Voice In Sport

While dominating in the pool as a 3-time Olympic medalist, Paige Madden has also been quietly fighting a different kind of battle— at age 13, she was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s disease, an autoimmune disorder that affects the thyroid. Behind the scenes of her athletic success, she has faced extreme fatigue, emotional lows, and the mental strain of managing a condition that can be as unpredictable as it is exhausting. Paige opens up about the hidden toll Hashimoto’s has taken—on her body, her mindset, and her identity as an athlete. She shares her lowest moments, what it took to keep pushing forward, and how learning to embrace vulnerability became one of her greatest strengths. Her story is a powerful reminder that even at the highest levels of sport, athletes are not immune to struggle—and no one has to face it alone. “It'll pull you back if you let it pull you back.”-PaigeMadden

Skylar Park, professional taekwondo athlete, Olympic bronze medalist for Team Canada, and VIS mentor, discusses how she managed to embrace her feminine side as an athlete in a combative, male-dominated sport. Skylar debunks common combative sport myths by sharing her experiences and describes the strides the sport of Taekwondo has made towards equity for men and women athletes. Skylar provides young women athletes with great advice for embracing their athletic selves in sport.   “Be confident in who you are and … believe in yourself wholeheartedly” -Sklyar Park

Morgan Hentz, professional volleyball player, three-time NCAA National Champion, three-time Pac-12 Libero of the Year, and VIS Mentor, shares her best performance mindset tips. Morgan breaks down how working with a sports psychologist helped her develop new skills to overcome game-day performance anxiety. Morgan discusses strategies like breathwork, visualization, and communication with teammates, which have helped her to perform at her peak. Having access to mental health resources at Stanford helped Morgan balance her identity in and out of sport. Morgan wraps this episode with game-changing dos and don'ts—what coaches, parents, and teammates should (and shouldn't) say to athletes on game day. “Effort, attitude, focus, being a great teammate—those four items you can always control" -Morgan Hentz

Christine Monjer, the President of the Los Angeles Sparks, joins us to share her inspiring career journey, which includes leading brand strategies for the Las Vegas Aces and major shows at MGM Resorts International. She takes us through her dynamic career journey from marketing at Quaker Oats and MGM Resorts to shaping the brand identity of the Las Vegas Aces. Christine shares the power of being fearless in her professional life, emphasizing how important it is to speak up, take risks, and pursue what truly excites you. She also reflects on the lessons she’s learned from her career transitions and how transferable skills have played a pivotal role. Our personal and professional journeys are seldom linear or predictable. Christine speaks from personal experience about how the unpredictable can be a source of growth and strength. Christine opens up about the importance of giving herself emotional space, especially after facing significant personal challenges; this practice helped her grow into the successful leader she is today. “Ask for the coffee, ask for the promotion, speak up in the meeting. If you see that something’s going left and it needs to go right, say it. Be less afraid of saying the wrong thing. Stay present and be fearless” - Christine Monjer

In this episode of the Becoming President series, President and COO of the Atlanta Dream, Morgan Shaw Parker walks us through her career journey from being an intern at the Kansas City Chiefs, to becoming the first female Vice President of Communications in the NFL, and eventually to the C-Suite of the Dream. Shaw Parker shares the importance of being intentional in curating a team ready to ‘roll up their sleeves and get in the mud together.’ Success comes from teams comprised of people with a shared mission, perseverance, and mutual respect. Ultimately, Morgan encourages us to embrace diverse perspectives and pave the path for other women.  “Be open to taking on any challenge, especially things that scare you, especially things that are outside your comfort zone. Go in eyes wide open and figure it out because you wouldn't be there if you weren't smart enough to figure it out” -Morgan Shaw Parker