviews with Rebecca's talk therapist Courtney Loving, LPC, who has certifications in Trauma, Military, Trauma Resiliency Model and Havening Techniques, and works as a Mental Health Partner at Higher Ground, serving Military Veterans, their families and supporters. You can learn more about her and her work at courtneyloving.com. Also featured is Sarah* who facilitated some of Rebecca's psychedelic-assisted therapy sessions. Sarah is a chemist and is a Psychedelics Today Vital trained plant medicine facilitator and integration coach.* We are using Sarah's first name only with respect to the sensitivity surrounding the subject matter.Get Our Active Women's Guide to Concussion: https://www.womensperformance.com/brain-storm-resourcesEpisode 3 Show Notes and Resources: https://www.womensperformance.com/blog/brain-storm-episode-3-podcast-resourcesEpisode 2 Show Notes and Resources: https://www.womensperformance.com/blog/brain-storm-episode-2-podcast-resourcesEpisode 1 Show Notes and Resources: https://www.womensperformance.com/blog/brain-storm-episode-1-the-crash-podcast-resourcesMomentous: Use code BRAINSTORM to get 20% off your first order at https://www.livemomentous.com/

What do you do when you hit your head? That can be a hard question to answer. Even when people go to the doctor or ER, the actual advice can be thin, amounting to: take it easy and let your brain heal. Sometimes that works. But for nearly half of concussion sufferers, symptoms like depression, headaches, fatigue, and cognitive impairment can linger for months. And for some, like Rebecca, they can hang on for years. When that happens, people get desperate and start trying anything that friends, family, Google, or various health practitioners recommend, which is exactly what Rebecca did. In this episode, we follow Rebecca's desperate journey to resolve her persistent post-concussive symptoms. We also sat down with Dr. Alicia Trbovich, a neuropsychologist at the UPMC Sports Medicine Concussion Program who studies the management of sport-related concussion and neuropsychological assessment following mild traumatic brain injury to talk about how experts are actively treating concussion and concussion symptoms today.Alicia Trbovich, PhD, presented on Domain Targeted Treatment and Rehabilitation Following Sport Related Concussion at the 12th Annual Sports Neuropsychology Society Symposium earlier this year. Dr. Trbovich is a neuropsychologist at UPMC Sports Medicine Concussion Program and Assistant Professor and Fellowship Research Coordinator at the University of Pittsburgh, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery. You can learn more about her and her work at Alicia Trbovich, PhD.Rebecca Rusch is an adventure athlete, 7x World Champion, and 2x Hall of Fame inductee for mountain biking and gravel cycling. She is also a keynote speaker, the bestselling author of Rusch to Glory, and an Emmy Award winner for the documentary Blood Road about her journey to find the spot where her father, a US Air Force pilot, was shot down during the Vietnam War. She is also the founder of the Be Good™ Foundation, which is dedicated to transforming individuals and communities by using the bicycle as a catalyst for healing, empowerment, and evolution. You can learn more about her and her work at rebeccarusch.com.Get Our Active Women's Guide to Concussion: https://www.womensperformance.com/brain-storm-resourcesEpisode 2 Show Notes and Resources: https://www.womensperformance.com/blog/brain-storm-episode-2-podcast-resourcesEpisode 1 Show Notes and Resources: https://www.womensperformance.com/blog/brain-storm-episode-1-the-crash-podcast-resourcesMomentous: Use code BRAINSTORM to get 20% off your first order at https://www.livemomentous.com/

On November 11th, 2021, on day three of a solo multi-day ride on Arizona's Coconino Trail, seven-time world champion adventure athlete Rebecca Rusch clipped her handlebars on a protruding rock, launching her from her bike and into a ravine 10 feet below, where she hit the ground with enough force to bounce multiple times, breaking her helmet and badly bruising her ribs. After self-rescuing off the trail, Rebecca did what pretty much everyone told her to do: rest up and recover. Her ribs mended. Her brain, which had clearly been concussed, didn't. Now, going on three years later, we revisit the crash, what she did in the immediate aftermath, and how experts are thinking about the acute phases of concussion recovery today.Rebecca Rusch is an adventure athlete, 7x World Champion, and 2x Hall of Fame inductee for mountain biking and gravel cycling. She is also a keynote speaker, the bestselling author of Rusch to Glory, and an Emmy Award winner for the documentary Blood Road about her journey to find the spot where her father, a US Air Force pilot, was shot down during the Vietnam War. She is also the founder of the Be Good™ Foundation, which is dedicated to transforming individuals and communities by using the bicycle as a catalyst for healing, empowerment, and evolution. You can learn more about her and her work at rebeccarusch.com.This episode also features an interview with Christopher Vaughan, Psy.D., who presented on Rest and the Treatment of Concussion at the 12th Annual Sports Neuropsychology Society Symposium earlier this year. Dr. Vaughan is a pediatric neuropsychologist in the Division of Pediatric Neuropsychology at Children's National Hospital. He is also Associate Professor, in the departments of Pediatrics & Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at George Washington University School of Medicine, and is Fellow and Treasurer, at the Sports Neuropsychology Society. You can learn more about him and his work at Christopher Vaughan, Psy.D. Get Our Active Women's Guide to Concussion Episode 1 Show Notes and ResourcesMomentous: Use code BRAINSTORM to get 20% off your first order at https://www.livemomentous.com/

What if everything you thought you knew about concussion was wrong?Brain Storm, presented by Momentous, is a podcast series that follows 7-time World Champion adventure athlete Rebecca Rusch after a violent bike wreck leaves her with a “mild” concussion that turns her world upside down.Each episode follows Rebecca on her journey to heal her brain and fully return to her demanding, athletic life–a goal that eludes her nearly three years after the crash. The series features interviews with leading experts on the science, understanding, and treatment of concussion and persistent post-concussive symptoms.This limited series starts Monday, September 2, 2024.

0:00 Olympic weightlifting 8:30 Chatting with Jenny Casson 17:36 The Feisty team's favourite moments29:00 Olympians: They're just like us Join the Women's Sports Fan Club at fanclub.feisty.co to get entered to win a free “It's Not a Moment. It's a Movement” shirt daily, plus you'll get entered to win our grand prize worth $1,000 from Feisty and our sponsors. Support our Croissants & Commentary Live From Paris Sponsors!TRIHARD: Use the code FEISTYGAMES for 22% off sitwide at trihard.co, plus you'll get an extra 5% OFF during sales on top of the already discounted price.Hettas: Get 20% off with the code FEISTY20 at hettas.comJoni: Get 10% off your order with the code FEISTY at getjoni.com

0:00 Where are the change rooms? 11:25 Champions Park19:40 Sport updates 26:40 Our picks Join the Women's Sports Fan Club at fanclub.feisty.co to get entered to win a free “It's Not a Moment. It's a Movement” shirt daily, plus you'll get entered to win our grand prize worth $1,000 from Feisty and our sponsors. Support our Croissants & Commentary Live From Paris Sponsors!TRIHARD: Use the code FEISTYGAMES for 22% off sitwide at trihard.co, plus you'll get an extra 5% OFF during sales on top of the already discounted price.Hettas: Get 20% off with the code FEISTY20 at hettas.comJoni: Get 10% off your order with the code FEISTY at getjoni.com

0:00 Paris is sick 6:30 The diving vibe 12:09 Sports27:35 Proposals and urinals Join the Women's Sports Fan Club at fanclub.feisty.co to get entered to win a free “It's Not a Moment. It's a Movement” shirt daily, plus you'll get entered to win our grand prize worth $1,000 from Feisty and our sponsors. Support our Croissants & Commentary Live From Paris Sponsors!TRIHARD: Use the code FEISTYGAMES for 22% off sitwide at trihard.co, plus you'll get an extra 5% OFF during sales on top of the already discounted price.Hettas: Get 20% off with the code FEISTY20 at hettas.comJoni: Get 10% off your order with the code FEISTY at getjoni.com

0:00 Inside the Team Canada House 10:38 Women's Skateboard Finals17:05 The vibes of Waterpolo 24:00 Another night of Track 34:30 Our picks Join the Women's Sports Fan Club at fanclub.feisty.co to get entered to win a free “It's Not a Moment. It's a Movement” shirt daily, plus you'll get entered to win our grand prize worth $1,000 from Feisty and our sponsors. Support our Croissants & Commentary Live From Paris Sponsors!TRIHARD: Use the code FEISTYGAMES for 22% off sitwide at trihard.co, plus you'll get an extra 5% OFF during sales on top of the already discounted price.Hettas: Get 20% off with the code FEISTY20 at hettas.comJoni: Get 10% off your order with the code FEISTY at getjoni.com

0:00 Inside the Urban Park and 3X3 Basketball 12:20 Another day of Track & Field21:15 We talk to the first ever Olympic Triathlete from Guam and the Pacific Islands29:40 Our picksJoin the Women's Sports Fan Club at fanclub.feisty.co to get entered to win a free “It's Not a Moment. It's a Movement” shirt daily, plus you'll get entered to win our grand prize worth $1,000 from Feisty and our sponsors. Support our Croissants & Commentary Live From Paris Sponsors!TRIHARD: Use the code FEISTYGAMES for 22% off sitwide at trihard.co, plus you'll get an extra 5% OFF during sales on top of the already discounted price.Hettas: Get 20% off with the code FEISTY20 at hettas.comJoni: Get 10% off your order with the code FEISTY at getjoni.com

0:00 The Women's Cycling Road Race 14:09 The final day of swimming20:45 Kelly gets trapped at the Mixed Team Relay34:55 Our picksJoin the Women's Sports Fan Club at fanclub.feisty.co to get entered to win a free “It's Not a Moment. It's a Movement” shirt daily, plus you'll get entered to win our grand prize worth $1,000 from Feisty and our sponsors. Support our Croissants & Commentary Live From Paris Sponsors!TRIHARD: Use the code FEISTYGAMES for 22% off sitwide at trihard.co, plus you'll get an extra 5% OFF during sales on top of the already discounted price.Hettas: Get 20% off with the code FEISTY20 at hettas.comJoni: Get 10% off your order with the code FEISTY at getjoni.com

0:00 We're back from our illness 5:00 Trampoline gymnastics 9:20 Track has started and it is

Stomach flu has taken down the Feisty Media House in France. We'll be back tomorrow, Sunday! Fingers crossed!Join the Women's Sports Fan Club at fanclub.feisty.co to get entered to win a free “It's Not a Moment. It's a Movement” shirt daily, plus you'll get entered to win our grand prize worth $1,000 from Feisty and our sponsors. Support our Croissants & Commentary Live From Paris Sponsors!TRIHARD: Use the code FEISTYGAMES for 22% off sitwide at trihard.co, plus you'll get an extra 5% OFF during sales on top of the already discounted price.Hettas: Get 20% off with the code FEISTY20 at hettas.comJoni: Get 10% off your order with the code FEISTY at getjoni.com

0:00 Inside the Team U.S.A House 3:00 Chatting with the head of U.S.A Triathlon - Vic Brumfield 17:50 The overal Team U.S.A ~vibe~ 24:40 If you were in charge of the Olympics, what would you change? Join the Women's Sports Fan Club at fanclub.feisty.co to get entered to win a free “It's Not a Moment. It's a Movement” shirt daily, plus you'll get entered to win our grand prize worth $1,000 from Feisty and our sponsors. Support our Croissants & Commentary Live From Paris Sponsors!TRIHARD: Use the code FEISTYGAMES for 22% off sitwide at trihard.co, plus you'll get an extra 5% OFF during sales on top of the already discounted price.Hettas: Get 20% off with the code FEISTY20 at hettas.comJoni: Get 10% off your order with the code FEISTY at getjoni.com

0:00 The morning run vibes on the streets of Paris10:18 Kelly goes to table tennis 13:30 The challenge of Olympic tickets 20:55 Our picks Join the Women's Sports Fan Club at fanclub.feisty.co to get entered to win a free “It's Not a Moment. It's a Movement” shirt daily, plus you'll get entered to win our grand prize worth $1,000 from Feisty and our sponsors. Support our Croissants & Commentary Live From Paris Sponsors!TRIHARD: Use the code FEISTYGAMES for 22% off sitwide at trihard.co, plus you'll get an extra 5% OFF during sales on top of the already discounted price.Hettas: Get 20% off with the code FEISTY20 at hettas.comJoni: Get 10% off your order with the code FEISTY at getjoni.com

0:00 If you're not watching women's rugby, you should be. 8:10 It's hard being an Olympic spectator. 11:50 Triathlon happened25:05 Our picksJoin the Women's Sports Fan Club at fanclub.feisty.co to get entered to win a free “It's Not a Moment. It's a Movement” shirt daily, plus you'll get entered to win our grand prize worth $1,000 from Feisty and our sponsors. Support our Croissants & Commentary Live From Paris Sponsors!TRIHARD: Use the code FEISTYGAMES for 22% off sitwide at trihard.co, plus you'll get an extra 5% OFF during sales on top of the already discounted price.Hettas: Get 20% off with the code FEISTY20 at hettas.comJoni: Get 10% off your order with the code FEISTY at getjoni.com

00:00 The triathlon is rescheduled 12:20 Feisty goes to swimming 21:00 Special behind-the-scenes guest 28:25 Our picksJoin the Women's Sports Fan Club at fanclub.feisty.co to get entered to win a free “It's Not a Moment. It's a Movement” shirt daily, plus you'll get entered to win our grand prize worth $1,000 from Feisty and our sponsors. Support our Croissants & Commentary Live From Paris Sponsors!TRIHARD: Use the code FEISTYGAMES for 22% off sitwide at trihard.co, plus you'll get an extra 5% OFF during sales on top of the already discounted price.Hettas: Get 20% off with the code FEISTY20 at hettas.comJoni: Get 10% off your order with the code FEISTY at getjoni.com

0:00 The ~vibe~ of Paris 10:50 Kelly catches up with Cassidy Cook, the first U.S. medal winner of this years Olympics, on the streets of Paris 14:10 The Seine water quality. Will the triathlon be a duathlon? 24:42 Feisty's highlights of the Olympics so farJoin the Women's Sports Fan Club at fanclub.feisty.co to get entered to win a free “It's Not a Moment. It's a Movement” shirt daily, plus you'll get entered to win our grand prize worth $1,000 from Feisty and our sponsors. Support our Croissants & Commentary Live From Paris Sponsors!TRIHARD: Use the code FEISTYGAMES for 22% off sitwide at trihard.co, plus you'll get an extra 5% OFF during sales on top of the already discounted price.Hettas: Get 20% off with the code FEISTY20 at hettas.comJoni: Get 10% off your order with the code FEISTY at getjoni.co

Let's talk about Monday! In our last pre-Olympics episode, Sara and Kelly talk with Caroline Fitzgerald, CEO and founder of GOALS Sports about the business case for women's sports. Yes, viewership and investment for women's sports is on the rise, but what does that mean for these athletes getting paid? For potential sponsors? For fans? Even with all the progress that's been made, there's still a massive pay gap between men and women—even in highest-parying sports like tennis and soccer. And, women's sports receive less than 1% of global sponsorship dollars, despite research that shows that sponsors of women's teams actually see better returns on their investments than sponsors of men's teams.It's not just the right thing to do; it's good business to invest in women's sport.How do we ride this current tailwind? By creating media coverage and accessibility to unlock increased viewership, investment, and (in turn) increased compensation for the players. By building stories and narratives around these athletes. By eliminating the obstacles and limited resources that prevent female athletes from having the best chance to perform at the top-level. Pay them and let them be the badass athletes that they are. Join the FREE Women's Sports Fan Club: https://fanclub.feisty.co/ Sign up to Receive The Feisty 40+ Newsletter:https://www.feistymenopause.com/blog/Feisty-40-plus Sign up to Receive The Feist Newsletter:https://www.womensperformance.com/the-feist Follow us on Instagram:@feisty_womens_performance Feisty Media Website:https://livefeisty.com/ https://www.womensperformance.com/ Support our Partners:PILLAR Performance: use code FEISTY for 15% off first-purchases at https://pillarperformance.shop/, or https://thefeed.com/ for North American listeners. Hettas: Use code FEISTY20 for 20% off at https://hettas.com/ Tifosi Optics: Use code FM20! for 20% off at https://tifosioptics.com/ The Amino Co: Shop Feisty's Favorite 100% Science-Backed Amino Acid Supplements. Enter code PERFORMANCE at Aminoco.com/PERFORMANCE to Save 30% + receive a FREE gift for new purchasers! MOTTIV: Get two months of full premium access with the code FEISTY at mymottiv.com

Today, Sara and Kelly turn the spotlight on the Paralympic Games — taking place in Paris just three weeks after the Olympics.With its start as a British rehabilitation event post-World War II, the Paralympics has since turned into a bonafide global sporting spectacle with elite athletes competing in many of the same events as their Olympic counterparts. We're joined by USA Triathlon's Paralympic Program Manager, Lindsey Jerdonek, as well as two USA Paralympic legends, Oksana Masters and McKenzie Coan, who share insights into the challenges, misconceptions, and goals for the continued growth of the Games. The discussion on the past, present, and future of the Paralympics includes:Some of these athletes' personal journeysBuilding a genuine fan base for Paralympic sportsThe classification systems in paratriathlon and other para-sports to ensure fair competitionUnique obstacles faced by aspiring para-athletes, including the lack of resources and the needed equipmentHow do para-athletes even get into the Paralympic pipeline? Creating more exposure, equality, and inclusion for these athletes!As McKenzie Coan says, "Paralympic athletes are the same elite-level competitors, just like our Olympic counterparts, but we just happen to have physical differences."Sign up to Receive The Feisty 40+ Newsletter:https://www.feistymenopause.com/blog/Feisty-40-plus Sign up to Receive The Feist Newsletter:https://www.womensperformance.com/the-feist Follow us on Instagram:@feisty_womens_performance Feisty Media Website:https://livefeisty.com/ https://www.womensperformance.com/ Support our Partners:PILLAR Performance: use code FEISTY for 15% off first-purchases at https://pillarperformance.shop/, or https://thefeed.com/ for North American listeners. Hettas: Use code FEISTY20 for 20% off at https://hettas.com/ Tifosi Optics: Use code FM20! for 20% off at https://tifosioptics.com/ The Amino Co: Shop Feisty's Favorite 100% Science-Backed Amino Acid Supplements. Enter code PERFORMANCE at Aminoco.com/PERFORMANCE to Save 30% + receive a FREE gift for new purchasers! MOTTIV: Get two months of full premium access with the code FEISTY at mymottiv.com

After a holiday break last week, Croissants & Commentary is back to talk about mental health in sports. When we talk about mental health, does that mean optimizing peak mental performance in competition? Does it mean addressing diagnosable mental health conditions, like generalized anxiety or OCR? Do sports relieve or exacerbate these mental health challenges? Or, are all these issues related?To help us figure out what it means to be a mentally healthy elite athlete, Sara and Kelly are joined by mental health performance consultant, Danelle Kabush, PhD, who has worked with a number of national teams and world class athletes. They discuss:Female athletes and the systemic mental health challenges they faceThe growing awareness and destigmatization of mental health in sportsCommon issues faced by athletes, like confidence fluctuations and performance anxietyCreating a balance between sports and personal lifeThe definition of a mentally healthy athlete in high-performance sportsThe importance of individualized approaches and proactive measures for mental well-beingDr. Kabush also gives listeners some tools and strategies to put in their athlete's mental health toolkit. Sign up to Receive The Feisty 40+ Newsletter:https://www.feistymenopause.com/blog/Feisty-40-plus Sign up to Receive The Feist Newsletter:https://www.womensperformance.com/the-feist Follow us on Instagram:@feisty_womens_performance Feisty Media Website:https://livefeisty.com/ https://www.womensperformance.com/ Support our Partners:PILLAR Performance: use code FEISTY for 15% off first-purchases at https://pillarperformance.shop/, or https://thefeed.com/ for North American listeners. Hettas: Use code FEISTY20 for 20% off at https://hettas.com/ Tifosi Optics: Use code FM20! for 20% off at https://tifosioptics.com/ The Amino Co: Shop Feisty's Favorite 100% Science-Backed Amino Acid Supplements. Enter code PERFORMANCE at Aminoco.com/PERFORMANCE to Save 30% + receive a FREE gift for new purchasers! MOTTIV: Get two months of full premium access with the code FEISTY at mymottiv.com

It wasn't that many years ago that co-host Sara Gross was told by a coach that to perform better she needed to lean-up and lose additional weight — despite already training huge hours as a pro triathlete. Ultimately, she ended up in such an energy deficit that she collapsed and blacked out on the race course. This happens all-too-frequently across all levels of competition for female athletes, especially at the elite level. In this episode, Sara and Kelly delve into the critical topic of energy availability and fueling for female athletes - including the unique challenges women face. Female athletes are often encouraged to be lean, but not too lean. Muscular, but not too muscular. They should eat, but not too much. These societal pressures too frequently prioritize leanness over health, impacting not just athletes' well-being but also their performance. Additionally, long-term deficits in energy — ie. higher energy output than intake — can have bigger health impacts for women. The Female Athlete Triad, for example, refers to the interconnectedness of menstrual dysfunction, low energy availability, and decreased bone density. As a result, female athletes are much more susceptible to REDs (Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport) — which can lead to numerous health issues.This week's expert, Melissa Lodge from the FED Collaborative, discusses these challenges and the consequences of long-term energy deficiency.She also proposes several strategies to mitigate these risks, including: The need for a balanced approach to nutrition that supports both performance and health.A multidisciplinary approach involving coaches, nutritionists, and medical professionals to address the many aspects of underfueling.Continued education and resources around REDs and Low Energy Availability to promote sustainable performance.Standardized screening and assessment tools to detect early signs.The need for protocols and policies within organizations and governing bodies to promote fueling for female athletes.For more guidance, check out Feisty's Fueled educational course.Sign up to Receive The Feisty 40+ Newsletter:https://www.feistymenopause.com/blog/Feisty-40-plus Sign up to Receive The Feist Newsletter:https://www.womensperformance.com/the-feist Follow us on Instagram:@feisty_womens_performance Feisty Media Website:https://livefeisty.com/ https://www.womensperformance.com/ Support our Partners:Hettas: Use code FEISTY20 for 20% off at https://hettas.com/ Tifosi Optics: Use code FM20! for 20% off at https://tifosioptics.com/ The Amino Co: Shop Feisty's Favorite 100% Science-Backed Amino Acid Supplements. Enter code PERFORMANCE at Aminoco.com/PERFORMANCE to Save 30% + receive a FREE gift for new purchasers! MOTTIV: Get two months of full premium access with the code FEISTY at mymottiv.com

It seems shocking that the 2024 Olympics marks the first time there will be a nursery in the Olympic Village, for mothers competing at the Games. While there has been a huge increase in recent years in the number of elite athletes returning to sport postpartum — and in the resources available to them (thanks to pro moms like Allyson Felix, Alysia Montaño, and Chelsea Sodaro) — it begs the question, "How are we JUST getting here?!"Figuring out how to train (or not) during pregnancy — how often, at what intensity — and what the timeline looks like for moms wanting to return to sport postpartum can be challenging. The research on pregnant and postpartum female athletes has been lacking, and many women face outdated beliefs from doctors and society. That is especially true for moms at the elite Olympic level.Kelly and Sara are joined by Dr. Shefali Christopher PT, DPT, PhD, LAT, ATC to discuss the latest research on training during pregnancy and postpartum, including:How to know you're ready to return to training postpartum?What return-to-sport postpartum guidelines exist for athletes?What recommendations are there for pregnant athletes?Recommended exercises, including lower extremity, core, and pelvic floor workSara also shares her personal experiences of being pregnant as a professional triathlete, along with coming back after giving birth.Not surprisingly, there isn't a "one size fits all" approach — despite what social media might say! — which is why it's important to have a network of support. Factors like childcare, sleep, nutrition, energy deficiencies, and stress all impact a mom's risk for injuries and timeline as they return to training. What else is needed in the coming years to help more female athletes during this stage of their careers?Here is some of the key research on postpartum reutrn-to-sport and training during pregnancy: Medical consensus on how to know when you're ready to return to running postpartum: https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/58/6/299Consensus on designing a return-to-run program: https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/58/4/183The four-phase approach to postpartum return-to-run: https://www.themotherrunners.com/site/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Rehabilitation_of_the_Postpartum_Runner__A_4_Phase.3-2.pdfSign up to Receive The Feisty 40+ Newsletter:https://www.feistymenopause.com/blog/Feisty-40-plus Sign up to Receive The Feist Newsletter:https://www.womensperformance.com/the-feist Follow us on Instagram:@feisty_womens_performance Feisty Media Website:https://livefeisty.com/ https://www.womensperformance.com/ Support our Partners:Hettas: Use code FEISTY20 for 20% off at https://hettas.com/ Tifosi Optics: Use code FM20 for 20% off at https://tifosioptics.com/ The Amino Co: Shop Feisty's Favorite 100% Science-Backed Amino Acid Supplements. Enter code PERFORMANCE at Aminoco.com/PERFORMANCE to Save 30% + receive a FREE gift for new purchasers! MOTTIV: Get two months of full premium access with the code FEISTY at mymottiv.com

Why do we spend so much time talking about the history of women's sports? Because what doctors, coaches, and fans think women are capable of on the track or field changes how women are viewed in all parts of society. Like how women's colleges had mandatory rest days for their female students, because women were believed to be too physically weak to handle the stress of attending school.Today, Sara and Kelly talk about surprising moments in the Olympics that have been lost to misogyny and inaccurate coverage. And, Kelly speaks to Maggie Merton about her new book "Better Faster Farther: How Running Changed Everything We Know About Women."Maggie dives into the history to examine how doctors, coaches, sports associations, and the media fought hard to keep women out of sports. They misreported what really happened, lied about races, and perpetuated medical myths that simply weren't true. But it's time to learn about all the surprising moments you might not have known from the Olympics and the history of women's sports. Like the female athlete pioneers, including: Stamatis Rovithi, who actually ran the marathon at the very first modern Olympics in 1896Diane Leather, who was the first woman to break the 5-minute mileAlice Milliat, who started a separate Women's Olympic Games Jasmin Paris, who was the first woman to finish the Barkley MarathonsWhere we are now is a product of where we came from, and still shapes things today. Sign up to Receive The Feisty 40+ Newsletter:https://www.feistymenopause.com/blog/Feisty-40-plus Sign up to Receive The Feist Newsletter:https://www.womensperformance.com/the-feist Follow us on Instagram:@feisty_womens_performance Feisty Media Website:https://livefeisty.com/ https://www.womensperformance.com/ Support our Partners:Hettas: Use code FEISTY20 for 20% off at https://hettas.com/ Tifosi Optics: Use code FM20 for 20% off at https://tifosioptics.com/ The Amino Co: Shop Feisty's Favorite 100% Science-Backed Amino Acid Supplements. Enter code PERFORMANCE at Aminoco.com/PERFORMANCE to Save 30% + receive a FREE gift for new purchasers! MOTTIV: Get two months of full premium access with the code FEISTY at mymottiv.com

“What's the point of the Olympics, anyway?!” That's the question Kelly and Sarah look to answer on Episode #2. And how do athletes get to the Olympics. Let's talk all about the Olympic Trials — why is that a uniquely American thing — and the Olympic selection process.At its core, the Olympic Games were developed to improve international relations and promote unity through sport — except, of course, only among men. In some ways, this global celebration of athleticism has turned into a big business that's about competition, medal count, performances, and money. But in other ways the whole point of a Trials process and expanding the Games to new people and new countries was to create a more universal and diverse event that truly reaches everyone.Today, Kelly dives into how we've gotten to this point and describes the complicated and confusing Olympic qualification process, including the many ways countries (and even athletes without a country) can get spots to the Games. Are the Olympics still achieving their initial goal of promoting peace? Do they help or hurt the host city? What's the best (and most fair) way to qualify for the Olympics?Is one of the goals of the Olympics to inspire future generations of athletes? According to Chat-GPT, it is. According to Kelly, not so much. Sign up to Receive The Feisty 40+ Newsletter:https://www.feistymenopause.com/blog/Feisty-40-plus Sign up to Receive The Feist Newsletter:https://www.womensperformance.com/the-feist Follow us on Instagram:@feisty_womens_performance Feisty Media Website:https://livefeisty.com/ https://www.womensperformance.com/ Support our Partners:Hettas: Use code FEISTY20 for 20% off at https://hettas.com/ Tifosi Optics: Use code FM20 for 20% off at https://tifosioptics.com/ The Amino Co: Shop Feisty's Favorite 100% Science-Backed Amino Acid Supplements. Enter code PERFORMANCE at Aminoco.com/PERFORMANCE to Save 30% + receive a FREE gift for new purchasers! MOTTIV: Get two months of full premium access with the code FEISTY at mymottiv.com

Welcome to a special Feisty series, “Croissants and Commentary - Moments on the Road to Paris,” hosted by Feisty CEO Sara Gross and Feisty's sports reporter & Head of Content, Kelly O'Mara. Over the next seven weeks, they will be counting down to the Olympic Games in Paris — complete with interviews with athletes, coaches, and experts about everything from peak performance to nutrition to all the issues athletes face on the start line. Once the Olympics begin, Feisty Media will be live from Paris recording daily podcasts and content with all the behind-the-scenes scoop.Join us on our Feisty road to the Paris Olympics!In this first episode, as we prepare for the first-ever gender-equal Olympics, Kelly and Sara wanted to start by talking about the current state of women's sports. They look back at all of the moments and milestones that have made this into a movement — from soccer to tennis, cycling and now basketball, women's sports are building on top of more media coverage, more infrastructure, and more investment. Women's sports are not an “eat your broccoli” situation. These games and races are exciting! (Don't miss out.)They also speak with Canadian Olympic basketball star, Shay Colley, about what we can do to keep the momentum and enthusiasm going, including investing our time and dollars, watching and supporting women's sports and our favorite female athletes. That includes at the Olympic send-off game for the Canadian women's basketball team. More coverage leads to more fans, which yields more sponsorship dollars, better contracts, and more media.Sara and Kelly also talk with Shay about what will be different in Paris this year, at this inflection point in the women's sports movement. The biggest change from Tokyo? Fans will actually be allowed at the Games, creating even more support and momentum! Finally, they discuss the flaws in traditional sports models and how women's sports don't have to look the same as men's. Women are in prime positions to develop new models and alternative approaches to pay, play, and grow. It's an exciting time for women's sports, indeed, so be a part of the many moments that are turning into a MOVEMENT. Get tickets for the Canada women's basketball send-off game and be a part of setting a national home game attendance record on June 26 in Victoria, BC at selectyourtickets.comSign up to Receive The Feisty 40+ Newsletter:https://www.feistymenopause.com/blog/Feisty-40-plus Sign up to Receive The Feist Newsletter:https://www.womensperformance.com/the-feist Follow us on Instagram:@feisty_womens_performance Feisty Media Website:https://livefeisty.com/ https://www.womensperformance.com/ Support our Partners:Hettas: Use code FEISTY20 for 20% off at https://hettas.com/ Tifosi Optics: Use code FM20 for 20% off at https://tifosioptics.com/ The Amino Co: Shop Feisty's Favorite 100% Science-Backed Amino Acid Supplements. Enter code PERFORMANCE at Aminoco.com/PERFORMANCE to Save 30% + receive a FREE gift for new purchasers! Lagoon Sleep: Go to LagoonSleep.com/performance and take the 2 minute sleep quiz to find your match, and then use the code PERFORMANCE for 15% off your first purchase MOTTIV: Get two months of full premium access with the code FEISTY at mymottiv.com

This episode originally dropped on June 26, 2023Louise Green envisions a world where everyone can achieve their athletic potential regardless of size and, for 17 years, she's been creating that world for people in larger bodies through her coaching, programming, and education at bigfitgirl.com and the Size Inclusive Academy.She joins Sara Gross to discuss athleticism in a larger body. Weight bias is still so rampant in our culture that it's normalized, but imagine navigating a world that is not made for you — from small doors and cramped fitness studios, to buff trainers and classes focused only on getting lean and “earning a bikini body.” You're literally walking into a space where people don't want to look like you.It's a traumatic experience, which is why some in larger bodies avoid fitness altogether, especially in public spaces.It's not laziness or lack of dedication. It's not an unwillingness to do the work. It's the impossible task of trying to fit into an unrealistic “one size fits all” standard and this is the cultural divide Louise is working to close. She and Sara discuss:Louise's personal entry into the fitness space and the stereotypes she had to overcome to be recognizedOur culture's obsession with thinness Why avoiding fitness is often a trauma responseWhy people in larger bodies are often devalued How she started working with this population and why she feels it's still important to create safe spacesThe details of developing curriculums for trainers and fitness centers on how to work specifically with larger-bodied athletesIdentifying Body positivity vs. body neutralityOur complicated relationship with the word, “fat” and the value of owning your own languageHow to work with companies and industries in helping them change and expand their offeringsFuture courses, programs, and books to support this audienceAs she says, “If you're hating on yourself all the time, there's no way that you can rise to your highest potential.” This is why she creates programming specifically for women in larger bodies because she undoubtedly believes that anybody and any body can be an athlete. Follow Louise on Instagram: @bigfitgirl

This episode originally dropped on February 6, 2023Okay, y'all. We are sensing A LOT of confusion around female physiology and training with your cycle. That's why this week, we welcome exercise scientist Alyssa Olenick, PhD to clear up misconceptions about female physiology and performance. Alyssa unpacks what the phases of our cycle are, and how we can work to support our bodies during these various phases. And she is clear that no matter what, we are capable.Alyssa shares her "miracle baby" story, which was the first spark for her journey in sport and female physiology. She gives us the details of the new studies on mitigating menstrual cycle symptoms and discusses the negative effects of dieting, the importance of carb intake, and the benefits of caffeine. Finally, Alyssa tells us about the impacts of hormonal birth control on training. Take away message? Don't let anyone tell you that your menstrual cycle is limiting.Follow Alyssa on Instagram @doclyssfitness https://doclyssfitness.com/Sign up to Receive The Feisty 40+ Newsletter:https://www.feistymenopause.com/blog/Feisty-40-plus Sign up to Receive The Feist Newsletter:https://www.womensperformance.com/the-feist Follow us on Instagram:@feisty_womens_performance Feisty Media Website:https://livefeisty.com/ https://www.womensperformance.com/ Support our Partners:Hettas: Use code FEISTY20 for 20% off at https://hettas.com/ Tifosi Optics: Use code FM20 for 20% off at https://tifosioptics.com/ The Amino Co: Shop Feisty's Favorite 100% Science-Backed Amino Acid Supplements. Enter code PERFORMANCE at Aminoco.com/PERFORMANCE to Save 30% + receive a FREE gift for new purchasers! Lagoon Sleep: Go to LagoonSleep.com/performance and take the 2 minute sleep quiz to find your match, and then use the code PERFORMANCE for 15% off your first purchase MOTTIV: Get two months of full premium access with the code FEISTY at mymottiv.com

At Feisty Media, we are all about reclaiming language and turning it on its head. That's why we're proud to present our limited series, HORMONAL - Periods, Pills, and Pregnancy: How Women's Hormones Impact Sports Performance. This series is hosted by double-board certified Obstetrician and Reproductive Endocrinologist Dr. Carla DiGirolamo, who has been featured in Boston Magazine as one of "Boston's Best Doctors" every year since 2019. Carla is joined by Feisty's own Selene Yeager, who has been hosting the Hit Play Not Pause podcast since 2020, and has conducted over 160 interviews with leading experts and top athletes in the perimenopause and menopause space. Combined with her background as a health and science journalist, Selene is great at reading the research and translating it into actionable steps for active women. In the final episode of this limited series, Selene and Dr. DiGirolamo answer listener questions around HRT, inflammation, LEA, asthma symptoms, bone density, training and racing around your period, and more, including:If you're over 60, do you need to come off of HRT, especially if you've been on it for over 10 years? (Research Study)What can an athlete do if a taper brings on a period and the PMS that comes with it?How should I address exercise-induced inflammation post-menopause?Is there a connection between new onset asthma and asthma-like respiratory symptoms in perimenopause and menopause?What are your recommendations around micronized progesterone administration?Why am I so lazy to train on days when I'm near my period?How do hormones affect your performance in hotter temperature races?How do hormonal changes in women over 40 affect nutritional needs and race fueling?What are some of the psychological dynamics of hormonal changes?What should I expect coming off hormonal birth control after 15 years? How do hormonal changes from peri-to-post-menopause affect the quality of our ligaments and tendons and the rate of healing?What happens hormonally when you stop elite high-performance sport?Breastfeeding and performance. What should women know?Bottom Line: "We are not victims of our hormones and we are not broken. It's not that our hormones are doing something they're not supposed to do. It's that people have different sensitivities to their own hormone fluctuations. We just need to figure out what our personal path is and use all the tools available to live our best lives."Listen to Episode 1 of HormonalListen to Episode 2 of HormonalListen to Episode 3 of HormonalSign up to Receive The Feisty 40+ Newsletter:https://www.feistymenopause.com/blog/Feisty-40-plus Sign up to Receive The Feist Newsletter:https://www.womensperformance.com/the-feist Follow us on Instagram:@feisty_womens_performance Feisty Media Website:https://livefeisty.com/ https://www.womensperformance.com/ ...

At Feisty Media, we are all about reclaiming language and turning it on its head. That's why we're proud to present our limited series, HORMONAL - Periods, Pills, and Pregnancy: How Women's Hormones Impact Sports Performance. This series is hosted by double-board certified Obstetrician and Reproductive Endocrinologist Dr. Carla DiGirolamo, who has been featured in Boston Magazine as one of "Boston's Best Doctors" every year since 2019. Carla is joined by Feisty's own Selene Yeager, who has been hosting the Hit Play Not Pause podcast since 2020, and has conducted over 160 interviews with leading experts and top athletes in the perimenopause and menopause space. Combined with her background as a health and science journalist, Selene is great at reading the research and translating it into actionable steps for active women. During these four episodes, you will learn what you need to know to work with your body's fluctuating hormones and perform your best. Episode three discusses questions and confusion around hormone related conditions like PCOS, endometriosis, Hashimotos, and more. Plus, Sarah and Dr. DiGirolamo address fertility and egg freezing.What do we mean by balanced or imbalanced hormones?What might cause hormonal imbalances?When people take HRT to get their hormones "back in balance," what does this actually mean?Common hormonal conditions and concerns?PCOS definition and its effects on reproductive health?The difference between hypo and hyper-thyroidism?Why thyroid imbalances impair our overall performance, mood, and energy availabilityEndometriosis definition, management, and treatmentEgg freezing best practices for fertility preservation and recommendations from a fertility specialistFor everyone who is sick of the narrative that women's hormones are a curse, we are here for you. Together, we will learn how amazing it actually is to be hormonal.Have a hormonal question for Dr. DiGirolamo and Selene? Leave a voicemail at https://www.speakpipe.com/Hormonal or DM us at https://www.instagram.com/feisty_womens_performance/Listen to Episode 1 of HormonalListen to Episode 2 of HormonalSign up to Receive The Feisty 40+ Newsletter:https://www.feistymenopause.com/blog/Feisty-40-plus Sign up to Receive The Feist Newsletter:https://www.womensperformance.com/the-feist Follow us on Instagram:@feisty_womens_performance Feisty Media Website:https://livefeisty.com/ https://www.womensperformance.com/ Support our Partners:Hettas: Use code FEISTY20 for 20% off at https://hettas.com/ MOTTIV: Get two months of full premium access with the code FEISTY at mymottiv.com Lagoon Sleep: Go to LagoonSleep.com/performance and take the 2 minute sleep quiz to find your match, and then use the code PERFORMANCE for 15% off your first purchase

At Feisty Media, we are all about reclaiming language and turning it on its head. That's why we're proud to present our limited series, HORMONAL - Periods, Pills, and Pregnancy: How Women's Hormones Impact Sports Performance. This series is hosted by double-board certified Obstetrician and Reproductive Endocrinologist Dr. Carla DiGirolamo, who has been featured in Boston Magazine as one of "Boston's Best Doctors" every year since 2019. Carla is joined by Feisty's own Selene Yeager, who has been hosting the Hit Play Not Pause podcast since 2020, and has conducted over 160 interviews with leading experts and top athletes in the perimenopause and menopause space. Combined with her background as a health and science journalist, Selene is great at reading the research and translating it into actionable steps for active women. During these four episodes, you will learn what you need to know to work with your body's fluctuating hormones and perform your best. Episode two discusses questions around hormonal birth control and IUDs, fertility treatments, and pregnancy, including:What are hormonal contraceptives? How do they work? How do they impact what would be a "normal" cycle?How does Dr. DiGirolamo counsel women when it comes to hormonal contraceptives and exercise?Do hormonal contraceptives make it harder to identify Low Energy Availability and REDs?Do women need to stop exercising if they want to get pregnant? What about women who are undergoing fertility treatments? What are the special considerations there?For everyone who is sick of the narrative that women's hormones are a curse, we are here for you. Together, we will learn how amazing it actually is to be hormonal.Have a hormonal question for Dr. DiGirolamo and Selene? Leave a voicemail at https://www.speakpipe.com/Hormonal or DM us at https://www.instagram.com/feisty_womens_performance/Listen to Episode 1Research:https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32666247/https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK164632/https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/01/060104232338.htmhttps://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33993156/https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29283683/https://globalsportmatters.com/health/2022/02/28/what-happens-female-athletes-pill-oral-contraceptives/https://www.outsideonline.com/health/training-performance/hormonal-birth-control-athletic-performance-research/

At Feisty Media, we are all about reclaiming language and turning it on its head. That's why we're proud to present our limited series, HORMONAL - Periods, Pills, and Pregnancy: How Women's Hormones Impact Sports Performance. This series is hosted by double-board certified Obstetrician and Reproductive Endocrinologist Dr. Carla DiGirolamo, who has been featured in Boston Magazine as one of "Boston's Best Doctors" every year since 2019. Carla is joined by Feisty's own Selene Yeager, who has been hosting the Hit Play Not Pause podcast since 2020, and has conducted over 160 interviews with leading experts and top athletes in the perimenopause and menopause space. Combined with her background as a health and science journalist, Selene is great at reading the research and translating it into actionable steps for active women. During these four episodes, you will learn what you need to know to work with your body's fluctuating hormones and perform your best. Episode one covers all the basics about your hormones, including:How our ovarian hormones impact sports performanceWhether you really need to sync your training routine with your menstrual cycleWhy some women are more or less sensitive to their monthly hormone fluctuationsWhat happens when your hormones start fluctuating in your 40s or flatten out in your 50s and beyond.How to know when and why you might need hormone testingFor everyone who is sick of the narrative that women's hormones are a curse, we are here for you. Together, we will learn how amazing it actually is to be hormonal.Have a hormonal question for Dr. DiGirolamo and Selene? Leave a voicemail at https://www.speakpipe.com/Hormonal or DM us at https://www.instagram.com/feisty_womens_performance/Register for the Feisty Summer STRONG Course: https://www.womensperformance.com/strong Sign up to Receive The Feisty 40+ Newsletter:https://www.feistymenopause.com/blog/Feisty-40-plus Sign up to Receive The Feist Newsletter:https://www.womensperformance.com/the-feist Follow us on Instagram:@feisty_womens_performance Feisty Media Website:https://livefeisty.com/ https://www.womensperformance.com/ Support our Partners:Hettas: Use code FEISTY20 for 20% off at https://hettas.com/ MOTTIV: Get two months of full premium access with the code FEISTY at mymottiv.com Lagoon Sleep: Go to LagoonSleep.com/performance and take the 2 minute sleep quiz to find your match, and then use the code PERFORMANCE for 15% off your first purchase

What happens when you leave a situation that is holding you back and you start betting on yourself? Anything becomes possible in the case of today's guest, Vicki Anstey. After 20 years in a relationship that limited and stifled her, this former advertising professional, turned fitness pioneer and award-winning entrepreneur, became (at age 41) one of the first ever women to participate in Channel 4's ‘SAS Who Dares Wins', reaching the final stages after 11 days in extreme conditions at an altitude of 3,000ft in Chile.In 2021, she and two other women, the Girls Who Dare, set a new World Record for rowing unaided across the Pacific Ocean, confronting her fear of deep, open water to do so. It took 60 days, 17 hours and 6 minutes.Her most recent endeavor was a five day race in one of the northernmost, remote parts of the world, The Arctic. She covered a distance of over 230km in temperatures of -35 degrees, carrying everything she needed to survive.Up next? She and a team of three other women (Four the Record) are tackling the World's Toughest Bike Race, the Race Across America (RAAM), covering 3,000 miles across 17 states in just 7 days. They are attempting to break the women's world record in this event. On paper, Vicki is an avid adventurer, but her biggest achievements are less about the adventures, and more about her self-discovery. In times of adversity and extreme difficulty, Vicki learned to tap into her self-reliance, trust, and emotional endurance.Today, Vicki shares her personal story with Sara, including:Her career changes and personal growth from advertising executive to entrepreneurHow she followed her gut instincts, which led to Vicki opening the first Barre studio in the UKThe personal and professional growth that stemmed from leaving her controlling relationshipHer transformation from “non-athlete” to extreme adventurerOvercoming her personal fears and adapting to challenges in all of her experiencesLessons learned from her personal and physical adversityHoning the skill of emotional endurance, which involves understanding, processing, and letting go of emotions, rather than just tolerating themDeveloping the muscles of self-reliance, mental toughness, and resilience, especially in times of turmoil and extreme personal difficulty What's next? Another World Record attempt at RAAM and how you can helpVicki's story is one of wild bravery and self-knowledge, but her true wisdom comes from her own internal journey and ability to understand her strengths, remain emotionally resilient, and overcome her fears. These are the skills that make her incredible achievements all the more inspirational.Vicki Anstey WebsiteVicki's InstagramFour the Record RAAM WebsiteFour the Record InstagramRegister for the Feisty Summer STRONG Course: https://www.womensperformance.com/strong Sign up to Receive The Feisty 40+ Newsletter:https://www.feistymenopause.com/blog/Feisty-40-plus Sign up to Receive The Feist Newsletter:https://www.womensperformance.com/the-feist Follow us on Instagram:@feisty_womens_performance...

Are you feeling stress or anxiety about something right now? How are you holding your shoulders? Are you breathing through your nose or your mouth? Is your breath shallow or deep? This week, Sara talks with Stephanie Green about the power of breathwork to alleviate anxiety and lift your mood. Stephanie is a Vancouver Islander who lives in Nanaimo. She is founder of OmTown Yoga Studio and is also an ultra runner and mountain biker, turned multi-day adventure racer. Like so many guests, Stephanie learned how to overcome patriarchal notions that limit women's potential, and used her own knowledge, physical strength, and skill to propel her mental and emotional growth. Sara and Stephanie discuss:Gender dynamics in adventure racing and how women are often seen as "mandatory gear"Remaining open and curious to learning new skills, especially as an adventure racerHow motherhood prepared Stephanie for several races that required patience and sleep deprivationHow breathing deeply and efficiently can improve running form, economy, and overall athletic performance by connecting the diaphragm, pelvic floor, and coreNasal breathing vs. mouth breathing for better health and athletic performanceEmploying simple nasal breathing techniques to reduce anxiety and lift your mood throughout the dayUsing breathwork to manage fear and anxiety in racing and competitionSo, breathe deep (through your nose), relax, and enjoy the episode.Follow Stephanie on InstagramRegister for the Feisty Summer STRONG Course: https://www.womensperformance.com/strong Sign up to Receive The Feisty 40+ Newsletter:https://www.feistymenopause.com/blog/Feisty-40-plus Sign up to Receive The Feist Newsletter:https://www.womensperformance.com/the-feist Follow us on Instagram:@feisty_womens_performance Feisty Media Website:https://livefeisty.com/ https://www.womensperformance.com/ Support our Partners:Hettas: Use code FEISTY20 for 20% off at https://hettas.com/ MOTTIV: Get two months of full premium access with the code FEISTY at mymottiv.com Lagoon Sleep: Go to LagoonSleep.com/performance and take the 2 minute sleep quiz to find your match, and then use the code PERFORMANCE for 15% off your first purchase

45 Days, One hour and 27 minutes. That's how long Nini Champion and Lisa Roland spent rowing non-stop in the Atlantic Ocean during the 2023 Talisker Whiskey Atlantic Challenge, a 3,000 nm unassisted ocean row beginning in La Gomera, Spain and finishing in the Caribbean port of English Harbour, Antigua.(For our non-maritime audience, that's over 3452 land miles and 5555 kilometers!) In two-hour increments and through every curveball from Mother Nature imaginable, the ladies traded rowing, eating, and sleeping duties, all while setting a new world record for the women's pair in this event. Sara chats with both Nini and Lisa today as they share details about their inspiration for this feat of endurance, their training regime, how they stayed alert and supportive of each other's physical and mental needs. Yes, it's extremely important to be physically strong, as they say, but these two women who both have impressive resumes in the sailing industry, also stress the importance of having a strong mindset and a mission-drive goal. Their mission? It's a personal one, especially for Lisa. They raise money for their Bridges Over Water Program, providing scholarships for young adults who have aged out of the foster care system and want to pursue a career in the maritime industry. Lisa herself was a product of the foster care system and, at 15, experienced challenges with addiction and homelessness. Sailing saved her and she and Nini hope to provide the same safety net for others. Not only is this an inspiring (and also humorous) look at their race and expedition, it is also an example of two women succeeding together and elevating the possibilities in a male dominated industry — which is women's performance at its best.cover photo courtesy of World's Toughest RowTeam Ocean Grown WebsiteBridges Over Water Grant FundFollow Team Ocean Grown on InstagramRegister for the Feisty Summer STRONG Course: https://www.womensperformance.com/strong Sign up to Receive The Feisty 40+ Newsletter:https://www.feistymenopause.com/blog/Feisty-40-plus Sign up to Receive The Feist Newsletter:https://www.womensperformance.com/the-feist Follow us on Instagram:@feisty_womens_performance Feisty Media Website:https://livefeisty.com/ https://www.womensperformance.com/ Support our Partners:Hettas: Use code FEISTY20 for 20% off at https://hettas.com/ MOTTIV: Get two months of full premium access with the code FEISTY at mymottiv.com Lagoon Sleep: Go to LagoonSleep.com/performance and take the 2 minute sleep quiz to find your match, and then use the code PERFORMANCE for 15% off your first purchase

Lindsay Housman was floored when she learned that women are considered “a confounding variable” when it comes to scientific and athletic research. That is to say that women are rarely researched because they are more “complicated.”This is especially true in the athletic footwear industry where most research has been done exclusively on men and then applied to women as a “smaller version of men.”Learning this was a lightbulb moment for this entrepreneur with two twin daughters (who also happen to run). Hettas, performance running shoes for women, was born. Truth be told, there are multiple differences between males and females in this area as it pertains to anatomy, physiology, and biomechanics and, today, Hettas is leading this charge in female specific research and design, thanks to their relationship with Dr. Chris Napier. Chris is a clinical assistant professor at the Department of Physical Therapy at the University of British Columbia. He is also a member of the Minerva research group at Simon Fraser University. His research interests include running biomechanics and injury prevention, particularly through the use of wearable technology. Lindsay and Chris unpack their process from idea to full fledged running shoe. They discuss:The many anatomical, physiological, and biomechanics differences between male and female athletes How hormonal changes in women could affect training and footwear choices The detailed research studies they conducted to determine what women actually needThe three shoe types and why they chose the specific materials and designThe power of building community and receiving feedback from female runnersTheir plan for growth and product expansionTheir dream research projects Not only are they providing a practical product to help women perform better, but Hetta's is also mission driven to lead the way in women's research, encourage female business leadership, and close the confidence gap between males and females in the athletic industry. And, according to Lindsay, Chris, and the entire Hetta's team, there is no better way to serve young girls and women- especially their own daughters.

Prepare to be educated and outraged in today's episode. This week, we feature a recent episode of the Feisty podcast Hit Play Not Pause, hosted by Selene Yeager, with guest Dr. Elizabeth Comen. From being burned as witches to being barred from attending medical school, from being dismissed as hysterical to well, just being dismissed, from being shamed to being sexualized, the medical system has a long, sordid history in how it treats women and women's health. And those toxic roots still poison the waters we have to navigate to this day. If you've ever wondered why we're so far off the back with regards to our understanding of women's health and wellness and treatment, this week's guest Dr. Elizabeth Comen, author of All in Her Head: The Truth and Lies Early Medicine Taught Us About Women's Bodies and Why It Matters Today has some answers. Elizabeth Comen, MD, has dedicated her medical career to saving the lives of women. An award-winning, internationally sought-after clinician and physician-scientist, Dr. Comen works as a medical oncologist with a specialty in breast cancer at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and is an assistant professor of medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College. She earned her BA in the history of science from Harvard College and her MD from Harvard Medical School, then completed her residency in Internal Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital and her fellowship in oncology at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. She lives in New York City with her family. You can learn more about her and her work and buy her book at www.drelizabethcomen.comResourcesAll in Her Head at AmazonCover photo credit: Deborah Feingold PhotographyRegister for the Feisty Summer STRONG Course: https://www.womensperformance.com/strong Sign up to Receive The Feisty 40+ Newsletter:https://www.feistymenopause.com/blog/Feisty-40-plus Sign up to Receive The Feist Newsletter:https://www.womensperformance.com/the-feist Follow us on Instagram:@feisty_womens_performance Feisty Media Website:https://livefeisty.com/ https://www.womensperformance.com/ Support our Partners:MOTTIV: Get two months of full premium access with the code FEISTY at mymottiv.com Lagoon Sleep: Go to LagoonSleep.com/performance and take the 2 minute sleep quiz to find your match, and then use the code PERFORMANCE for 15% off your first purchase

Young people don't have a clue about our potential as aging women and, you know what? Most aging women don't either. We're fed a narrative that we're supposed to slow down as we age, become less adventurous, and settle into a more “stable” cautious life. A pervasive myth, even, is that women no longer want these aspects of fun, recklessness and exhilaration, but is this true?Author, Caroline Paul, explores this topic in today's conversation with Sara Gross.Her latest book, TOUGH BROAD, is a deeply researched exploration into the science and psychology of the outdoors and our place in it as we age. Caroline spoke with adventurous women around the country about their aging journeys and the activities that have changed their lives – including BASE jumping, wing-walking, flying, swimming, orienteering, walking, scuba diving, boogie boarding and BMX riding – and examines the different ways that activity and the outdoors can help us age better, become happier, and improve our spirit, mind, body, and heart.As you'll hear, it's never too late to learn and explore something new, even if it is just a simple walk outdoors. Our brain is constantly rewiring and can become even more innovative and creative with our pursuits as we age.So whether it's bird watching, mountain biking, or (yes) even wing walking, know that adventure awaits, regardless of your age.Order TOUGH BROADRegister for the Feisty Summer STRONG Course: https://www.womensperformance.com/strong Sign up to Receive The Feisty 40+ Newsletter:https://www.feistymenopause.com/blog/Feisty-40-plus Sign up to Receive The Feist Newsletter:https://www.womensperformance.com/the-feist Follow us on Instagram:@feisty_womens_performance Feisty Media Website:https://livefeisty.com/ https://www.womensperformance.com/ Support our Partners:MOTTIV: Get two months of full premium access with the code FEISTY at mymottiv.com Lagoon Sleep: Go to LagoonSleep.com/performance and take the 2 minute sleep quiz to find your match, and then use the code PERFORMANCE for 15% off your first purchase

Sara welcomes Arielle Knutson, the new CEO of Oiselle, a women's running apparel brand focused on empowering women and building a supportive community. Arielle shares her journey from marketing at Nuun Hydration to leading Oiselle, emphasizing the value of marketing to women in sports to build confidence and experience the transformative power of sports and community.Knutson, a lifelong athlete, reflects on her background in gymnastics, and her transition to running and IRONMAN triathlon, highlighting the impact sports have played on her own self-discovery, goal-setting skills, and discipline. Sports, of course, also translate into her leadership style, where she emphasizes transparency, personal connection, and predictability as key elements in her effective team leadership. Arielle and Sara also share advice for women aspiring to senior leadership roles, including: Overcoming imposter syndrome, The role of mentors in personal and professional growthThe importance of asking questions and continuous learning Embracing challenges with confidence and opennessSince her time at Nuun, Arielle has been pioneering growth in sports and business for women. Now, at the helm of Oiselle, she's ready to soar. Register for the Feisty Summer STRONG Course: https://www.womensperformance.com/strong Sign up to Receive The Feisty 40+ Newsletter:https://www.feistymenopause.com/blog/Feisty-40-plus Sign up to Receive The Feist Newsletter:https://www.womensperformance.com/the-feist Follow us on Instagram:@feisty_womens_performance Feisty Media Website:https://livefeisty.com/ https://www.womensperformance.com/ Support our Partners:MOTTIV: Get two months of full premium access with the code FEISTY at mymottiv.com Lagoon Sleep: Go to LagoonSleep.com/performance and take the 2 minute sleep quiz to find your match, and then use the code PERFORMANCE for 15% off your first purchase

Holley Samuel, from holleyfuelednutrition.com discusses fueling for peak performance. Holley is a registered dietician, certified personal trainer, and takes an extremely holistic approach to wellness. She delves into her path to female entrepreneurship, and also - why you want to eat and drink water within an hour of waking each day.Sara and Holley talk about their personal journeys with disordered eating, and what diet culture made them believe about themselves. She shares how to create positive attachments to food and how to see the individual value in all kinds of food - not just the “healthy” ones. As she says, we need to put ALL food on a level playing field.Follow Holley's new account on Instagram @holleyfuelednutritionAnd visit her website at https://holleyfuelednutrition.com/ Sign up to Receive The Feist Newsletter:https://www.womensperformance.com/the-feist Follow us on Instagram:@feisty_womens_performance Feisty Media Website:https://livefeisty.com/ https://www.womensperformance.com/ Support our Partners:MOTTIV: Get two months of full premium access with the code FEISTY at mymottiv.com PILLAR Performance: Use the code SARA for 15% off your first purchase at thefeed.com/PILLAR. If you are outside the US use the same code, SARA at pillarperformance.shop.