Run Along

Making peace when it doesn’t end how you want it to with Shivani Majmudar

Beating her dad in golf. Making varsity as a freshman. Playing at the Division 1 level. Shivani Majmudar achieved goal after goal she set for herself as a golfer. As a young student-athlete, while her success in and passion for golf grew, so did her plans for the future. Shivani came to see how important pursuing a special kind of path in medicine was to her. It was so important, in fact, that she decided that her junior golf season at UIC would be her last. Then, almost a year ago to the day, that last season was taken away and Shivani was forced to process a loss she didn’t anticipate to be so painful. Listen now on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

The experience of being a Black cowboy with Larry Callies

As a kid, Larry Callies didnt have a doubt about what he wanted to be when he grew up. He wanted to be a cowboy. In 1960s Texas, it wasn’t common to see a young Black man wearing cowboy boots to school and competing in the rodeo. Though he was picked on and told he didn’t belong, Callies believed deeply that this was the world he was supposed to be in. More than that, he believed he had a calling to educate others on Black cowboys and help to re-write a whitewashed history of the Old West. So, in 2017, Callies opened the Black Cowboy Museum. Listen now on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

 

To learn more about how to support the Black Cowboy Museum, check out blackcowboymuseum.com.

Loving and leaving the grind of being a semi pro football player with Whitney Zelee

She’d just give it a shot. That’s how tackle football started for Whitney Zelee. Twice a week, after long days at work, she’d travel to late night practices with the Boston Militia (now Boston Renegades). Soon, the sport gave her an intensely bonded community, a partner, and a sense of purpose beyond what she could have ever anticipated. Life as a star running back though took a toll on her body. After 4 major surgeries in 3 years, she made the decision to retire from the sport that unexpectedly nudged its way into her heart and transformed her life. Listen now on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. 

Taking lessons from the soccer field to the ER with Andrea Gunderson, RN

Exhaustion. The need to know a little bit of everything. Performing under pressure. These are the realities for life as an ER nurse. Now add in a global pandemic. Former Delaware soccer player-turned-Philadelphia ER nurse Andrea Gunderson loves her job and knows this is right where she’s supposed to be. Listen now on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

Moving on when your body decides to call it quits with Carter Byrd

Every time Carter Byrd got injured, he worked hard to come back. That grit was part of what made him a good baseball player. But then, one day, his body told him once and for all his time was up. Carter saw more than ever how all those frustrating stints on the sideline ended up giving him something really helpful for the transition — diversified interests, a. sense of himself outside of baseball and a really, really great sports mind. Listen now on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

Interval #7: (Nearly) Everything You Wanna Know About The Senior Day Tradition

The last home game of the season. Walking out with loved ones. Flowers. A commemoration of commitment to the program. Senior Day is a time-honored tradition in American high school and college sports. What’s its significance? How have people celebrated it? Is a team more likely to win or lose on this emotion-filled day?

What happens when life happens? Embracing the post-college athlete transition with LaShawn Gee

LaShawn Gee was an All-American track star in high school. She earned a full scholarship to UNC and became the first person in her family to go to a four-year college. The sport tested her. She faced injuries. She left Chapel Hill  thinking about how her career could have turned out. Both her time in sport and transition out helped show her how discipline, resilience, and authenticity could be superpowers — and ultimately gave her an “a-ha” moment. Now, through Elle Gee Discipline Solutions (theellegee.com) teaches female student-athletes discipline and focus strategies to navigate academics, athletics, and life after sports. Listen now on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

Deciding to forgo a senior season and graduate early with Shaaz Peerani

Since picking up a racket at 4 years old, Shaaz Peerani has only ever had a love-love relationship with tennis. A fourteen year journey in the sport ultimately landed him at Troy University. The chance to play Division 1 tennis was not something he took for granted — he wanted to work hard and play. Heading into junior year, Shaaz felt like there was nothing else to prove on the court. He was beating guys. He had the highest doubles ranking on the team. But none of it mattered to his coach. Feeling powerless and frustrated, Shaaz knew he had a difficult decision to make. In the process, he was forced to think about when being selfish in sport might actually be the best thing. Listen to his story now on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

Learning to trust yourself and set your own expectations with Dana Vollmer

There was understanding that Dana Vollmer would have a special relationship with swimming since the moment her mom went into labor with her while doing a swim workout. The love and passion she grew for the sport would lead her to clinching Olympic medals and smashing world-records. But it also led her astray — from herself and her sense of what she actually wanted and needed. Through overcoming setbacks and becoming a mom, Vollmer worked to develop a confidence in herself that lay outside of her accomplishments and any other external force. A year out from retirement, it is a skill that she continues to tap into. Listen now on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

Being patient and creating luck to find new passions with Talent 409 CEO Colin Cerniglia

For Colin Cerniglia, playing baseball provided unparalleled feelings of joy and fulfillment. It wasn’t just about the high of games but also all the moments before and after — connecting with teammates, hitting a ball off a tee in his parents driveway for hours just trying to improve. So, it was all pretty discouraging when he retired and couldn’t find a job that excited him quite like baseball did. After a few years though, things started to clicked. Now, Colin runs his own business grounded in some of the most important lessons he learned as an athlete. Listen now on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.