Hear Her Sports

Francesca Clapcich was born in Trieste, Italy and now lives in Park City, Utah with her wife (former Olympic and round-the-world sailor, Sally Barkow) and daughter, Harriet.  In our conversation, Francesca explains sailing, what it’s like to be out on the ocean with dolphins and other wildlife. Then tells tales of the physical and mental preparations for the 2028 Vendee Globe, kid sports in Italy, building a diverse team, belief in yourself, belonging, and being a mom athlete. Our conversation couldn’t have been more full and wonderful.  Francesca has twice represented Italy at the Olympic Games, is a World Champion, European Champion, Italian Sailor of the Year. In 2023, competing with 11th Hour Racing Team, she became the first Italian to win The Ocean Race, the world’s longest and toughest team sporting event. Francesca is also the first female Italian to compete in the notoriously challenging Solitaire du Figaro, a solo multi-stage sprint around the coastline of France,. There she was presented with the

Danette Leighton is a 30-year sports industry and corporate executive with experience serving both men’s and women’s professional and collegiate sports leagues and teams. Since March of 2022, Leighton has led the Women’s Sports Foundation (WSF) as CEO, joining the 51-year-old organization, founded by Billie Jean King in 1974. Leighton was most recently chief marketing officer at the Pac-12 Conference. Prior to her nearly 12 years with the Pac-12, Leighton was with Maloof Sports & Entertainment’s NBA Sacramento Kings as vice president of marketing and brand development, as well as vice president of business operations for the WNBA Monarchs, where she led the business of the World Championship-winning WNBA franchise. She also previously worked for Sony and managed their sponsorship of the PGA Tour’s Sony Open in Hawaii and was Stanford University’s executive director of the 1999 NCAA Women’s Final Four. A graduate of the University of Arizona, she was named a Game Changer by Sports Business Journal and recogniz

Narcisse Jordan is a passionate artist, dedicated athlete, and advocate for women in sports. She currently plays for the USA Rugby League team and is a member of the new Women’s Elite Rugby professional team Chicago Tempest. Beyond her athletic achievements, she is a devoted mother who inspires others to pursue their passions on and off the field.  As the founder of Mom You Play, a platform designed to empower and uplift mothers in sports, Narcisse is committed to challenging stereotypes and highlighting the stories of women who balance motherhood and competitive sports. Through her advocacy, she aims to create a supportive community that celebrates the strength and resilience of sports moms at every level.  Her work as an artist adds another layer to her storytelling, blending creativity with her love for sport. Whether she’s creating on the canvas or making big tackles on the pitch, her message is clear: women – especially mothers – belong in sport, and they belong at every level.  Get involved and support

Lynn Holzman returned to the NCAA in February 2018 as the vice president of women’s basketball. She is responsible for the strategic direction, oversight, operations, and management of women’s basketball in Divisions I, II and III. She serves as the primary liaison to the women’s basketball committees and provides strategic oversight of the site-selection process for each championship. In 2014, Holzman was appointed commissioner of the West Coast Conference after serving in various leadership roles within the conference office, including executive senior associate commissioner/chief operating officer and senior associate commissioner of governance and administration. Before her conference office tenure, she worked at the NCAA national office for 16 years, last serving as a director of academic and membership affairs. Holzman serves on various Boards, such as the Board of Directors of the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association, Kay Yow Cancer Fund and Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame. She has also served on num

2x Olympian, Molly Huddle is an American long-distance runner who competes in track and cross-country running events. She is currently pregnant with her second child. She has won twenty-eight USA titles, held six American records, looked down the start line of two Olympic finals, and run four major marathons. Huddle set the American record in the 5,000 meters at the 2014 Herculis Diamond League meet in Fontvieille, Monaco (14:42.64). She also set the American record in the 10,000 meters at the 2016 Olympics (30:13.17). Huddle lives and trains in Providence, Rhode Island. Get involved and support the show directly at https://bit.ly/supportWsports Find all episodes http://www.hearhersports.com/ Sign up for Hear Her Sports newsletter at https://bit.ly/HHSnewsletter Find Hear Her Sports on all social @hearhersports Order How She Did It by Molly Huddle and Sara Slattery at https://bookshop.org/a/16267/9780593234259 Find Molly Huddle on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/mollyhuddle/ Listen to Keeping Track po

Favor Anyanwu talks with host Elizabeth Emery about coming from behind in the U19 World Championships, details of being part of USA Volleyball, transferring from USC to SMU after a semester, opportunities in sport, and tips for success. This episode is a terrific insight into being an elite athlete as a college student and what comes next. Favor is a standout volleyball player at Southern Methodist University (SMU) and a key contributor to the team’s success. Known for her dedication and athleticism, she excels both on and off the court. Favor is also passionate about dentistry and aspires to make a positive impact in the field of oral health. Her drive and well-rounded focus inspire others to pursue their goals with discipline and ambition. Favor’s successes include being Under Armour All-American, USA Volleyball All-Star Team member, Dallas Star News First Team and Middle Blocker of the Year, and American Volleyball Coaches Association Phenom selection, and a member of the USA U19 Gold Medalist team at the

Rebecca McConville is a board certified sports specialist and IAEDP approved eating disorder supervisor. She is an internationally recognized expert on REDs (relative energy deficiency) authoring the book Finding Your Sweet Spot - how to avoid REDs. The updated version will be released in 2025. She also created the first of its kind REDs informed provider certification program for clinicians. IN this fascinating discussion excellent for athletes, coaches, parents, and other sport team staff members, Rebecca discusses with host Elizabeth Emery about what happens in the body when underfueled, what recovery takes, and how to look for physical, nutritional, and psychological reasons for underfueling. Get involved and support the show directly at https://bit.ly/supportWsports Find all episodes http://www.hearhersports.com/ Sign up for Hear Her Sports newsletter at https://bit.ly/HHSnewsletter Find Hear Her Sports on all social @hearhersports Find Rebecca McConville at https://beccamcconville.com/ Find Rebecca McC

Professional cyclist Veronica Ewers is from a small town in the United States and currently lives and trains in Girona, Spain. Since she began her pro career in 2021, she has raced to stellar results, especially in stage races. Just a few examples are a 4th overall in the Giro d’Italia, 9th overall in the Tour de France Femme avec Zwift, and 1st overall in the Classica Feminina Navarra. Veronica decided to take a break from racing to recover from RED-S and works hard to be transparent about that journey as well as mental health. Veronica is looking to come back strong in 2025 with her team EF Education-Oatly and to see exactly what kind of rider she can be. Veronica explains how all that is going, what taking time off was like, struggles, goals, and where she has improved her fueling habits. We also talk about women’s racing right now, team chefs (and all the other staff at stage races), eating on tour, lifting heavy, measuring food –or NOT, and the cruelty of RED-S. Get involved and support the show directl

Sports Psychologist Dr. Erin Ayala joins host Elizabeth Emery to discuss the struggles of being a woman involved in male-dominated sports, athlete identity, gravel racing, being prepared to compete, nerves, anxiety, racing with confidence, the pain cave, performance slumps, different types of goals and how they work, plus since it’s the new year, resolutions. With over a decade of research and clinical experience, Dr. Erin Ayala is a Licensed Psychologist and Certified Mental Performance Consultant based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She is the founder of Skadi Sport Psychology, a mission driven sport psychology practice that specializes in working with girls, women, and non-binary endurance athletes. Dr. Ayala is a published author of over 20 research articles and book chapters, and has been featured in Trailrunner Magazine, the New York Times, and other media outlets. Beyond her professional achievements, she is an accomplished endurance athlete, a lover of spreadsheets, and is likely reading 12+ books at any

This week on Hear Her Sports is writer and runner Katie Holmes. Katie is currently researching and writing a book on Women’s running history with a focus on women who break the rules. Katie is also interested in and researches older women runners, like herself. You can read more about running as an older woman on her blog Run Young 50. In the episode, Katie and host Elizabeth Emery talk about discovering her competitive side through running, being an older female athlete, the discussions she’s having with a bunch of older, fast, British female runners who made their mark in running history, the importance of history, and her upcoming book due to be published by Bloomsbury Sport in 2026. Katie Holmes lives in Nottingham, UK. She started her RunYoung50 blog in 2014 because she wanted to share the stories of female runners over 50 and highlight their achievements. In 2020 Katie was awarded an Independent Researcher Fellowship by the Women's History Network towards her research into Scottish distance running pi

In this episode of the Hear Her Sports podcast, host Elizabeth Emery sits down with professional squash player Melissa Alves. Despite facing early-season injuries, Melissa has had a remarkable year including a well-deserved victory at the Cape Town Squash Open in late November. The episode delves into Melissa's journey, from her early days on the court to her collegiate career at the University of Pennsylvania. She discusses the challenges and rewards of transitioning from a top collegiate player to a professional athlete. Melissa discusses her wrist injury and the subsequent adaptation of her playing style. She shares her inspiring story of resilience and innovation, demonstrating how necessity can drive significant changes in technique and performance. Additionally, the episode explores Melissa's training regimen, including her off-season cycling routine, and her passion for culinary arts. She also discusses the mental aspects of the sport, emphasizing the importance of self-belief and taking up space on th

Elizabeth Holden is a writer, a physics teacher, a travel company owner, an X-Files podcast host, and an avid roller derby player. Her debut novel, Mighty Millie Novak, was released by Flux Books in 2024. She believes the ideal conditions in which to write a novel are in the dining car of a train traveling through the Alps, with a pot of tea beside you -- though she does most of her writing at her home in Wisconsin. Like Millie, Elizabeth Holden is an avid roller derby player, a blocker with Madison Roller Derby since 2015. Liz’s league-mates know her as Auntie Matter; her derby name is a reference to her job teaching college physics. (And, yes, she is also an aunt. Hi, William and Hugo!) When not busy writing, playing derby, or teaching, Liz is most likely leading international trips with her company, Leaping Hound Travel. Liz also co-hosts an X-Files podcast, We Want to Believe, with her sister. Liz’s tattoos are vibrant and numerous, her laugh is loud, and her heart belongs to her pet greyhounds. Learn mor

Natasha Camy is an NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Referee now in her 14th season. She has officiated at the very top level, including in the 2024 Elite 8 game featuring LSU and Iowa, the most watched women’s basketball game in history! She has also officiated in the Conference USA championship, Big 10 conference playoffs, Big 10 final, SEC conference playoffs, WNIT final, WBIT quarterfinal and final. In the episode, Natasha shares with host Elizabeth Emery about how she prepares for games, nerves, cute interactions with players, and how things have changed in the fourteen years she’s been oficiating. Beyond her own officiating career, Natasha is helping others grow in the profession. She founded and runs Referee Ready Academy, a holistic referee development training program. In January 2024 she was announced as an investor for the Cape Town Tigers, a South African basketball club belonging to The Basketball Africa League (BAL); founded by the National Basketball Association (NBA) and International Basketb

Corrine Leistikow is a 65 year old family physician living in Fairbanks, Alaska. Her passion is being physically active outdoors. She started doing endurance biking and skiing events at age 50, when her children became teenagers. She continues to push her limits as an older athlete. Corrine tells host Elizabeth Emery about her adventures, pushing ourselves as older athletes, staying, why more older women don’t do endurance bikepacking, strength training, her own severe stomach issues while racing, and hostess donuts. Corrine’s first event was the Fireweed 200. Since then she has done the Leadville 100 mountain bike race, White Mountain 100 -- twice on skis and once on a fat bike, the Smoke N Fire 400, BC Epic 100, Tour Divide (a 2700-mile bikepacking race from Banff, Canada to the Mexico Border in New Mexico), the 700 mile Trans South Dakota, and 700 mile Cross Washington. And she has tried twice to finish the 350 mile Unbound Gravel XL. Get involved and support the show directly at https://bit.ly/supportWs

In this episode, Iris Slappendel shares with host Elizabeth Emery stories of all things Tour de France Femmes Avec Zwift. Iris is a commentator and reporter for Eurosport and is an expert source about the women’s peleton, teams, politics, and racing tactics. Iris raced professionally for 12 years with much success including a Dutch national road race title in 2014. After retiring at the end of 2016, Iris launched her own apparel brand called I R I S, her first name but also an abbreviation of ‘I Ride In Style’. Being educated as a product designer and having the experience of being a pro cyclist, Iris designs all products from start to finish, having complete control over the materials, the fit and the design. Bold, fearless and colorful, I R I S is for anybody and everybody that wants to express their own personality on the bike and most importantly have fun with every ride. Her products address the specific needs of female cyclists. Iris co-founded and is now executive director of The Cyclists’ Alliance (TC

Katie Moon is two time World Champion and a two time Olympic medalist. At the Tokyo Olympics she won a gold medal and in Paris 2024 she won silver. Katie graduated from Olmsted Falls High School where she started her pole vaulting career. She returned there this summer to host the inaugural Katie Moon Pole Vault Classic. She went to the University of Dayton and then transferred to Ashland University, where she won two NCAA Division II national titles. Learn more about Katie in Hear Her Sports Episode 14, in which she talks about body image, nutrition, poles, and how she got started. She also talked to host Elizabeth Emery during Covid about how tough it was to train and recently in another bonus episode about being a gluten free athlete. Donate to support everything Hear Her Sports is doing to increase media coverage for female athletes and women in sports. Go to https://www.hearhersports.com/checkout/donate?donatePageId=6176b09220b0c3018b78ca66 Find all episodes http://www.hearhersports.com/ Find Hear Her

Katie Moon is two time World Champion and a two time Olympic medalist. At the Tokyo Olympics she won a gold medal and in Paris 2024 she won silver. Katie graduated from Olmsted Falls High School where she started her pole vaulting career. She returned there this summer to host the inaugural Katie Moon Pole Vault Classic. She went to the University of Dayton and then transferred to Ashland University, where she won two NCAA Division II national titles. In this Bonus episode Katie explains how she discovered she was celiac, how she has managed being gluten free as a professional athlete, and she shares some tips, favorite foods, and apps. Learn more about Katie in Hear Her Sports Episode 14, in which she talks about body image, nutrition, poles, and how she got started. She also talked to host Elizabeth Emery during Covid about how tough it was to train. Get involved and support the show and more sports media for women through https://www.buymeacoffee.com/hearher Find all episodes http://www.hearhersports.co

This is a bonus episode of a cross posting of a Casual FC podcast episode featuring a deep dive into the world of Angel City FC, with discussions on its unique charm, importance of community, inclusivity, and fan culture. The discussion, involving Catherine Dávila from the Angel City front office, covers her diverse career journey and underlines the integral role of the community in shaping the team's identity and activities. The podcast sheds light on the milestones, outreach efforts, and the balance between being a business and driving social good, with an outlook on deepening community engagement for the third season. It also explores the evolution of professional women's soccer in LA, the impact of fan culture and exciting expectations for the upcoming season. The Casual FC hosts are: Mario Salazar is a born and bred Angelino who grew up playing soccer. Although of the two Casual FC hosts, he has the "most experience" on the pitch, he still is the soccer "Casual" of the podcast. Eager to learn about the

Amanda Sobhy is the highest ranked American born squash player ever. She is the first US player to win a world championship title, which she did on her 17th birthday at the 2010 world junior championships. She graduated from Harvard University in 2015 with a remarkable 62-0 undefeated college career, three team titles, and four individual titles.  As a professional squash player, Amanda reached a career high of world No. 3 in 2021, making her the first American player ever to crack the top 3 in the world rankings. She has captured twenty titles on the PSA World Tour, and has won six US Women’s National titles. Amanda represented Team USA in three Pan-American Games (winning seven gold medals and two silver medals). She also represented Team USA in five World Team Championships. Outside of the squash court, Amanda is an inspirational speaker who uses her story about overcoming adversity and setbacks as a professional athlete to inspire others. Amanda ruptured her left Achilles in 2017 and her right achilles in

In the episode, decathletes Adeline Audigier, Patricia Mehlich, and Roséva Bidois who all represent Team France tell host Elizabeth Emery what it was like to compete in the inaugural Women’s Decathlon World Championships that took place in Geneva, Ohio at Spire Academy on August 3rd and 4th, 2024. These championships were historic and a big step towards achieving their goal of bringing the women’s decathlon to the LA Olympics in 2028 as an exhibition sport. Tune into the previous Hear Her Sports episode to learn more about their fight to do so and why decathlon is the sport for the complete athlete. Get involved and support the show and more sports media for women through https://www.buymeacoffee.com/hearher Find all episodes http://www.hearhersports.com/ Find Hear Her Sports on all social @hearhersports Follow Adeline on IG at https://www.instagram.com/adeline_audigier/ Follow Patricia on IG at https://www.instagram.com/p.a.t.r.i.c.i.a__m/ Follow Roséva on IG at https://www.instagram.com/roseva.bidois/ Foll