Basketball gave Jerod Carrier a sense of purpose, an understanding of what he truly loved and a whole bunch of life skills. When his college career ended, he felt adrift -- unsure of where to go next and what his "why" was for doing so many things. Jerod, who now works in sports, came to learn that the knowledge and belief in himself he gained through basketball were trusty tools to turn to when facing uncertainty. Listen now on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

Years of competitive sports and a serendipitous experience in junior high left Nyasha Abrams with a deep-rooted love for movement. Now pursuing a career in physical therapy, she’s an advocate for kinetic learning, extending compassion to our bodies and reframing our “why” behind moving. Listen now on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

When COVID hit and college sports were thrown into limbo, Saint Anselm quarterback Philip Tran started an online business that quickly became an intense passion. The fire he felt in combo with the energy demands of the entrepreneur life all of a sudden meant his lifelong love of football scooted to the back burner of his world. As he geared up for the 2021 season, Philip began to realize that it wasn’t fair to himself or his team to give only 50/50 to both of these commitments. He knew he’d have to make one of the hardest decisions of his life. Listen now on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

When Emily McGee decided on a plan for herself, there was no going back. Whether it was getting a Division 1 volleyball scholarship or working in investment banking, she did everything possible to achieve the goals she set and excel. Though that quality had seen her become an incredible student-athlete, it also nearly broke her. Listen now on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.   Content warning: This episode contains references to physical abuse and suicide.    Check out Emily’s podcast, More Than My Stats

Devon Harris’ first-ever bobsled competition was the 1988 Olympics. The army lieutenant was representing a country that had never appeared in the Winter games. He knew very little about the sport. He was afraid of heights and speed. Harris dug deep within himself to rise above all those challenges, learning some important lessons that have stayed with him long after retiring. Listen now on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

After an eye-opening, hours-long conversation with a retired athlete, Dr. Daniel Zimet got an idea. Three years later, that idea has evolved into one of the world’s most ambitious and important retired athlete projects. Listen now on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Check out athletetransitionstudy.com

Paige Fescke gave her everything to basketball. That’s what made her so good and so happy with a ball in her hands. Establishing herself as a star at Pepperdine, Paige had her eyes set on playing pro. Then, shortly after her fifth year season started, her feelings completely changed. Listen now on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

Jared Wickerham loved playing sports, but he knew early on that he wasn’t gonna be some big-time star. He played soccer competitively, closed that door once high school finished and then leaned fully into a passion that he felt he could make a career out of in sports photography. Shooting photos from the sidelines of NFL games and US Opens, Jared has found that his athlete background comes in handy every once in a while. Listen now on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.   Check out Jared's work at wickphotography.com.

Funny-looking. Somewhat confusing. Makes your hips hurt just watching it. Yeah, yeah Jane Saville already knows what you think about her sport. For nearly 20 years, this Australian legend committed herself to becoming one of racewalking’s best. On the brink of gold at her home Olympics in 2000, Jane became famous for a heartbreaking disqualification. Determined to not give up and come back stronger, she medaled in Athens in 2004. Her storied career came to an end in 2009 when she decided to hang up the spikes. Now, a mom with three kids and perpetually-aching hamstrings, she finds herself reflecting on the memories and most important lessons of her time as an athlete. Listen now on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.   PLUS: An announcement from your host.

The darkness that enveloped A’Shon Riggins got harder and harder to shake as his college football career wore on. He was a starter at a Big 10 school. He had plenty of people around him who loved and cared about him. By the looks of it all, A'Shon was having an ideal student-athlete experience at Indiana. Underneath though, he was suffering. He didn’t know how to make it stop or how to move forward. Then, September 25, 2018 happened. Listen on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.   CW: This episode contains references to a suicide attempt.

In March 2019, Fraser Franks sat up in the middle of the night knowing he needed to go to the hospital. Over the following week, he’d undergo a number of tests that would soon reveal serious issues with his heart…the kind of issues that could kill him if he continued to play professional soccer. So, at the age of 28, Franks was told he’d need to walk away from his livelihood, his boyhood dream and the one thing that “made him interesting”. Listen now on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

What kind of toll does being an Olympian take on the body? How does the life span of Olympians compare to us average folks? That and more on this pre-Opening Ceremony mini show!

Abby Dunkin’s diagnosis in 2013 caused her to plummet into a deep depression. Her life had done a 180. She needed a wheelchair now and was told she’d never be able to play sports again. She turned to pills to cope. But then, while browsing YouTube one day, Abby discovered wheelchair basketball and knew right away this would be her new love. Through playing the sport, Abby found community and a comfort that encouraged her to embrace every aspect of who she was. In 2016, she won a gold medal in Rio. She had hopes of more success in Tokyo until she learned a decision was going to be made that barred her from competing. Listen now on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

In 2003, Andrew Goldstein became the first American male team-sport professional athlete to come out as gay during his playing career. Being a star goalie helped give Andrew the confidence to tell his loved ones and step into the limelight as a trailblazer. After two seasons in Major League Lacrosse, he retired to get his PhD in molecular biology and embarked on the rest of his life of as a gay man without sport as a crutch. He now has his own lab prostate cancer research lab at UCLA. Listen now on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

Justine Cherwink didn’t want to just excel as a student-athlete at Minnesota, she wanted to excel as a human. To do that, she pushed herself to the limit in the gym and pretty much everywhere else on campus. Several times through her college career, outside forces shook her to her core, forcing her to confront issues with intensity and her gymnastics identity.  Now retired, she still gets pangs of wanting to take things to the extreme, but has tools now to help her manage that desire and give herself more grace. Listen now on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

On March 20, the night before VCU men’s basketball’s first March Madness game, the Ram’s season was ended after several of the team’s COVID tests came back positive. Corey Douglas was a senior captain on the team. On today show, he talks about his basketball journey up until that moment, hearing the news and saying goodbye to the sport. Listen now on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

From a very young age, racehorses get used to strict schedules and keeping their body maintained for optimal performance. Like humans, transitioning out of sport can be pretty jarring for racehorses. Executive Director of the Retired Racehorse Project Jen Roytz explains the changes a horse undergoes during this time, how RRP raises awareness about the needs of these animals and what goes into figuring out which career they should be placed in next. Listen now on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

There’s a curious moment many have when meeting Ashton Pollard. You find out pretty quickly that she’s obsessed with Notre Dame athletics. It’s an eat, sleep, breathe kinda thing. But then...you find out she didn’t actually go to Notre Dame. This is the story of why, a look into her journey of pursuing a sport that defined who she was for over 15 years. Listen now on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

For 20 years, Paul Montague Jr. was a gymnast. A great gymnast. He trained at elite gyms, won state championships and competed at the Division 1 level. When his time at the University of Minnesota came to a close,  he was ready. He felt at peace with his athletic career. As a self-described “fidgety” guy, though, he immediately began to contemplate what he could throw himself into next. He turned to the outdoors. For the fun, adrenaline and ability to challenge himself at first...then a reality tv producer approached him. Listen now on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. 

A look into Dr. Natalia Stambulova's 5 step career planning strategy for athletes in transition. Listen now on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.