Learn 2 Listen

On this episode of Retention Chronicles, we’re joined by Jenny Sichel, paralympic silver medalist and three time silver medalist at the World Championships as well as the Operations Director at the National Council on Independent Living and Paralympic coach for USRowing. In addition to talking about Jenny’s career in the rowing world, we discuss her networking with the mindset of ‘what do i have to lose’, pursuing acting in film and talk shows, the lack of equity and equality of media coverage and medal payout for olympic and paralympic athletes, readjusting how we view success as an athlete, dealing with discrimination for disability, and becoming an advocate. Listen on Spotify Listen on Apple Podcast

  Colton Haymon, Solutions Architect Manager at Range21 and Co-Founder of ColMonet, a feel-good lifestyle brand, joins us this week on Learn 2 Listen to chat about life. Specifically, we chat through not fitting in growing up and how that influenced our lives now, quickly being able to identify your own people, how we think we stand out, having friends that bring you out of your shell, investing in friendships, protecting your time, and starting your own brand. Listen on Spotify Listen on Apple Podcast

  On this episode of Learn 2 Listen we’re joined by Allison Allyn, MA LICSW, a licensed social worker in the state of Massachusetts and Co-Founder of Ehrhart Singer Therapy Group. We chat through Justin Suia’s podcast Losing Control with Dr. Colleen Hacker, what is the relationship between leadership, vulnerability, and confidence looks like, the connotation of vulnerability and weakness, identity and the self, and much more! Listen on Spotify Listen on Apple Podcast

  On this episode of Learn 2 Listen, Olivia West is a Brand Marketer & Global Launch Readiness Associate at Eli Lilly as well as founder and owner of The Speaking Company. She is an avid cyclist as well as a DEI advocate. On this episode we chat about Olivia’s past of showing horses and her journey in starting cycling, how cycling has become a point of pride for her, knocking down barriers that could stand in one’s way, and what impact Olivia would like to have on the Indianapolis community. Listen on Spotify Listen on Apple Podcast

  On this episode of Learn 2 Listen, we’re joined by Mario Leavell, Sales Representative at Stryker Surgical Technologies and VP of Evansville Bicycle Club. On this episode we discuss when Mario started cycling, why cycling and maintaining your physical and mental health is important to him, lesson learns from cycling, balancing work and working out, the inclusive nature of cycling (it welcomes all shapes and sizes), the community engagement cycling brings to riders, the impact community cycling can have, and so much more. Listen on Spotify Listen on Apple Podcast

  This week we are joined by Sam Manfreda, former D1 Rower at the University of Notre Dame (‘21) and current Software Engineer at Google. Sam is one of Mariah’s very best friends (if you couldn’t tell from the many laughs) and trusted confidant. In this episode, you’ll hear them discuss what it’s like to transition away from higher education and the service industry to a full time position at one of the biggest tech companies, the idea that there is plenty of space for emotion and empathy in our world, different methods of coping with stress and expressing vulnerability, as well as the interesting relationship one can have with working out and guilt. That’s a lot of stuff to cover, but lucky for us, we recorded it all ;). Listen on Spotify Listen on Apple Podcast

  On this episode of Learn 2 Listen we’re joined by Allison Allyn, MA LICSW, a licensed social worker in the state of Massachusetts and Co-Founder of Ehrhart Singer Therapy Group. Allison tells us all about what therapy is actually like, the difference between sport psychology and clinical therapy, the negative connotation between vulnerability and weakness, the difference between process and progress, and more! Listen on Spotify Listen on Apple Podcast

  This week, we are joined by Alea Rashid, current Orr Fellow and graduate of Butler University. one of my closest friends here in Indy and there’s so much we go into. Have you ever thought through how your past experiences impact the person you've become? In this episode you'll learn about how Alea’s life was impacted by having all brothers growing up and how joining a sorority taught her a different perspective. Mariah shares her mirrored version of that where rowing taught her to embrace her athleticism and confront her fear of being ‘too masculine’. You’ll also learn about the international trips Alea and Mariah have been fortunate enough to go on and what they both learned and took home with them. Do you know what entomology is? What about barracudas? Do you know why this podcast was founded? All the answers lie inside… Listen on Spotify Listen on Apple Podcast

  On this episode of Learn 2 Listen, we are joined by Alex Oleson, a fellow Orr Fellow, friend, father, and podcaster. Alex speaks to how he shifted what he sees as successful as he approaches fatherhood. We talk a lot about having some areas of our identity that lend themselves to privilege and some areas of our identity that don’t lend themselves to privilege. Hearing Alex walk through growing up as an adopted child and when he started seeing and understanding how he developed and fit into society in many different ways is bound to leave a lasting impact. There are many awesome insights shared in this episode as to what identity seeking is like and how it can be complicated through different lenses. Growing up is weird and hard at points, we strive to blend in while also differentiate ourselves from others and discover our passions. If you’ve ever wondered what it looks like to launch a podcast, Alex and Mariah do just that. Listen on Spotify Listen on Apple Podcast

Today we are joined by Sarah Kolczak, current Orr Fellow and Co-Founder of Soul & Flow, a wellness experience and community to connect deeper to our higher selves through mind, body, soul, & flow. We chat about Sarah’s experience growing up as a performer. We also talk about Sarah’s background as a ballerina and the sometimes toxic culture that surrounds the world of dance. We also chat about what it’s like to workout looking into a mirror in a tight uniform and what that can do to one’s body image. We related to so many things and I didn’t even know of Sarah’s past of ballet or how deep it ran. Then Sarah walks through how she left her dancing career and started focusing on her yoga practice and becoming certified. Eventually, her love of yoga turned into her co-founding the Soul and Flow wellness experience. I was blown away and so impressed by this conversation and I hope you will be too!  Listen on Spotify Listen on Apple Podcast

  On this episode of Learn 2 Listen, we are joined by Pricilla Wiggins, a current Masters student earning her degree in Counseling Psychology at Temple University. She and Mariah talk all about her journey playing soccer while simultaneously exploring the process of loss and identity after the passing of her father when she was 21. We kick off the conversation around the transition out of sport (and what we miss and don’t miss) with the changes in life. Then we talk about the relationship athletes have with their bodies once they stop sport. Mariah talks about needing to reframe the way she looks at working out and not basing it off of guilt but rather for fun. They relate over needing to catch ourselves when we are working out and start to get frustrated when outcomes are not seen or we’re not able to do the same things we used to be able to do. Pricilla talks about the phenomena of countertransference and explains the delicate relationship between a counselor and patient and not ...

Danielle Berman, Founder and CEO of TackleWhat’sNext, the premier community and support team for athletes transitions from sport to well, what’s next. In this episode, we fangirl over the power of telling stories and sharing experiences, especially around career transition. We chat about the worries that come with change or choosing where to go after sport when sport has been your ‘job’ for the better part of your adult life. Danielle brings up the great point that there is no blueprint as to how to do that. TackleWhat’sNext is a great resource to help athletes make this transition and connect them with the right people. We also talk about how we really only see the good part of going to college or even social media as a whole and how no one tells or shows you the bad side. People don’t post or showcase when they’re upset and hurting and that’s why it’s so important to have both sides of the story or even know that there are two sides. Have you ever thought about the difference or dist...

  Leeann Passaro is Chief Operating Officer at The Hidden Opponent, an advocacy group that raises awareness for Student-Athlete Mental Health to address the stigma in sports. Not only is Leeann passionate about her non-profit work but she is also a high school English teacher and soccer and lacrosse coach. Leeann vulnerably shares her story about her relationship with soccer, her coach and team, and her history of concussions. We bond and elaborate about the guild and uncertainty that surrounds injury in sport. We give our two cents about the fear and manifestation of symptoms that surround injury and why it creates a web of pressure and confusion. Leeanne discusses her reframing of a very difficult situation where she wasn’t asked to return to soccer her senior year where she was forced to transition out of sport a year earlier than she thought she would.  Listen on Spotify Listen on Apple Podcast

Madeline Barlow, Ph.D., is an Athlete Mental Performance Coach currently working at Drexel University to help athletes become mind-wise and transition away from sport post-graduation. Madeline is also the founder of the MindWiseMentor, the creator of the Mind-Wise Method, and the author of the book The Highly Sensitive Athlete. She earned her degree at the Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania where she was a varsity swimmer of four years. Join us today as Madeline tells the Learn2Listeners community what it means to be mind-wise. She shares some of her favorite practices everyone can integrate into their daily schedule. We take a deep dive into the take-a-ways Madeline experienced from her fourteen-year swimming career, mainly navigating one’s body image while constantly competing in a bathing suit. Thank you so much to Madeline for taking the time to teach us all how to be more mind-wise and sharing her story on Learn 2 Listen. Listen on Spotify Listen on Apple Podcast

As I sat down to reflect on my experiences with mental health, I realize that what I thought were pivotal experiences in my life were more so pivotal reflective points. Instances in my life that within themselves, were so impactful, but really was the opening of continued self-discovery, pain, and change years after. When pivotal moments in life happen, it feels like the biggest thing in the world while you’re in the middle of it, but for me, the most challenging and gratifying parts come with time afterward.  Where I now sit at 27 years old, 5 years post-college graduation, I look back on the last 6 years with a lot of sadness and exhaustion. Yet, if you ask me how I’m feeling right now or on most given days, I will tell you that I’m tired but that I’m doing pretty well! There is room for both.  As far back as I have memories, I have been involved with athletics and am very physically active. As a kid, I loved playing outside and getting dirty, and I like to think I still car...

Regret is a funny thing. Ironically, decisions about long-term health are not always easy. In high school, my athletic journey took a striking turn. An athletic trainer once turned to me and said, “What will you regret more? Having played, or not having played?” For me, quitting my sport was never an option. I subsequently learned the difference between manageable pain and potentially dangerous pain. I have spent the last 8 years perpetually reestablishing myself as a soccer player with a body that’s limited by injury. I tore my right knee’s anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) for the first time when I was 15. During the first spring practice of the season, I jumped up to win an airball, and as I landed my knee snapped. The next thing I knew, I was being carried by two of the team’s Soccer Dads’ to the car where my father was waiting to drive me to the Emergency Room. Later, I learned that this meant I would be out of commission the summer before my junior year of high school and for most...

Brianna Leverenz is a former swimmer for The University of Tennessee Knoxville where she graduated with a degree in kinesiology in 2019. While at school, Brianna was extremely involved in sports philanthropy where she spent 3 months in the Philippines teaching children how to swim. Brianna and Mariah met through their mutual interest in sports philanthropy as Brianna continues to serve and inspire those around her. She now works for Stanford as a clinical researcher to fulfill her amazing and demanding work. schedule. Join us as we chat about Brianna's journey during her four years as a student, athlete, and leader. She bravely and honestly shares her vulnerabilities and advice with us as well as some female empowerment! Listen on Spotify Listen on Apple Podcast

  Katherine McManus graduated from Notre Dame in 2016. She was a member of the women's lacrosse team from 2012-2016. After graduating, she spent a year interning for Student Welfare and Development (ND Athletics), got her MA in Sport and Performance Psychology from the University of Denver, and a MA in Clinical Psychology from American University. Her research focuses on body image, eating, and exercise behaviors in athletic samples and childhood obesity community intervention and prevention strategies. Katherine believes in applied research that inspires action and change within systems and individuals. When working with clients, Katherine aims to help them feel and be their best in all areas of life. She believes in strengthening skills one already has, teaching new skills, and working within a clients’ lifestyle and needs. Join us as we chat about Katherine's personal and professional journey and how she focuses on positivity through adversity. Listen on Spotify Listen on Ap...

  I have always been someone that gets really attached to people. I have jumped from person to person, but truly also had great friendships and whatnot in the process. Clearly, I love attention so having had new people to constantly surround myself with is fun. On the other hand, though I have also learned very well how it feels to be constantly let down, over and over again. More recently over quarantine, I have also felt what it is like to have a delayed realization of a need to “heal” I guess. College has been fun but also very difficult. The one thing that really shook me at my core, however, was losing the trust of someone who was one of my best friends. At the beginning of one of my college years, I was raped by this person who, at the time, was a great friend of mine and who seemed to really care about me. I was devastated that someone I trusted could do that to another human, especially me (because you never think it will happen to you!). I really suffered later, but right ...

I really admire Mariah for creating this because, as her friend, I wanted nothing more than to support her, but every time I sat down to write something I couldn’t find words I was comfortable sharing (and the thought of being publicly vulnerable made me wanna armadillo as much as the next person). Reading what other people had to say put me at ease because I didn’t feel exposed or alone anymore— So I would say she’s off to a pretty great start:). I have struggled a lot with those times in life when “nothings wrong, but everything is wrong.” I would have so much anxiety and sadness about being stressed and not “feeling great” and so much paranoia that everyone thought I had my shit together and one slip up and my entire facade would come crashing down. We go to a school where there is this stigma that if you aren’t high strung and high achieving, you must not care all that much, or as much as other people at least. But at the same time, if you don’t go out, see people, are seen, then “...