I sat down with former national TaeKwonDo athlete and amateur boxer Jessica Borg. We recorded this one at my house.

Jess shared the wild story of going from being on track for the Tokyo Olympics, to being medically retired by 26. She opens up about what it really feels like to walk away from the thing that shaped your identity for two decades—and what it’s like to start over when the cheering stops.

We talk:

• What happens when COVID kills your Olympic dream
• Why she pivoted from TaeKwonDo to boxing (and won her first fight in chaos-mode)
• How she handled being “the scary opponent” no one wanted to fight
• The hidden toll of combat sports (and why hearing loss was her red flag)
• Life after sport: grief, identity, reinvention—and building something that helps others make that same leap

Now? Jess works in defence at Boeing, has a law degree, and is building a platform to help athletes transition out of sport and into careers with purpose.

Find Jess on Instagram.

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Show notes for every episode at https://podcast.leannehughes.com

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