The Practice Brave Podcast

In this episode, I sit down with Jessica Hamel, P&PA coach and mom, to talk about what it really looks like to embrace both motherhood and athleticism without feeling like you have to choose between the two.   Jessica shares her journey from being a military spouse to building a fitness career, and how becoming a mom reshaped her identity in ways she never expected. We talk about the challenges of...

In this special birthday episode of the Practice Brave podcast, I sit down with my son, Cade, to reflect on his 13th year—one filled with tremendous growth, new experiences, and a whole lot of learning for both of us.   We talk about his transition into middle school, the friendships he's built, and how he's navigated balancing football, wrestling, basketball, rugby, baseball, and jiu-jitsu. Along...

Today, I sat down with Dr. Christina Prevett to explore some of the most common—and often misunderstood—questions surrounding pregnancy, postpartum exercise, and pelvic health.   Christina shares insights from the latest research on topics including heavy lifting during pregnancy, pelvic floor dysfunction, and postpartum recovery. We discuss what the evidence actually says about exercise safety, w...

In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Margie Davenport, researcher, professor, and leading voice in maternal health and exercise science, to discuss how the landscape of pregnancy and postpartum fitness has evolved over the past decade.   Dr. Margie shares insights from her extensive research on exercise during pregnancy and postpartum, including how newer evidence continues to challenge outdated r...

Today, I sat down with Delaney Nelson, a former Division 1 collegiate swimmer, to talk about motherhood, athleticism, and what it looks like to rediscover your strength in a completely new season of life.   Delaney shares her journey from navigating life after a twin pregnancy to reconnecting with fitness and eventually pursuing bigger athletic goals through training and coaching. We talk about th...

In today's episode, I sit down with Steph Mireles, former CrossFit Games athlete and physician assistant, to talk about the evolution of athleticism through different seasons of life—including pregnancy, motherhood, and career growth.   Steph shares her experience balancing high-level training with the demands of working in medicine, and how her relationship with fitness has shifted over time. We...

In this episode of the Practice Brave podcast, I sit down with Tara Peterson, a two-time Olympic curler and dentist, to talk about what it really looks like to pursue elite sport while navigating motherhood and a professional career.   Tara shares her journey from her early days in curling to competing on the Olympic stage, all while working as a dentist and raising a family.    One of the most po...

In this engaging episode, I sit down with Shanté Cofield, physical therapist and entrepreneur, for an engaging conversation on building a meaningful career in the fitness and coaching space.   Together, we share insights from our journeys as seasoned fitness entrepreneurs—what it takes to grow a personal brand, show up authentically, and create impact through online coaching, especially when suppo...

In this episode, I sit down with Krista Williams to talk about her journey from working in traditional fitness spaces to building a thriving pregnancy and postpartum-focused business.   We dive into how Krista's background in fitness and exercise science shaped her path, and what led her to specialize in supporting moms through pregnancy and postpartum. She shares what it looked like to transition...

In this episode, I sit down with Mary DiStasio, a former Olympic gymnast turned weightlifting athlete and coach, to talk about training through pregnancy, postpartum recovery, and what it really takes to support long-term athleticism in motherhood.   We explore the physical and mental challenges women face during postpartum, including pelvic health, recovery timelines, and the often-overlooked imp...

In this solo episode of the Practice Brave podcast, I share an inside look at how Pregnancy and Postpartum Athleticism has evolved over the years—and why that evolution matters for both coaches and athletes.   Since 2017, the certification has gone through four major updates, each shaped by emerging research, real-world coaching experience, and the feedback from our growing community. In this epis...

In this episode, I sit down with Bethany Flores, a seven-time CrossFit Games athlete and new mom, to talk about her journey through pregnancy, postpartum recovery, and returning to high-level competition.   We dive into what it really looks like to balance athletic goals with motherhood, and how Bethany has learned to navigate the physical and mental challenges that come with this transition. From...

In this episode, I sat down with Jasmine Jones, a 2026 Winter Olympics bobsled medalist, mother, and military service member whose journey to the podium is nothing short of inspiring. Jasmine shares how she balances elite sport, motherhood, and military service while continuing to push boundaries in the world of high-performance athletics.   Together, we explore what it really takes to compete at...

In today's episode, I sat down with Ashton Koehlmoos — pregnancy and postpartum athleticism coach, former collegiate athlete, and mom — to talk about how her personal experiences shaped the work she does today.   Ashton shares a powerful story that weaves together athletics, infertility, postpartum recovery, pregnancy loss, and ultimately finding purpose through coaching and pelvic health educatio...

In today's episode, we dive into the inspiring journey of Shanna Birchett, a dedicated runner and mother of six, who is navigating the unique challenges of training during her seventh pregnancy. With a focus on long-term goals and adaptability, Shanna shares her experiences and insights on maintaining an athletic lifestyle while embracing the physical, emotional, and logistical changes that come w...

In today's episode, I sit down with Sarah Newberry Moore, a U.S. Olympian in Sailing, for an honest conversation about navigating change, both in sport and in life. We talk about what it means to evolve as an athlete and a human, especially when identity, goals, and capacity shift over time.   Sarah shares her experiences with growth, self-awareness, and learning to listen more closely to her body...

In this episode, I sit down with Kristi O'Connell to explore what it really means to have an "athlete brain" and how that identity evolves over time. Kristi shares her journey from being a Division I swimmer to a seven-time CrossFit Games athlete, and how stepping away from high-level competition forced her to reassess her relationship with training, performance, and self-worth.   We talk about th...

In this episode, I sit down with longtime friends and CrossFit athletes Annie Thorisdottir and Katrin Davidsdottir to talk honestly about their journeys into motherhood as elite athletes. We reflect on how pregnancy and postpartum seasons have reshaped how they view training, identity, and long-term athletic sustainability.   We discuss the importance of shifting expectations, letting go of the pr...

In this solo episode, I unpack a conversation that's been building for over a decade—one sparked by a recent post that stirred both strong agreement and strong reaction. I reflect on how the pregnant and postpartum athlete narrative has evolved, especially within the CrossFit and strength-training space, and why so many women still feel confused, frustrated, or unsupported during these seasons.  ...

In this episode, I sit down with Julie to talk about the evolving relationship women have with their bodies, strength, and identity through pregnancy, postpartum, and motherhood. We explore what it looks like to move away from pressure-filled fitness narratives and toward a more sustainable, empowering approach to training and self-care.   This conversation is a reminder that strength isn't just p...

In this solo episode, I share what this current season of life looks like for me and how I'm resetting after a busy and disruptive stretch. Between growing Pregnancy & Postpartum Athleticism and opening the new Battles Jiu Jitsu gym with my family, I've had to rethink how I approach consistency, capacity, and care for my body. This episode is a reminder that progress comes from meeting yourself wh...

In this episode, I sit down with my husband, Jared Battles, to share the story behind our newest chapter together: opening Battles Jiu Jitsu. We reflect on how this idea moved from a quiet "what if" conversation to becoming a real, brick-and-mortar space rooted in purpose, faith, and community.   We talk about why jiu jitsu has played such a meaningful role in our lives, how our backgrounds in ath...

In this episode, I sit down with strength and conditioning coach Jason Brown to talk about what truly matters in training—for both athletes and coaches. Jason shares how his early exposure to powerlifting, years in the trenches coaching in-person, and deep dive into exercise physiology shaped his approach to programming and the concurrent training model he's known for today.   We also talk about c...

In this episode, I sit down with Kayleigh Summers, a perinatal trauma therapist and the voice behind The Birth Trauma Mama. Kayleigh shares her powerful story of surviving an amniotic fluid embolism (AFE)—a rare and often fatal childbirth emergency—and how that experience completely reshaped her life, identity, and path into motherhood. We talk about what it was like to navigate recovery after a t...

In this episode, I'm joined once again by my good friend and collaborator, Mindy English — a pelvic floor physical therapist here in Eagle, Idaho, who works extensively with female athletes, especially pregnant and postpartum women.   We've been running a pelvic floor PT series this past year, aiming to make conversations around women's pelvic health less taboo and more empowering. For this episod...