Barriers to Breakthroughs

Today's guest is Olympic gold medalist Kasia Gruchalla-Wesierski. After years of competing in World Cup events and making the national team, Kasia qualified to be in the women’s 8 event for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. With just over a month until the Olympics, Kasia had a horrific bike crash where she broke her collarbone and had to get several stitches. With everything considered, she still competed in the Olympics and earned the gold medal no less. Specific topics include; Guest Links Kasia's Instagram: @kasiagdub AG Sports Agent: agsportsinc.com/team/kasia Let's Connect! Follow the Podcast on Instagram: @barrierstobreakthroughspodcast Please reach out if you want to be featured on the podcast + any questions you have: emmapwoodhouse@gmail.com OR dm me through the Instagram page above! Rate + Review on Apple Podcasts If you are loving the podcast, please consider leaving a review! It helps the show to support other athletes << just like you >> to feel less alone with what they're going through! Click here or scroll down, tap to rate 5 stars, and select "Write a Review"! Be sure to let me know what you love most about the episode!

Today's episode is with marathon runner and OCD and mental health advocate Cali Werner! Cali is a former D1 track athlete out of Rice University where she received a National Honorable Mention in track! Cali now has a master’s degree in social work from Baylor University specializing in OCD, she’s an author of a Children’s book called Anxious Annie (which we get into in the episode) AND to add more to her amazing life resume, she competed in the Olympic trails in 2020 in the marathon! Cali opens up about her life and athletic experiences with OCD and how those OCD behaviors really affected her performance! She also gives a great description of what OCD truly is, the different subtypes and common misconceptions. Get ready to learn and understand what it's like to have OCD! Other topics include: Links Follow Cali on Instagram: @caliroperwerner Check out her Book - Anxious Annie here! Learn About OCD: iocdf.orgpeaceofmind.comLet's Connect! Follow the Podcast on Instagram: @barrierstobreakthroughspodcast Please reach out if you want to be featured on the podcast + any questions you have: emmapwoodhouse@gmail.com OR dm me through the Instagram page above! Rate + Review on Apple Podcasts If you are loving the podcast, please consider leaving a review! It helps the show to support other athletes << just like you >> to feel less alone with what they're going through! Click here or scroll down, tap to rate 5 stars, and select "Write a Review"! Be sure to let me know what you love most about the episode!

Today's episode is with professional hockey player Reagan Rust! She is a former D1 hockey player who played for RIT and then Boston University where she was inducted into the Beanpot Hall of Fame and was actually the first women’s D1 hockey player to come from Mississippi! Reagan is also a mental health advocate, podcast host of the Unpaved Path Podcast, and founder of the Female Athlete Society. This episode is filled with amazing stories that are both heartwarming and shocking! She talks about her childhood hockey trips where she would have to drive MANY hours just to get to the one hockey rink in the state! She goes into detail about her mental health struggles especially in the darkest moments of her life, and then she brings that all together to talk about what she’s up to now and how she’s advocating for people who deal with their mental health battles every day. Other topics include: Trigger Warning! Topics of suicide and suicidal thoughts are talked about in this episode so if that is triggering for you, please do not listen to this episode. Links: Reagan's Instagram: @rea.rust Listen to her podcast: The Unpaved Path Podcast The Female Athlete Society: @femaleathletesociety Let's Connect! Follow the Podcast on Instagram: @barrierstobreakthroughspodcast Please reach out if you want to be featured on the podcast + any questions you have: emmapwoodhouse@gmail.com OR dm me through the Instagram page above! Rate + Review on Apple Podcasts If you are loving the podcast, please consider leaving a review! It helps the show to support other athletes << just like you >> to feel less alone with what they're going through! Click here or scroll down, tap to rate 5 stars, and select "Write a Review"! Be sure to let me know what you love most about the episode!

Today's is with Miranda Bacon, former D1 Swimmer from the University of New Hampshire where she was a 9-Time All-America East recipient, a 2-Time inductee into the National College Athlete Honors Society, and she supported her team to 3 America East Championships out of her 4 years! Miranda talks about her mental health journey from noticing her mood shift in high school, being sexually assaulted during her spring break freshman year as well as being diagnosed with depression, anxiety, and PTSD. Miranda gives us a glimpse into her mind and everything she has learned along the way with taking care of her mental health! Other topics include; Trigger Warning: Topics of sexual assault and trauma are talked about in this episode so if that is triggering for you, please do not listen to this episode! Links Connect with Miranda on Instagram: @mirbacon Let's Connect! Follow the Podcast on Instagram: @barrierstobreakthroughspodcast Please reach out if you want to be featured on the podcast + any questions you have: emmapwoodhouse@gmail.com OR dm me through the Instagram page above! Rate + Review on Apple Podcasts If you are loving the podcast, please consider leaving a review! It helps the show to support other athletes << just like you >> to feel less alone with what they're going through! Click here or scroll down, tap to rate 5 stars, and select "Write a Review"! Be sure to let me know what you love most about the episode!

Today's episode is all about slowing down. As an athlete, we are told to always push through and keep working until we win but is that really benefitting us? Throughout my career, especially at my lowest points, I felt like I just needed to work harder, and then it would finally click but it didn't. When we are told to slow down by coaches or even our parents, that's the last thing we want to do! After feeling defeated day after day, I finally stopped and realized that I needed to go back to basics, and look at the stress and pressure I was putting on myself. Looking back, I can see why I wasn't performing at my best. Points I'll dig into in this episode are; Links Follow the Podcast on Instagram: @barrierstobreakthroughspodcast Contact me to be featured on the podcast + any questions you have: emmapwoodhouse@gmail.com OR dm me through the Instagram page above! Rate + Review on Apple Podcasts & Spotify! If you are loving the podcast, please consider leaving a review! It helps the show to support other athletes << just like you >> to feel less alone with what they're going through! Click here or scroll down, tap to rate 5 stars, and select "Write a Review"! Be sure to let me know what you love most about the episode!

Today's episode features former track and field athlete Amanda Whitham! This high jumper and hurdler competed for Bryant University where she's a Top-10 Bryant record holder in pentathlon + 60m hurdles! Amanda also served as co-president for the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), and was a Senior Service Commencement honoree! Amanda had so much momentum going into her junior year until it ended abruptly after a serious ankle injury. With the universal adjustment to COVID in Spring 2020, Amanda faced the absence of her season & her confidence. Facing chronic self-doubt + anxiety, her final 2 years at Bryant were filled with major self-discovery above all. Themes throughout this episode will be around motives, why it’s important to know your WHY of competing, identifying who you are as a person outside of sports and why exploring your identity in different facets of life makes sports more fun! Topics include; Links Connect with Amanda Instagram- @amandawhittt LinkedIn- Amanda C. Whitham TikTok- @mindfulmandi Amanda’s Essentials herehereFollow the Podcast on Instagram: @barrierstobreakthroughspodcast Rate + Review on Apple Podcasts If you are loving the podcast, please consider leaving a review! It helps the show to support other athletes << just like you >> to feel less alone with what they're going through! Click here or scroll down, tap to rate 5 stars, and select "Write a Review"! Be sure to let me know what you love most about the episode!

My mental health has not been great these past few months. Feeling stressed about all the things I want to achieve, and feeling guilty when I want to rest (which makes me more stressed)! This was an episode that I've been wanting to do and at the same time, I've been talking myself out of doing it. I want to be open and honest about what I'm going through and how I'm feeling like my guests have each week. I hope you'll feel heard during this episode and know that I understand how you feel! Specific talking points include; Links Follow the Podcast on Instagram: @barrierstobreakthroughspodcast Rate + Review on Apple Podcasts & Now on Spotify! If you are loving the podcast, please consider leaving a review! It helps the show to support other athletes << just like you >> to feel less alone with what they're going through! Click here or scroll down, tap to rate 5 stars, and select "Write a Review"! Be sure to let me know what you love most about the episode!

Today's episode features Sofia Borea, a former D1 soccer player who played for the University of New Hampshire! During her time at UNH, she played in every single game, and achieved the America East All-Rookie Team honor in her freshman year! In this episode, we talk about many important topics athletes face during their careers and especially when they retire from their sport. Sofia first talks about her time at UNH where she struggled with her anxiety, body image, and perfectionist tendencies that affected how she felt about herself. She then goes into how the covid pandemic affected her career and mental health where she went through depression after losing her sport. Sofia shares some amazing advice from what she wanted to hear as an athlete to ways you can show yourself more self-love on and off the field! Specific Topics Include: Links Follow Sofia on Instagram: @sofiaborea + @sofboreafitness To all my former athletes out there... follow @sofboreafitness to get inspired to workout again! I love how real and honest she is about how she's feeling and lets you know that you're not alone if you're not motivated! Go check it out here! Follow the Podcast on Instagram: @barrierstobreakthroughspodcast Rate + Review on Apple Podcasts If you are loving the podcast, please consider leaving a review! It helps the show to support other athletes << just like you >> to feel less alone with what they're going through! Click here or scroll down, tap to rate 5 stars, and select "Write a Review"! Be sure to let me know what you love most about the episode!

Today's episode features Canadian skeleton athlete Grace Dafoe! Grace is a part of the Canadian National team where she has competed in several North American cups and international competitions where she has several podium finishes! Grace also hopes to live out her Olympic dream one day so she is working hard to make that happen! In this interview, we first talk about her skeleton journey, and how she discovered a sport of skeleton! Then we get into her self-discovery moment in her career where she had to decide if she wanted to continue with the sport when she was at the lowest point in her career! Grace goes into detail about what she did to get out of the slump to find her love for the sport again and also what she encourages athletes to ask themselves and their team when they feel that way in their own careers! Other topics include: Links Follow Grace on Instagram: @gracedafoe Grace's Podcast: Face First Podcast Organizations Mentioned: Follow the Podcast on Instagram: @barrierstobreakthroughspodcast Rate + Review on Apple Podcasts If you are loving the podcast, please consider leaving a review! It helps the show to support other athletes << just like you >> to feel less alone with what they're going through! Click here or scroll down, tap to rate 5 stars, and select "Write a Review"! Be sure to let me know what you love most about the episode!

Today's episode is back with Erika Ward! Former D1 Volleyball player for Bryant University where she became the Division 1 career digs record holder, helped her team to win the NorthEast Conference Tournament, and earned a second-team All-NorthEast award in 2018! This episode is split up into 2 parts because there were just so many important nuggets to talk about! In the previous episode (Ep. 030), she talked all about her body image issues throughout college, comparing herself to her teammates in the weight room as well as being able to feel good about her body now and the practices she put in place to get there! Now for part 2, we dig into more of her anxiety struggles, the adjustments she felt going into college as well as some tools and advice that helped her deal with both of these things. Certain topics include: Links Follow Erika on Instagram: @erikamward Erika's Book Recommendations: Follow the Podcast on Instagram: @barrierstobreakthroughspodcast

Today's episode is with Former D1 Volleyball player Erika Ward. She's a recent graduate from Bryant University where she became the Division 1 career digs record holder, helped her team to win the NorthEast Conference Tournament and earned a second-team All-NorthEast award in 2018! This episode is going to be split up into 2 parts because there were just so many important nuggets to talk about! In the first episode, Erika talks about her volleyball career, experiencing body image issues before and during her time in university, comparing herself to her teammates and looking back on what she has learned about herself and body since then. Specific topics include: Links Follow Erika on Instagram: @erikamward Follow the Podcast on Instagram: @barrierstobreakthroughspodcast

Today's episode is with Maddy Price, Olympic, World Championship, and former collegiate track and field athlete who has competed for Canada at multiple Junior World and World Championship events, competed collegiately for Duke University earning multiple indoor and outdoor All-American titles as well as most recently earning 4th place with team Canada at the Tokyo Olympics in the 4x400 m relay! In this episode, we talk about SO many important tips and tricks of what's made her a successful athlete as well as learning about her journey throughout her career so far! We talk about her childhood of growing up with the Olympic dream, her time at Duke University, getting surgery a year out from the Olympics, and of course her time at the Olympics! More topics in this episode include; Links Follow Maddy on Instagram: @maddypriceless Check out her website: maddyprice.net Sign up for mentoring sessions with Maddy with Voice of Sport here! Contact Maddy's Agent- Georgia Simmerling of AG Sports Inc: agsportsinc.com Book Instant Coaching with Maddy here! Follow the Podcast on Instagram: @barrierstobreakthroughspodcast Be sure to leave a review and rate the podcast over on Apple Podcasts :)

Today's episode is with Sarah Golemme, Div 2 soccer player at Concordia University, Saint Paul in Minnesota! In this conversation, we talk about her journey through her soccer career, her mental health journey with depression and also continuing a legacy for one of her good friends. Before we start the episode, I do want to preface that we talk about suicide in parts of our conversation so if that is triggering for you, please skip this episode this week! Other topics include; Disclaimer- Topics of suicide and suicidal thoughts are talked about in this episode so if that is triggering for you, please do not listen to this episode! Links Follow Sarah on Instagram: @sarahkg_ Support the Jordyn Clark Foundation: jordynclark.org If you want to learn more about depression or need to seek help for yourself or others, check out these links: The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health - camh.ca Anxiety & Depression Association of America - adaa.org Follow the Podcast on Instagram: @barrierstobreakthroughspodcast

Today's guests are Lia Barskey and Alexa Rivera from the Beyond the Blocks podcast! These two former NCAA swimmers randomly found each other and realized they shared similar experiences in college. In creating the podcast, their mission is to create a community for retired swimmers to navigate athletic retirement and to advocate for mental health in swimming. In this episode, we will talk about their experiences of competing in college, dealing with depression, and finding their identity after retirement. Other topics include; Links Follow Beyond the Blocks on Instagram: @beyondtheblocks Join the Beyond the Blocks Facebook Community here! Follow the Podcast on Instagram: @barrierstobreakthroughspodcast Want to improve your mindset to finally start achieving your goals? Let's work together! Book a Free 15 min Strategy Call with Emma here!

Today's guest is Canadian softball player Larissa Franklin! This outfielder has competed with the Canadian national team at multiple international events throughout her career such as the Pan American Games, winning gold in 2015 and silver in 2019, the Women’s Softball World Championships, winning bronze in 2016 and 2018, and most recently winning bronze at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics! In this episode, Larissa talks about her journey up until the Olympics, her mental health struggles, dealing with negative thoughts and motivations, how to be more authentically you in your life, and "Discovering What's in Your Back Pocket". Other topics include; Links Follow Larissa on Instagram: @larissafranklin26 Learn more about her motivational speaking: larissafranklin.com/speaking Follow the Podcast on Instagram: @barrierstobreakthroughspodcast Want to improve your mindset to finally start achieving your goals? Let's work together! Book a Free 15 min Strategy Call with Emma here!

Today's guest is Olympic and multi Pan-American Games medalist Haley Daniels who is coming off a whirlwind of a year of competing in her first Olympic games and it was the first games ever to feature women's canoe events! Haley has been an advocate for gender equality in her sport and was one of the many women athletes who lobbied for the right for their events to be in the Olympics. Haley talks about the work going on behind the scenes whether that be for gender equality, coming up with the money to fund her sport every year, and of course, all the work that comes with being a high-level athlete. Other topics include; LINKS Follow Haley on Instagram: @haleydanski Support the podcast by writing a review on Apple Podcasts here! Follow the Podcast on Instagram: @barrierstobreakthroughspodcast Want to improve your mindset to finally start achieving your goals? Let's work together! Book a Free 15 min Strategy Call with Emma here!

Today’s guest is Emily Dolloff-Holt, former Division 1 swimmer from the University of New Hampshire. During her time at UNH, she earned multiple medals at America East Championships and helped the team to 3 All-America East Championship titles! Emily comes on the podcast to share her mental health story and her experiences with anxiety and depression through her younger years and into college. Emily talks openly about the tough moments in her life where she really struggled and how she was able to get through them. Other topics include; Disclaimer- Suicidal thoughts and self-harm are talked about in this episode so if that is triggering for you, this will not be the episode for you! For those wondering (forgot to clarify in the episode), SAAC = Student Athletic Advisory Committee! :) If you want to learn more about depression or need to seek help for yourself or others, check out these links: The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health - camh.ca Anxiety & Depression Association of America - adaa.org Links Reach out to Emily on Instagram: @emilydolloffholt Please leave a review on Apple Podcasts here to support the podcast! :) https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/barriers-to-breakthroughs/id1565161091 Follow the Podcast on Instagram: @barrierstobreakthroughspodcast Want to improve your mindset to finally start achieving your goals? Let's work together! Book a Free 15 min Strategy Call with Emma here!

Today's episode features Canadian alpine ski racer Valerie Grenier! She has been a very successful ski racer already in her young career by earning multiple top 20 finishes in World Cup Giant Slalom events as well as top 5 finishes in speed events! Through all of her success has come great obstacles. After a fall in a training run in 2019, she ended up fracturing her tibia, fibula and ankle, and was on the long road to recovery. But as many strong, driven athletes do, she came back from injury better than ever! Topics include; Links Follow Valerie on Instagram: @valeriegrenier Check out her Website: www.valeriegrenier.com Want to improve your mindset to finally start achieving your goals? Let's work together! Book a Free 15 min Strategy Call with Emma here! Follow the Podcast on Instagram: @barrierstobreakthroughspodcast If you love this podcast and want to support it, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts here :) https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/barriers-to-breakthroughs/id1565161091

Former Olympic and NCAA artistic gymnast Kristina Vaculik comes on the podcast to talk about her journey of making the Canadian Olympic team in 2012 and the obstacles she's had along the way. Throughout her career, she has won multiple medals at the Pan American Games and Pacific Rim Championships as well as achieving great accolades at Stanford University such as being a first team All-American in multiple events and achieving Pac-12 all-academic honorable mentions. In 2008, Kristina had her sights set on going to the Olympics and when she learned she didn't qualify, she was heartbroken. After hearing the news, she decided to finally deal with her injuries and had surgery on her elbow which took her away from competition for a year. Taking that break led her to digging deep into why she wanted to succeed as a gymnast and has shared all of her thoughts and experiences in this interview! Other topics include; Links Follow Kristina on Instagram: @kayvac Want to improve your mindset to finally start achieving your goals? Let's work together! Book a Free 15 min Strategy Call with Emma here! Follow the Podcast on Instagram: @barrierstobreakthroughspodcast If you love this podcast and want to support it, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts here :) https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/barriers-to-breakthroughs/id1565161091

2x Paralympic Ski Racer Erin Latimer, comes on the podcast to reflect on her experiences as a para-athlete and what she's learned along the way. During her professional career, she earned several WC podium finishes and top 10 finishes at the Paralympics in 2014 and 2018. From not even thinking about becoming a high-performance athlete to competing for Canada on the world stage, she's learned to balance her passion for skiing while still being a top competitor. Other topics include; Links Want to improve your mindset to finally start achieving your goals? Let's work together! Book a Free 15 min Strategy Call with Emma here! Follow the Podcast on Instagram: @barrierstobreakthroughspodcast If you love this podcast and want to support it, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts here :) https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/barriers-to-breakthroughs/id1565161091