Voice In Sport

Dr. Lennie Waite is a VIS Expert and Industrial-Organizational Sports Psychologist who specializes in team dynamics, motivation, and performance. In today's episode, Dr. Waite shares her expertise on the science behind eating disorders and disordered eating. She discusses how unhealthy habits can manifest in young athletes, what the warning signs are, how these habits can spread throughout teams, and the ways we can support athletes who struggle with these challenges. Dr. Waite also delves into the current culture surrounding eating disorders within the NCAA and running community with the goal of better informing coaches, athletes, teams, and parents on how to talk about these topics in healthy, supportive, and constructive ways. Overall, Dr. Waite encourages everyone to stand up and use our voices for positive change. "You only have one body, and it has to last us our entire lives” - Dr. Lennie Waite, VIS Expert

Athing Mu, a professional track & field athlete and 2x Olympic gold medalist in the 800m and 4x400m relay in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, shares her journey of having success in running at an early age, and the transition to becoming a pro athlete. In this episode she takes us through growing up in a Sudanese family in New Jersey and the impact her seven siblings have had on her passion for running. Athing discusses her time as a high school and college athlete and what it was like turning pro, landing Nike as a sponsor and winning a gold medal all before the age of 20. After a disappointing result at Worlds in Budapest - she takes us through how she managed the pressure and disappointment and the steps she took to build a strong support system around her and climb back to the top of the 800m podium at the Diamond League Championship by setting a new World Record. While running is a huge part of Athing's identity she emphasizes the importance of having hobbies and passions outside of sport and surrounding yourself with inspirational teammates that help keep the joy of sport front and center. ““Pressure's always going to be there. It's about how to take that pressure and use it to fire you up for what you need to do and accomplish””. - Athing Mu 

CLIF endurance athlete and a leader in the space of ski-mountaineering and endurance sports, Caroline Gleich shares with us how she has built her career and broken barriers as a woman and as an activist. She began her ski career while attending University of Utah and then went on to become the first woman to ski all 90 lines of the Chuting Gallery, climb Mount Everest and has competes in several ultra-marathons. Carolines legacy extends beyond her expeditions as she combines her passion for sport and advocacy as an activist for gender equity and environmental policy, traveling to Washington DC to testify in front of the House and Senate and organize climate rallies. Today she shares with us the pros and cons of social media, how to best protect yourself as a woman when faced with online harassment and how to build your brand with a powerful community of women and mentors. Caroline explores with us the path to becoming a pro and how to tear down the harmful narratives in sport around the “ideal” woman's body type. "Sometimes I feel like if I fail on an expedition that I'm not just failing for myself, I'm failing for all women and that's just simply not true.” - Caroline Gleich

Emma Schieck, Paralympic sitting volleyball player and gold medalist in the 2021 Tokyo Paralympic Games, shares her journey into adaptive sport and the challenges, relationships, and unforgettable rewards within it. She takes us through her childhood growing up without a knowledge of paralympic sports. She gives us an inside look at what it felt like to serve in the match point of a gold medal game. She emphasizes the importance of honoring our passions, never giving up, and believing in ourselves against all odds.  Emma expresses hope for a future where paralympic sports gain more viewership and respect. She is such an inspiration for all female athletes and especially those with disabilities who dream of achieving their own goals. “They're challenging and competitive. No matter what your disability is, no matter what your sports background is, playing a paralympic sport is going to push you and it's going to be different.” -Emma Schieck

Kaitlin Hawayek is Team USA Ice Dancer and a 2022 Pyeongchang Olympian. She is a 5x Bronze Medalist at the National Figure Skating Championship, 2018 Four Continents Champion, 2018 NHK Trophy Champion, and 2014 World Junior Champion. Kaitlin takes us through her junior career, highlighting the lessons she learned in competing in a multitude of environments at a young age. She shares her journey struggling with an eating disorder and how she grew into a healthy relationship with her body image. Later in her career, facing near career ending injuries, Katilin discusses how she took a pause from sport in order to take care of her physical and mental health. Through her journey, Kaitlin shares incredible advice for women athletes on how to take care of our bodies and minds, to advocate for our needs, and to find and develop resources for both our personal and athletic success and longevity."I am limitless. I am neither who I was or who I want to be, but I am who I am right now. I am a human that has so many values beyond sport. Sport is what I do. Art is what I share. But I love myself because of my kindness, because of my resilience, and because of my passion and creativity."  - Kaitlin Hawayek

Sasha Digiulian, professional rock climber and CEO of Send Bars is a key figure in the world of climbing. She has won the World Championships for Female Overall and has placed Silver in the Bouldering World Championships, as well as Bronze in the Duel. Sasha has been the undefeated PanAmerican Champion from 2004 to the present, and also a three-time US National champion. She joins us to share her journey in the world of climbing, the mindset of a risk-taker, and how she navigates body image and scrutiny in the age of social media. Sasha also teaches us how she manages fear and self-doubt when performing her difficult climbs, and the lessons she's learned from becoming a champion in climbing - which she also writes in her new upcoming book “Take the Lead: Hanging On, Letting Go, and Conquering Life's Hardest Climbs” available September 26, 2023. Sasha's impact reaches far beyond climbing, she is an example to many young women to embrace their own potential and carve out their own paths. “It's women achieving something that opens the floodgates to other women seeing inspiration and possibility.” - Sasha DiGiulian

Dr. Allison Brager, an Army Neurobiologist who specializes in sleep and circadian rhythms, shares her college athletic journey as a track and field athlete and how she got into studying sleep and its importance for athletics. Brager graduated from Brown and Kent State with a Ph.D of psychology, and also serves as a VIS Expert, where she conducts sessions about sleep. She shares with us the science behind sleep and gives us tips for how to create a sleep routine that benefits our mental, physical, and emotional health. Allison dives into her role on the NCAA advisory board and the importance of athletes finding hobbies outside of sports to realize they are more than just an athlete. She reminds girls that sleep is the secret weapon in athletic performance. “This [sleep]  is how the pros got to how they are, starting out at your age and doing the same things you were.”- Dr. Allison Brager

Ali Riley, captain of Angel City FC in NWSL and captain of the New Zealand women's national soccer team, joins us to share her journey in women's soccer. She has represented her country in four Olympic Games and five FIFA Women's World Cup tournaments, most recently helping New Zealand to secure their historic first World Cup win against Norway in this year's FIFA Women's World Cup. Ali has gathered a host of experiences playing professional soccer, both in the United States and around the world. Most importantly, Ali's impact is reflected in her work off the pitch as she is a champion for empowerment and equality, using her platform to advocate for women athletes and for marginalized communities everywhere. In this week's episode, we dive into her resilience in facing and overcoming obstacles in her career, the importance of representation, and her hopes for the future of women's sports—from visibility to equal pay.For more information on equal pay, the Voice In Sport Foundation, and its initiatives, head to https://www.voiceinsport.com/press/side-of-equity “You don't have to have thousands of followers. If you just are yourself and confident and do something that you love and are passionate about, it's going to make an impression on someone younger than you.” - Ali Riley

Becky Sauerbrunn, 2x World Cup Champion, 2x Olympian, 3x NWSL Champion, and former captain of the U.S. Women's National Team, joins us as we unpack her journey to becoming a leader in the world of women's soccer. She speaks candidly about her time with the youth national teams, her collegiate soccer career at the University of Virginia, as well as her professional career—highlighting how she gradually grew into her role as a leader over many years. We dive into how Becky has channeled this leadership as captain of the USWNT and the intricacies of how her leadership manifested itself in the fight for equal pay for women's soccer players. Becky challenges us to both reconsider our preconceived notions of what a leader is, and to channel the leadership within us to advocate for gender equity and accessibility of sport for all. For more information on equal pay, the Voice In Sport Foundation, and its initiatives, head to https://www.voiceinsport.com/press/side-of-equity “It's gonna get better, but we need everyone to own and feel responsible for where women are going in this country when it comes to sport.” - Becky Sauerbrunn

Julie Foudy, former captain of the U.S. Women's National Team, 2x World Cup Champion, 2x Olympian, National Soccer Hall of Fame member, and espnW Writer and Commentator, joins us as we unpack her experiences in the soccer world.  She shares with us her journey in finding joy in sport and building confidence and how this not only led her to an incredible career with the USWNT from 1987-2004, but it also led to the eventual foundation of the leadership academy that she runs today for young women athletes. In our conversation, Julie emphasizes the importance of leadership that transcends the sports field; we see this in her discussion of the ongoing fight for equal pay in sport and her partnership with CLIF that supports her activism efforts. Julie Foudy is an inspiration to young women athletes everywhere, and her confidence, joy, and determination are truly gifts that we all can learn from. For more information on equal pay, the Voice In Sport Foundation, and its initiatives, head to https://www.voiceinsport.com/press/side-of-equity.  “If we can teach these women to be amazing athletes, that's great. But most importantly, let's create amazing humans who wanna give back into their communities and realize that every single one of them is a leader.” - Julie Foudy

 2022 Olympic All Around Gold Medalist and decorated NCAA Division 1 gymnast Suni Lee, shares her journey growing up as a Hmong American gymnast. She shares with us her experience at the Tokyo Olympics and her transition to competing at Auburn University, delving into the differences of the collegiate and elite competition levels. Suni guides us through her pre-meet rituals and training tips. She emphasizes the importance of visualization, repetition, and confidence. Suni shares why her partnership with CLIF and VOICEINSPORT Foundation help her to pursue her advocacy efforts towards building mentorship and representation. Suni's inspiring journey exemplifies dedication, hard work, visibility, and believing in oneself. 

Adrienne Smith, a professional football player, serial entrepreneur, and VIS mentor shares her journey in sports and business. A 5 time WFA champion, 2 time gold medalist with the US Women's Tackle National team, WFA career leader in reviewing yards, and 9 time WFA all-star, Adrienne shares how she mentally and physically trains and performs as an elite athlete. She discusses the importance of discipline, recovery, and mindset. Off the field, Adrienne discusses the inspiration behind her numerous entrepreneurial projects: Harlem Hip-Hop Tours, Gridiron Queendom, and Blitz Champz. She reminds us to pursue our dreams no matter what anyone else says.   “If you think you can be something, you can be. That's it. Regardless of what the world is saying to you in that moment. If you think you can achieve it, then I got my money on you. You can achieve it.” -Adrienne Smith

Toni Breidinger is a Professional NASCAR Race Car Driver for Venturi Motorsports where she drives a number 25 Toyota Camry. She has the most wins for women in United States Auto Club history with 19 wins! Toni shares her journey in the sport of race car driving beginning with how she entered the world of motorsports at the age of nine. Toni talks about her new partnership with Victoria's Secret while working with the company to spread body positivity and shift the narrative around beauty ideals . She talks about how to deal with performance anxiety, lifting other women up in sport, and encourages other young girls to compete in motorsports. “Your body isn't a trend. You don't need to look at all these people who probably Photoshop their photos and everything like that. I think if you're just strong and you're healthy, like that's the most important thing and your body's beautiful.” - Toni Breidinger 

Sheera Goren is the co-founder of Zygo, the first submersible headset for swimmers that receives radio frequencies from a poolside FM transmitter which is paired with your smartphone - enabling athletes to listen to music underwater, receive coaching and of course listen to the VOICEINSPORT Podcast. Sheera graduated from UCLA with an undergraduate degree in Communications. She reminds young women that the degree you achieve is just one part of your story - and never limit yourself to go a different direction after graduation. We love the inspiring conversation of rolling with your mistakes, and using them as learning experiences. It's never too late to start something new and as Sheer Goren shares with the VIS community “I think failing is not ever starting something.” 

Jenny Nguyen, entrepreneur, chef, and founder of The Sports Bra shares with us her journey in starting her own business. With a culinary background and love for women's sports, Jenny took her passions into the restaurant and business industry. Inspired to create a sports bar that was centered around women's sports and more inclusive, The Sports Bra was born. Jenny emphasizes the importance of community as seen through her partnerships with local woman owned and operated businesses. “Have you ever felt like you didn't belong at a sports bar? And why? Because those are the reasons why I opened The Sports Bra.” -Jenny Nguyen

On today's special Entrepreneur Series, we are chatting with Jordan Robbins, Founder of Revly Sport. REVLY Sport is a swimwear brand designed for women with active lifestyles. Their goal is to take the stress out of swimwear so that women athletes who wear it can confidently live and enjoy their lives. Jordan is a former volleyball player for UCLA and UWisconsin, who overcame severe scoliosis to compete in college. Her sports and entrepreneurship story is incredible. 

Welcome to the 100th episode of the VOICEINSPORT Podcast! Thank you for being on this journey with us, we are so excited to be able to share the stories of so many incredible women athletes, experts, and advocates. In this 100th episode, we are celebrating the highlights of the Voice in Sport podcast around the four core VIS topics; MIND, NUTRITION, ADVOCACY, and BODY. Our producers, Zosia, Elizabeth, and Kate, have put together a compilation of their favourite quotes and will introduce and explain why these quotes resonated with them! Before we get started, we wanted to share some of the amazing statistics of the guests we've had on the podcast. In the past 99 episodes, we've hosted 48 Olympians, 20 Olympic Medalists across 20 different sports. We hope that as you're listening to today's episode you're inspired to check some of those great episodes out! Enjoy! 

2-time Olympian and VIS League Mentor, Rosie Brennan is a professional cross country skier who has had multiple top 15 performances at the 2022 winter olympics in Beijing. Previously, Rosie attended Dartmouth college where she competed on the ski team.Rosie has had multiple ups and downs in her career including being cut from the National team twice, suffering two freak accidents including a bike and a car crash, and coming down with mono during her first Olympic Games. While Rosie may have thought about quitting, she never did and always came back with an even stronger fire. Today, she talks about her resilience and gives advice to young girls who may be going through similar obstacles. “It made me realise that part of the joy of competing is to have that feeling of being so immersed in something that you can have that many emotions and one of my biggest takeaways from the Olympics was how lucky I am to  have had this experience that allows me to feel so much.” - Rosie Brennan

VIS Expert, Dr. Paige Roberts, a sports psychotherapist, athlete mental health advocate and a peak performance expert speaks about trauma injuries and how to recover from them. Paige specializes in helping athletes overcome performance anxiety, recover fully from sports injuries or failures, and rebound from performance slumps or blocks. As a high school and college athlete, Paige faced numerous challenges including overuse injuries, an eating disorder, addiction and multiple concussions. Today Paige shares the neuroscience behind overcoming all of them, and dives deep into the technique she uses called Performance Neuro Training, which is a combination of sports psychology, brainspotting, and hot & cold photobiomodulation laser-light therapy. This draws upon techniques from clinical social work, exercise and neuroscience along with health and wellness lifestyle coaching. “When we look at the results of Performance Neuro Training, athletes are loving sport again. They're energised, they're sleeping well, they're not having as intense anxiety.” - Dr. Paige Roberts

Lexi DuPont, professional big mountain skier, bush pilot, and entrepreneur talks about an exciting new event, the Sister Summit! The Sister Summit brings women snowboarders and skiers together to build a community, create more visibility for the sports, and learn about mindfulness and nutrition, much like the mission of VOICEINSPORT! Lexi also dives deep into her relationship with nature. She shares how she cultivates confidence as a love for yourself, for life, and for the people around you. Finally, Lexi's journey with her mental coach highlights how beneficial it can be to learn to let go. “When we drop in on the mountain and we're going, we are unstoppable. I am unstoppable. I am fierce and I am going to charge down this mountain.” - Lexi DuPont 

Andi Sullivan, professional soccer player, captain of the Washington Spirit, collegiate national champion, and Hermann trophy winner shares her journey in soccer. She takes us through her experience through the US Women's National team programs from her early teens and then as only one of six players to land a spot on the women's world cup roster before attending college. Andi highlights the importance of prioritizing mental health as she shares her recruitment process at a young age and how she overcame injuries. Andi shares important advice on how to build confidence through value-driven progress rather than result or statistic based metrics. Andi urges us to focus on our individual narratives, all the while bringing up the people around us to create stronger communities and teams!“Even when things were difficult and frustrating… every day I'd drive to the facility and say: I can control my attitude and my effort”. -Andi Sullivan

Julia Landauer, Champion Race Car Driver and VIS League Mentor speaks about her journey with sexism in racing, sponsorships and dealing with bad races! Julia is an incredibly accomplished competitor in a sport where women and men compete against each other. She was the first and youngest woman to win the Skip Barber racing series at 14 years old, and was the only female to be  invited to the 2016 NASCAR Next Program. Julia is currently racing in the Xfinity Series for Alpha Prime Racing, and was the only woman at her debut race in July 2022. Today, she explains how to navigate a male dominated sport that is so reliant on sponsorships, and shares so many wise tips on male allyship for women athletes! “Focus on where you wanna be and then you'll have a better chance of getting there.” - Julia Landauer

Blake Bolden is a professional Ice Hockey player for the Boston Blades, where she won two national titles and works to pave the way in the sport for young black girls such as herself. She is also an NHL reporter on ESPN and a professional scout as well as a growth and inclusion specialist for the LA Kings!In this podcast, Blake discusses her journey with ice hockey from a young age to her mid-thirties and her struggles to fit in, accept who she was, and deal with the ups and downs that come with being an elite athlete. “Just tell yourself you can do this, you can be bold and face whatever fear, whatever doubt. Just face it, head on.” - Blake Bolden

Dr. Stacy Sims, VIS Expert, a performance physiologist and researcher specializing in women athletes, shares the science behind periods and performance. As a former runner, rower, and cyclist, Stacy dove into studying movement and sports sciences at Purdue University. In her Master's program, Stacy researched sex differences and overtraining in women athletes. As a professional, Stacy has directed research programs at Stanford, AUT University, and the University of Waikato that focus on women athlete health and performance. In today's episode, Stacy brings her expertise and experiences as an athlete to share her research and work about menstrual cycles, training, and nutrition. We also discuss the underrepresentation of women in scientific studies, the misconceptions about women's physiology, and the myths relating to our periods. “At any point in the menstrual cycle, you can come and bring your A-game.” - Dr. Stacy Sims. 

Sierra Brooks, a gymnast at the University of Michigan, NCAA Champion, 2022 Big 10 Gymnast of the Year, and 13x All-American shares with us her dedicated relationship with athletics and academics. As a highly competitive gymnast and also an avid learner, Sierra gives us great advice on how we can better ourselves inside and outside of sport. Sierra also encourages us to seize career and professional opportunities to better understand ourselves and interests. With a focus on the importance of relationships, Sierra shares just how crucial our support systems are. “Once you really buy into the mindset that you're doing things as a team, you're more successful individually” -Sierra Brooks. 

Chari Hawkins, the 2022 US Indoor Champion in the Heptathlon, and creator of the “30 Days with Chari” program, talks about mental health and the importance of this program for young athletes in the VIS community.  ‘30 Days with Chari' is a 30-day mental and physical strengthening plan. Each day participants accomplish three tasks: listening to a podcast hosted by Chari, completing a fun mental challenge, and crushing a workout. On today's episode, Chari breaks down three days: accountability, dreaming big, and purposeful rest. “I think a lot of people who win and who get their goals have a little bit of a secret sauce and I think it's that they have a little bit more control over their mind, especially within their sport.” - Chari Hawkins.  Head to charihawkins.com to check out the program! Today, VIS listeners can get 33% off with code “VIS” at checkout. 

In this week's episode, we are talking with VIS League Mentor, professional runner for Nike and Stanford alumna, Vanessa Fraser. Vanessa graduated from Stanford in 2018 as a 10-time All American and school record holder in the 5000m. Today, Vanessa speaks about why she chose Stanford, how she recovered from her double Achilles surgery, and how she pursues her audaciously big goals, with small, bite-sized steps! “Never let anyone tell you that your dreams are too big, or that you are too audacious and bold in the pursuit of those dreams”. - Vanessa Fraser

Courtney Gano, a professional softball player in the Athletes Unlimited league, Team USA member, and former member of the University of Washington women's softball team shares how vulnerability, injury recovery, and mental health challenges have shaped her highly successful softball career. Through lessons of self-embrace, Courtney emphasizes how we can learn to take care of ourselves and become better versions of ourselves by seeking resources like a therapist or sports psychologist; her numerous injuries forced her into learning how to find the much needed resources she utilized to grow into the best version of herself. These recovery cycles catalyzed her firm belief that sport does not completely define us and that we can foster a more compassionate and caring sports environment that benefits every athlete. Courtney compassionately reminds us that love and motivation for sport is not always constant, so “when you can take a step back and get a different perspective, you can find that love again, figure out why do I play this sport? Is this something that I wanna do? Because if you're not having fun with it, you're not gonna be at your best.” - Courtney Gano

In this special series for National Suicide Prevention Month, Dr. Kristin Tugman breaks down seven common myths about suicide. She gives us ways in which we can have better conversations about mental health in order to prevent future suicides. Kristin is passionate about mental health and has just started a non-profit called Community Action for Mental Health.  If you or someone you love is struggling with mental health and experiencing suicidal ideation, always feel comfortable in calling the suicide hotline at 988 or reaching out to your surrounding support system. “It's hard for someone's brain to really allow themselves to decide that yes, this person is at risk for dying by suicide, which again is why it's so important to have the open lines of communication and feel like it's something that we can easily talk about just as we would ask about our physical health.” - Dr. Kristin Tugman

In a special series for September, National Suicide Prevention Month, VIS Expert, Dr Kimberly O'Brien discusses mental health and suicide prevention for student-athletes. Dr. O'Brien is currently a Clinical Social Worker in the Sports Medicine Division and Female Athlete Program at Boston Children's Hospital. She is also a Research Scientist and Assistant Professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. Kimberly played ice hockey at Harvard University and obtained her Masters in Social Work and PhD at Boston College. She continued on to complete a postdoctoral fellowship at Brown University where her research focuses on the development and intervention for suicidal adolescents. In this episode, Kimberly speaks about suicide prevention and suicide awareness. She shares with us important mental health resources and ways that we can speak about suicide in order to best help ourselves and the people around us. Most importantly there are resources if you or a loved one is struggling, and “sometimes it just takes finding the right fit and it's out there for you.” -Dr. Kimberly O'Brien. If you or someone in your life is struggling with suicide, you can dial 988 for the National Suicide Hotline or you can reach out to a counselor or doctor; on the VIS platform we also have a network of incredible counselors and experts like Kimberly. Please know you are not alone. 

Canadian Olympian turned sports agent, Georgia Simmerling, and Maddy Price, Junior Olympian in the 200m and 400m, and Tokyo Olympian in the 400m talk about all things sports agents and representation! As a road and track cyclist as well as Alpine and Ski cross skier, and the first Canadian to ever compete in three different sports in three different Olympics, Georgia shares her experience on both sides of the athlete-agent relationship. Maddy and Georgia discuss how their relationship evolved, and give us tips on what to look for in an agent, what to avoid, and how to advocate for ourselves when beginning to work with an agency. They also share strategies for marketing ourselves on social media, and illuminate what brands might look for when partnering with athletes. “Things are changing globally and now is the time to invest in women's sport and it's happening. TV rights are going up, sponsorship dollars are going up because there's more exposure on TV and they're seeing the opportunity  is there for women. So I'm just trying to stir the pot a little bit and have some tough conversations and they're starting to happen.” - Georgia Simmerling

Sika Henry is a professional triathlete for team USA. She attended  Tufts University  where she competed in High Jump on the Track and Field team, becoming a NCAA All American. Since then, she has been recognized as the first Black woman professional triathlete, been inducted into the Hall of Fame for National Black Distance Running, became an IronMan World Championship finisher, a two-time Champion One City Marathon Winner, and earned a spot on the podium in a 70.3 ironman five times. Sika uses her platform to gain visibility for Black women in sports like herself and encourages others to follow along in her footsteps. In this podcast, she talks about what it took for her to become a professional triathlete, the adversity she's overcome, and how we can better support Black women athletes.  “Sometimes you're in those deep dark tunnels and it feels like it's going on forever and you're never going to get out of it. But there is light at the end of the tunnel. Sometimes you just need to keep going forward and you don't know what awaits you at the end. And usually it's something great.” - Sika Henry 

Paralympic track and field athlete, Scout Bassett, joins us on the VIS Podcast to talk about her childhood as an adoptee from China, overcoming adversity and disability, and important life lessons that go beyond the realm of sports. Scout has tremendous strength and grace with dealing with challenges, and shares the beauty of sport in bringing different people together, as well as the importance of community, asking for help, and never giving up no matter what life throws at you. “Everything that I have struggled with in my life, it's going to mean something. I think that what running really gave me was just that feeling of okay, not only do I belong, but I matter.”- Scout Bassett

Olympian, and professional rock climber, Kyra Condie, shares her journey in sports. She talks about the highs and lows of joining a male dominated sport, what it was like being one of the first rock climbers in the Olympics, and maintaining self-care as an athlete. Additionally, she addresses the struggles she faced as a rock climber with scoliosis and how she not only overcame but continues to overcome this challenge in order to remain successful in her sport. Kyra provides advice for young women who may be interested in pursuing rock climbing or any underrepresented sport. Additionally, she talks about the work being done in order to bring more attention to the sport of rock climbing as a whole. “I think confidence is hard to come by as a woman in our world and so we should definitely foster it and make sure that young women especially, don't get told that it's wrong.” - Kyra Condie 

Allie Ostrander, a middle distance runner specialising in the Steeplechase shares her journey in sport, specifically with disordered eating. Allie is an incredibly accomplished graduate of Boise State where she was the NCAA Steeple champion in 2017, 2018, and 2019 along with many podium finishes in Cross Country and on the track.  Since graduating college, Allie has been a powerful voice in the running community, speaking out about healing from disordered eating, as she is going through it. Today, Allie shares how her experience with disordered eating first started, and gives her advice on dealing with harmful narratives around body image. Allie also highlights that whenever we make decisions about our health now, we have to consider how they will impact our minds and bodies later. “You're not good because of your body. You are good because you're talented and driven and you work hard and those things won't go away just cause your body changes.” - Allie Ostrander

Kayla Wood, a professional lacrosse player in the Athletes Unlimited league, former member of the UNC women's lacrosse team, and three time ACC champion shares with us her unique college recruitment process. Kayla gives us advice on how to work through personal adversities and find the resources and support we need. She also shares the importance of being a good teammate while working to improve ourselves as athletes by becoming the best version of ourselves rather than comparing ourselves to others on the field. “My biggest thing with everything in life is to always take things one moment at a time. So, don't get too ahead of yourself and try not to live too far in the past. Just try to focus on the present moment.” - Kayla Wood. 

Melissa Humana Paredes, a pro beach volleyball player, 6-time FIVB Gold Medalist, 12-time FIVB Medalist, 5-time Canadian Champion, 2-time AVP Champion, Commonwealth Champion, and most recently, a World Champion shares her journey in sport! Melissa shares how she started her professional career very young, and how she continued to grow in the sport. She tells us about the mistakes and errors she's made along the way, and how she learned to grow from them. In this episode, Melissa touches on the topics of body image and confidence. She also talks about how to stay engaged and avoid burnout in an individual sport like beach volleyball. Finally, Melissa reminds us that how we respond to failure is the most important determinant of our careers, on and off the court, and that when failure does happen, we need to give ourselves grace. “ I think it's how you respond to the failures that's going to be able to guide the rest of your career.” - Melissa Humana Paredes 

Team Canada High Diver Molly Carlson, three time NCAA All American Diver, three time ACC MVP of the year, two-time junior pan-american champion, two-time junior world champion finalist, and seven time junior national champion speaks with us about her journey in diving, her mental health challenges and triumphs spanning from her high school to professional career, and her social media efforts promoting mental health awareness. In this episode, Molly speaks candidly about her journey and advice on how young women athletes can approach their journey inside and out of sport as one that includes improving mental health. Molly emphasizes, “ If you're up there every single day, and you're so positive and happy to be there and working on changes and allowing yourself to fail, then those beautiful dives will come your way. And it doesn't matter how. Big, small, beautiful. All bodies are beautiful.” - Molly Carlson

Olympic Gold medalist in Tokyo and English swimming star, Anna Hopkin, shares her journey in sports. Anna started competing nationally at a very early age, but today she explains how stepping away from the sport for four years in her teenage years helped her find balance and learn to love swimming again. This decision helped her prioritise her mental and physical health and have a long career in the pool when it mattered most, ultimately leading her to win an Olympic gold medal in the Mixed 4x 100m Medley Relay. Now, Anna swims for Arkansas University where she recently placed second at the NCAA's 100 yard freestyle. In today's episode, Anna also shares her Olympic experience, and dives into how she maintained her motivation throughout Covid when she could not swim. “If you don't enjoy what you're doing, then you're never going to achieve what you want to, whether it's in a sport or in a job or in a relationship” - Anna Hopkin. 

Jamaican-American hurdler, CeCé Telfer, shares her journey to becoming the first openly trans-gender woman to win an NCAA title. CeCé talks us through her experience at Franklin Pierce University, and how her transition has allowed her to break down doors for trans-athletes to follow. In this episode she shares how she is continuing to push the boundaries of sports and change the culture of athletics. “You're valid in your feelings and you're not alone. You can do it too. At the end of the day, standing up for yourself and living your truth are the most important. You deserve to live your life. And you deserve to go all the way to the top, and you deserve a coach, and you deserve to be trained because you matter and fighting for that is right.” -CeCé Telfer 

Olympian Hailey Swirbul, a professional cross country skier, and a member of the Alaska Pacific University Nordic Ski Center & US Ski Team on the A-team, and member of the Women's Ski Coach Association shares her journey in sport. We learn about Hailey's highly active upbringing in Colorado which led her to skiing at age 10. After being the only skier at her high school, she transitioned to college where she skied for both University of Alaska Anchorage and Alaska Pacific University before beginning her professional career. Hailey walks us through her experiences with an eating disorder, anxiety, and depression. She shares with us her challenges through college burnout and how identifying and reframing her motivators served as primary factors to recovery and success. This episode, Hailey gets real with us and reminds us, “it's not considered a failure until you actually give up on it. No matter what it is, no matter if it's being the best version of yourself, if it's chasing a goal for a result, if it's being a great teammate.” - Hailey Swirbul 

On Global Running Day, professional heptathlete Chari Hawkins, the 2022 USA Indoor Champion in the heptathlon shares her journey with sports and mental health. In the heptathlon, athletes compete in 7 events: hurdles, high jump, shot put, 200m run, long jump, javelin, and the 800m. Chari is one of the best heptathletes in the world, and is currently ranked 6th globally.  In this episode, Chari shares her journey with sports psychology and how she turned mental health into her biggest strength as an athlete. She also shares how she learned detach her identity from performance, and write down her dreams, goals and obstacles in order to create her own story. Chari's journey shows the importance of mental health in sports and performance. Despite performing really well in college and winning conference as a freshman, Chari struggled with severe performance anxiety. Today, she is an inspiring advocate for overcoming anxiety and panic attacks as a professional athlete at the highest level.

Annie Kunz, professional heptathlete and olympian at the 2021 Tokyo olympics guides us through her journey in sports. She shares with us her journey with mental health, nutrition, and body image, and reminds us that we are all on our own journeys so we shouldn't compare ourselves to other athletes but instead embrace ourselves for who we are and strive to be the best, strongest, healthiest version of ourselves. Annie also discusses the importance of our period and how our cycles can help us to be more in touch with fueling or balancing our hormones. Annie continues to be an inspiration through her work on and off the track. “Keep showing up every day, even when it's hard, even when it feels like you aren't capable, and it doesn't feel fun. If you are passionate about something, you have a dream just keep showing up. If you show up every day and give your best, it will pay off in the end.” - Annie Kunz

Monica Abbott is one of softball's greatest, with four World Championships, two Olympic medals, three Canada Cup titles, and five National Pro Fastpitch Championships under her belt. Being the first woman to sign a million dollar contract, Monica continues to set a new standard for not only softball players, but all young girls who aspire to profess in their sport. She tells us how the balance of time management, preparation, and positive self-talk contributed to her success, and how it can contribute to yours as well. “Just go for it, go all in.  At some point someone's going to open a door for you. That might be a little crack in the door. It might be big wide open door, but it's up to you to like run through it as fast as you can and don't look back.” -Monica Abbott

Haleigh Washington, Olympic gold medalist, professional volleyball player and VIS League Mentor shares her journey in sport. Haleigh speaks about how she got into the sport and the sacrifices she and her family had to make for her to play volleyball. She dives into her collegiate experience, and how she  prepared herself to play professionally. Haleigh also shares what playing abroad in Italy is like, and describes her experience at the Tokyo Olympics! Beyond her journey, Haleigh gives us great advice on embracing our emotions as athletes, learning to fail and taking deep breaths every day. Haleigh is an inspiration, reminding us that we might find ourselves struggling with anxiety or depression, but all that aside, we are who we are and that is what makes us beautiful. “You have to honor who you are, which is a very difficult thing to do, because it means that you have to know who you are” - Haleigh Washington. 

Laura Thweatt, professional marathoner for Saucony and VIS League™ member shares her journey in sport. Laura speaks about her experience with underfueling and the resultant cycle of injuries she had to overcome in college. She takes us through how she learned to value her own journey, and understood that there are many paths to success. Laura is an inspiration, reminding us to believe in ourselves and persevere through failures, in order to chase our dreams. She shares how this determination helped her grow after college, going from uncertainty about whether she could have a career in running, to becoming one of the best marathoners in the United States. Laura reminds us that our individuality is a strength and our uniqueness is a superpower. “There is power in owning your journey, and there's power in remembering that there are a thousand different ways to get somewhere. There is not one way to get anywhere. You are your superpower.” - Laura Thweatt

Karelle Edwards, a 5x Team Canada hurdler, licensed mental health counselor and mental performance consultant, and co-owner of Embrace Your Pace, shares her journey in sports. Karelle walks us through how she advocates for change in sports, especially around abusive coaching relationships. She shares her experience with a negative coaching relationship, giving us coaching red flags and tips on how we can bring awareness to inappropriate behaviors like emotional abuse, harassment and assault. Karelle shares how, despite all the challenges she had to overcome in her athletic journey, she has learned to trust herself. Her journey shows us that performance and mental health can coexist, and her perspective as a professional athlete who is also a mental health professional, is so valuable for all female athletes to hear. “Don't be afraid to speak up. You are unique and you have a unique journey. Follow your own path. You deserve to be there. Trust yourself and celebrate yourself.” - Karelle Edwards 

VIS Expert, Clinical Assistant Professor at Stanford University, Dr. Emily Kraus speaks with us about her experience growing up in Nebraska as a multi-sport athlete, her journey into sports medicine and research, and her current projects: The Healthy Runner Project and FASTR. Dr. Emily Kraus shares with us important injury prevention tips, the importance of our general energy availability, both the implications and ways to prevent RED-S and the female athlete triad, and the existing gap in sports medicine research between male and female athletes. “There's been this need to better understand these physiological differences between sexes so we can better understand the injuries, treat those injuries, and both improve health and performance and longevity in sport.”- Dr. Emily Kraus 

Kate Courtney, 2020 Olympic mountain biker, Team USA member, Redbull athlete, and World Cup champion shares her journey in sport. Kate walks us through her high school journey in mountain biking, and reflects on her experience at Stanford. She shares how she balanced a full course load and a professional training schedule. Beyond college, Kate talks about her transition and experiences as a full-time professional athlete. With an emphasis on mental health, using WHOOP data to inform her training, nutrition and body image and the positive impact of her sports psychologist on her overall well-being, Kate shares excellent advice on how to elevate our journeys in sport. “I felt like the combination of those experiences, again, a success and a failure taught me that mental strength, mental toughness, resilience. It's something that you can build.  It's a skill that you can train. It's something you can get help with, and that you can strengthen over many, many years.” - Kate Courtney

VIS Expert™ Carrie Jackson, a mental performance consultant specialising in mental training, resilience and injury psychology shares how to overcome injuries and come out stronger than ever. Carrie explains the importance of having a positive mindset when recovering from injuries. She walks us through some of the mental drills that can help us alter our internal conversation, and see injuries as opportunities for growth, rather than obstacles. Carrie reminds us that reaching out for support and getting access to mental health is never a sign of weakness, it is a sign of strength. She also emphasises that injury is a part of the journey that all athletes go through. We are never alone in this hard experience, and being injured does not make us a worse or a weaker athlete. “Your recovery is now your sport, and all of the energy and effort you are putting into competition now needs to go into your recovery” - Carrie Cheadle, Injury Psychologist and VIS Expert™. 

Katie Rainsberger, professional middle distance runner and recent graduate of the University of Washington shares her journey in sport. She takes us through the transition from high school to college, and how the pressure to perform impacted her fueling, leading her to develop a cycle of injuries. Katie shares the importance of having a regular period, even during hard training blocks. She highlights that we are the ones living our life, and we have to do what is best for our bodies in the long term. Katie also takes us through her transition from the University of Oregon to the University of Washington, and the challenges of being a collegiate athlete during the Covid pandemic. Finally, Katie shares her mantra, “persistent consistency”, and takes us through how it helped her see progress over time. “You have to own your journey. You have to own your body, you have to own your training, the choices you make and own your why. “ - Katie Rainsberger