Voice In Sport

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 strugg...

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...

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...

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 Champi...

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 o...

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 ov...

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 ru...

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 o...

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...

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 promo...

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 t...

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 athlet...

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 co...

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 sha...

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...

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...

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 l...

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...

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...

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 th...

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-t...

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 o...

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 highlig...

Kelsey Robinson, VIS League mentor, Olympic volleyball player, photographer, blogger, and now designer speaks with us about the release of her new clothing line, the Kelsey Marie Capsule Collection! As a guest on the first Voice in Sport podcast episode, Kelsey talks us through the evolution of her creative journey. Speaking from her own experience in and out of sport, Kelsey discusses the importa...

Jaylyn Agnew, VIS League member and professional basketball player shares her journey to the draft, along with her experience in the WNBA and playing overseas in Russia. Being drafted, going abroad, and facing a season-ending injury all during a global pandemic, Jaylyn speaks with us about all of the unexpected variables that occurred during her rookie season, and her journey of regaining strength...