Voice In Sport

Latest Episodes:

Episode 29. Colleen Quigley - READY. mindSET. GO: Pro Runner’s Journey With Mental Health Nov 30, 2020

Show notes

Colleen Quigley, Professional Runner for the Bowerman Track Club, Olympian, VIS League™ Member, and 9x NCAA All-American at Florida State University, discusses her incredible journey in sport. Although she grew up in a family of athletes, Colleen faced a fork in the road in HS: pursue professional modeling or college track & field. She chose sport and met a strong and inspiring female coach at FSU and fell in love with her new team & program. After an incredibly successful collegiate career, Colleen began running professionally; it was at this point in her career where Colleen truly began to tap into the mental side of performance.
In this episode, Colleen discusses the power of journaling, meditation, and therapy, and how focusing on mental strength has improved her mindset and well-being. These tools have helped her to overcome self-comparison to cope with the inevitable disappointments, and to find happiness in her sport. Colleen’s path has led her to help other athletes along their own mental health journeys through Fast Braid Friday and her next venture helping elite athletes gain access to mental health resources. Above all, Colleen reminds us of the power that we have as female athletes, and she envisions a future where women occupy roles of power within the sports world and beyond.
“It's just a piece of metal. It doesn't matter. Everything that you need is inside you.”
- Colleen Quigley

Episode 28. Janay Honest - Walking on to Your Dream School Nov 23, 2020

Show notes

JaNay Honest, Sports Broadcaster and Former gymnast at UCLA, describes her journey in sport as empowering, fulfilling, and inspiring. From a young age, UCLA was always JaNay’s dream, and although she was told time and time again that she would never be good enough to compete for UCLA, she never gave up on her dream. JaNay continued to believe in herself, to embrace the joy of her sport, and to deny all odds as she walked onto the team her freshman year and later became a 2018 NCAA Gymnastics Champion, a 2016 PAC-12 Uneven Bars Co-Champion, and competed in 43 consecutive meets for the Bruins. In this episode, JaNay shares her journey from youth gymnastics to recruitment to her time as a walk-on at UCLA and highlights the powerful message that no dream is unattainable.
“Trust that you are on the right path of the life that you were meant to.” - JaNay Honest

Episode 27. Grayson Murphy - Unconventional Journey to the Top (of the Mountain) Nov 16, 2020

Show notes

Grayson Murphy, Professional Runner, University of Utah alum and 5x All-American for Cross Country and Track and VIS League™ Member shares her incredible and unconventional journey in sport. She is currently running for SWAP, “Some Work All Play,” and formerly for NAZ Elite. Grayson has been successful in numerous distance running events ranging from the 1500m, 3k Steeplechase, to trail running, where she earned the title of U.S Mountain Running Champion after winning a USATF National Title, and many events in between! Grayson’s path looks a little different than most D1 runners because she started college as a soccer player. Today, Grayson opened up with us about topics such as transferring schools, changing sports, switching pro groups, all in the pursuit of making the right decision for herself. With these changes, inevitably comes changes in one's body and she explains how different sports and events will likely lead to physical changes and that this is totally normal! She also goes into detail about her struggles with anxiety and teaches us how to build our own personal “toolkits” to navigate one's anxiety. She wraps it up with advice on how to stay true to you.
“Have the courage to be brave and believe in yourself.” - Grayson Murphy

Episode 26. Ella Eastin - Your Body is Your Power - Fuel It the Right Way. Oct 26, 2020

Show notes

Ella Eastin, Professional Swimmer, World University Games Gold Medalist, VIS League™ Member, 4x individual NCAA champion, and former Division 1 Swimmer at Stanford University shares her journey in sport through the struggles and triumphs surrounding her nutrition and body image. She openly discusses the barriers she overcame in finding the right way to fuel her body and her journey to forming a positive relationship with her body and sport. Ella reminds us that our bodies are strong and powerful, that we should avoid comparison, lean on our peers and teammates as we learn to love ourselves, and that we must always listen to and appreciate our bodies.
“Remember that your body is built for a specific purpose and for the pleasure of playing the game that you love.” - Ella Eastin

Episode 25. Jade & Jasmine Baker - Time to Speak Up. Black Lives Matter. Vote. Oct 19, 2020

Show notes

Guest Jade Baker and Co-Host Jasmine Baker are not only powerful black female athletes, but they are also sisters. Jade Baker is a former Track and Field Junior Olympian, University of Virginia Hammer Throw record holder, and currently studying law at Georgetown University. Jasmine Baker was a Voice In Sport intern in the summer of 2020, grew up as a multi-sport athlete, and currently is studying Broadcast Journalism at UNC. Today, they share their experiences growing up as young black female athletes in predominantly white communities. Through their stories and Jade’s open letter, we dive deep into the topics of racism, privilege, microaggressions, and the pressure and burden of representation. Jade and Jasmine encourage young girls to embrace their blackness, to raise their voices, and to fight for change. Together, we have the power to strive for true equality and to change more than just the game.
“Every single person has a platform and that's your power. Your voice is your power.” - Jade Baker

Episode 24. Jenna Gray - 2 Sport D1 Athlete Guide: Mind, Body and Balance Oct 12, 2020

Show notes

Jenna Gray, Professional Volleyball Player, Former 2x All-American in Javelin and Volleyball at Stanford University and VIS League™ Member, describes her journey in sport in 3 words: unconventional, tears, and family. In this episode we are guided through how Jenna started playing many sports and continued that journey into college as a 2 sport athlete. Although she ended her college career receiving the Honda Sports award in 2020 she discusses the challenges she faced with confidence, seeking validation from others and finding balance. She emphasizes the importance of communication and confidence both on and off the court and talks about how she didn’t do it alone. She built a strong support system, focused on balance, put in the work and ultimately checked in with herself to make sure she was having fun.
“Instead of thinking of pressure as a bad thing, I think of it as more of a privilege. And, they always say that diamonds are made under pressure. So you might as well enjoy it.” - Jenna Gray

Episode 23. Kendall Ellis - Transcend, Transform, and Transition with Confidence Oct 05, 2020

Show notes

Kendall Ellis, Professional Runner, New Balance Athlete, VIS League™ Member, and Former Division I student-athlete at the University of Southern California describes her journey in sport in three words: transition, transform, and transcend. Kendall talks about the highs and lows of her journey in sport as she dives into the transition from high school to college, the truth about the process of becoming a pro, and her battle with performance anxiety, confidence, and mental health and how she ultimately overcame these obstacles. Kendall reminds us that everyone has fears and anxieties, but we all have a role to play in breaking the stigma on mental health and promoting personal growth.
“There's so many moments that I have robbed myself of by just being really, really nervous and kind of taking it too seriously... Don't forget the innocence of it all, and that you started because you were having fun.” - Kendall Ellis

Episode 22. Betsy Brandon - More than Your Sport Oct 01, 2020

Show notes

Betsy Brandon, Professional Soccer Player for the FTC Női Labdarúgás and former Division 1 Student-Athlete at the University of Virginia and VIS League™ Member describes her journey in sport in 3 words: rollercoaster, hard, and worthwhile. Betsy shares her journey in sport, from growing up as a multi-sport athlete and her transition to club soccer, youth national teams, college soccer, and her professional career today. She sheds light on the topics of confidence highs and lows, body image, and overcoming physical and mental battles with an objective mindset and faith. She reminds us to approach challenges objectively and that our worth is not defined by what we do, but rather by who we are as people.
“Your identity is not who you are on the field. It is how you treat people, and it's the way you love the people around you. You, as a person, is more important than you as an athlete.” - Betsy Brandon

Episode 21. Emma Gee - Find Your Truth. Navigating Identity. Sep 27, 2020

Show notes

Emma Gee, former Division 1 runner for BYU and rising Temple University runner and Master’s student shares her journey as the first-ever openly LGBTQ+ athlete at BYU. Emma is striving to become an All-American in the 3000 m Steeplechase, but she is also committed to changing more than just the game. Emma openly addresses her discontent with BYU’s policies as they fail to protect and support the LGBTQ+ community at the university, and her involvement in the school’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee We discuss an important challenge we all face in life - which is a conditioned way of thinking about sexuality and relationships. Emma speaks on her own experience in sport with coming out, and she emphasizes the importance of self-acceptance, building a strong support system, and utilizing therapy and journaling as methods to truly process finding your identity. Emma reminds us while we may be faced with resistance and judgment in finding our truth, nothing beats the feeling of being true to ourselves.
“Educate yourself, listen, be respectful, and open-minded. Find your truth by processing and honoring personal identities beyond conditioned thinking.” - Emma Gee

Episode 20. Kayla McCoy - The Power of 3 Sep 23, 2020

Show notes

Kayla McCoy, Professional Soccer Player for the Houston Dash of the NWSL, Jamanican National Team Member and Former Division I Student-Athlete at Duke University describes her journey in sport as challenging, rewarding, and fun. Kayla speaks openly about her journey in sport and all the highs and lows with injuries, nutrition, balance, and the transition from the college level to pro. Kayla reminds us that in life, we will face adversity everyday and how we approach and overcome those obstacles will shape our journeys in sport and beyond. Prioritization, hard work, and intrinsic motivation are the keys to our success.
“The motivation has to come from yourself and so you have to be motivated. No one else can motivate you from the outside.”- Kayla McCoy

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected