2 Girls 1 Bar Podcast with Mandi & Wanda

This episode is just the girls and it is CHAOS, but we just want to say THANK YOU. Thank you for being here. Thank you for listening. Thank you for believing in women in strengh sports.

JOIN THE 2 GIRLS 1 BAR PATREON TO SUPPOR THE PODCAST AND SCHOLARSHIPS FOR WOMEN IN STRENGTH SPORTS

JOIN THE 2 GIRLS 1 BAR EMAIL LIST TO FIND OUT ABOUT 2026 SURPRISES!

Use the code 2G1B at Virus USA to save 10% off everything and support the podcast!

Follow the podcast on Instagram: @2girls1barpod Follow Mandi on Instagram: @mandimurakami @meetweekco Get coached by Mandi - schedule an athlete interview! Follow Wanda on Instagram: @wl.wanda

In our final guest episode of 2025, we're joined by Alexa Mina, Olympic weightlifter for Team Lebanon and the owner of Cedars Nutrition. Alexa shares her journey from competitive cheerleading to international weightlifting, what it's really like representing a country you didn't grow up in, and how she worked through identity, imposter syndrome, and language barriers along the way. We also talk about her elbow injury and long recovery, competing at major games events like ISG, and the very real sacrifices that come with international sport. On top of that, Alexa dives into building Cedars Nutrition and Cedars Nutrition University, coaching athletes through food without the BS, and why obsession, discipline, and doing hard things have shaped both her athletic and business success.

JOIN THE 2 GIRLS 1 BAR PATREON TO SUPPOR THE PODCAST AND SCHOLARSHIPS FOR WOMEN IN STRENGTH SPORTS

JOIN THE 2 GIRLS 1 BAR EMAIL LIST TO FIND OUT ABOUT 2026 SURPRISES!

Links & Resources

• Follow Alexa on Instagram
• Check out Cedars Nutrition

Use the code 2G1B at Virus USA to save 10% off everything and support the podcast!

Follow the podcast on Instagram: @2girls1barpod Follow Mandi on Instagram: @mandimurakami @meetweekco Get coached by Mandi - schedule an athlete interview! Follow Wanda on Instagram: @wl.wanda

In this episode of the Two Girls One Bar podcast, the girls are joined by Kelly Benfey who shares her journey from being a competitive athlete in gymnastics and CrossFit to becoming a physical therapist and co-owner of Onward Physical Therapy in Milwaukee. She discusses her recent experience with Hyrox, the importance of community in fitness, and how to overcome barriers in competitions. Kelly emphasizes the need for a fitness-focused approach in physical therapy, integrating her athletic background into her practice.

JOIN THE 2 GIRLS 1 BAR PATREON TO SUPPOR THE PODCAST AND SCHOLARSHIPS FOR WOMEN IN STRENGTH SPORTS

JOIN THE 2 GIRLS 1 BAR EMAIL LIST TO FIND OUT ABOUT 2026 SURPRISES!

Links & Resources

• Follow Kelly on Instagram
• Check out Onward Milwaukee

Use the code 2G1B at Virus USA to save 10% off everything and support the podcast!

Follow the podcast on Instagram: @2girls1barpod Follow Mandi on Instagram: @mandimurakami @meetweekco Get coached by Mandi - schedule an athlete interview! Follow Wanda on Instagram: @wl.wanda

In this episode of the 2 Girls 1 Bar Podcast, Mandi and Wanda are joined by Clair Crawford - mom, horse girl, powerlifter, all-around amazing woman. Clair has GRIT and also so many stories about powerlifting and her path to competing at an elite level. You are going to want to be her best friend and also go smash weights at the gym. (You've been warned.)

JOIN THE 2 GIRLS 1 BAR PATREON TO SUPPOR THE PODCAST AND SCHOLARSHIPS FOR WOMEN IN STRENGTH SPORTS

JOIN THE 2 GIRLS 1 BAR EMAIL LIST TO FIND OUT ABOUT 2026 SURPRISES!

Links & Resources

• Follow Clair on Instagram

Support Dani's trip to WORLDS!!!

Use the code 2G1B at Virus USA to save 10% off everything and support the podcast!

Follow the podcast on Instagram: @2girls1barpod Follow Mandi on Instagram: @mandimurakami @meetweekco Get coached by Mandi - schedule an athlete interview! Follow Wanda on Instagram: @wl.wanda

In this episode, the girls are joined by Taylor Lucas who shares her journey as a registered dietitian and Olympic weightlifter. She discusses her transition from CrossFit to weightlifting, the importance of nutrition and mindset for athletes, and her experiences with injury (yeah, that big one you remember) and recovery. She also talks about her new business venture, Elevare, which focuses on creating unique weightlifting singlets. Throughout the conversation, she emphasizes the significance of community support and the challenges of balancing athletic performance with nutrition. JOIN THE 2 GIRLS 1 BAR EMAIL LIST TO FIND OUT ABOUT 2026 SURPRISES!

Links & Resources

• Follow Taylor on Instagram

• Check out Elevare

Use the code 2G1B at Virus USA to save 10% off everything and support the podcast!

Follow the podcast on Instagram: @2girls1barpod Follow Mandi on Instagram: @mandimurakami @meetweekco Get coached by Mandi - schedule an athlete interview! Follow Wanda on Instagram: @wl.wanda

In this special bonus episode, Mandi and Wanda sit down with Matt Sicchio, the President & CEO of USA Weightlifting, for a wide-ranging conversation about the inner workings of the NGB, the growth of women in weightlifting, the volunteer engine that keeps the sport alive, and Matt's own late-in-life journey into weightlifting as a masters athlete.

Links & Resources

• Women's Coaching Collective https://usaweightlifting.org/education/womens-coaching-collective

• Coaching Course Scholarships (Level 1 & Level 2) https://usaweightlifting.org/education/scholarships

• WeCoach Partnership https://www.wecoachsports.org/

• Volunteer Opportunities & Committees https://usaweightlifting.org/get-involved/volunteer

• Membership & Support Reach USAW anytime at: [email protected]

Use the code 2G1B at Virus USA to save 10% off everything and support the podcast!

Follow the podcast on Instagram: @2girls1barpod Follow Mandi on Instagram: @mandimurakami @meetweekco Get coached by Mandi - schedule an athlete interview! Follow Wanda on Instagram: @wl.wanda

This week Mandi and Wanda chat with athlete, journalist and author Alyssa Ages. Alyssa shares how lifting got her through phases of change and growth and how her writing and training worlds collide. She opens up about competing in strongwoman events, balancing a freelance writing career, and writing for major publications while staying true to her strengths.

They talk about how strength training helped shape her identity, the physical and mental shifts that come with intense training, and what it's like being a woman in strength sports and in media. Alyssa also shares her take on the narratives we tell ourselves about our bodies and our potential.

Links & Resources

• Pick up Alyssa's book - Secrets of Giants: A Journey to Uncover the True Meaning of Strength (this is an affiliate link that supports the podcast)

• Follow Alyssa on Instagram

Support Dani's trip to WORLDS!!!

Use the code 2G1B at Virus USA to save 10% off everything and support the podcast!

Follow the podcast on Instagram: @2girls1barpod Follow Mandi on Instagram: @mandimurakami @meetweekco Get coached by Mandi - schedule an athlete interview! Follow Wanda on Instagram: @wl.wanda

Mandi and Wanda chat with weightlifter Skyler Peebles, an 86+ kilo athlete from Richmond, Virginia, who's known for her honesty, humor, and heart both on and off the platform. Skyler talks about her journey from college softball pitcher to CrossFit athlete to Olympic weightlifter, and how lifting helped her rebuild confidence, trust herself again, and heal after injury and personal challenges.

They talk about everything from access and inclusivity in weightlifting to social media pressure, representation, and building community for women and athletes of color in strength sports. Skyler shares how she uses her platform to advocate for others, spread body positivity, and remind lifters that it's okay to not have it all together every day.

Links & Resources

• Follow Skyler on Instagram

• LSKD – Skyler's sponsor and athletic apparel partner. Use the code SKY15 to save and shop here!

Support Dani's trip to WORLDS!!!

Use the code 2G1B at Virus USA to save 10% off everything and support the podcast!

Follow the podcast on Instagram: @2girls1barpod Follow Mandi on Instagram: @mandimurakami @meetweekco Get coached by Mandi - schedule an athlete interview! Follow Wanda on Instagram: @wl.wanda

Mandi and Wanda sit down with Kelsi Reynolds, grad student, researcher, hobbyist weightlifter, assistant coach for the OSU Weightlifting Club, and certified meme queen. Kelsi opens up about her athletic journey from competitive swimming to Olympic weightlifting, the reality of balancing grad school and training, and finding joy and confidence again after burnout.

The girls chat about back injuries, pandemic fatigue, rediscovering motivation, and what it's like to transition from athlete to coach. Kelsi's humor and humility make this one feel like a late-night hangout with your smartest, funniest gym friend.

Links & Resources

Follow Kelsi on Instagram: @kelso_32

Support Dani's trip to WORLDS!!!

Use the code 2G1B at Virus USA to save 10% off everything and support the podcast!

Follow the podcast on Instagram: @2girls1barpod Follow Mandi on Instagram: @mandimurakami @meetweekco Get coached by Mandi - schedule an athlete interview! Follow Wanda on Instagram: @wl.wanda

It's just the girls and it was LATE when this recording happened (LOL). Mandi and Wanda dive into a real, unfiltered chat about navigating body image, weight class decisions, and the mental gymnastics that come with it all. From deciding not to cut before a meet to learning when to step away from tracking macros, this episode hits all the topics most athletes quietly wrestle with.

The girls get candid about their shared dance backgrounds, the disordered habits that sometimes come with aesthetics-driven sports, and how strength training helped reframe their relationship with food, weight, and self-worth. Mandi opens up about her recovery from injury and health challenges, while Wanda shares her mindset around taking breaks from weightlifting, embracing her body as it is, and finding joy in new activities like climbing and pole.

Links & Resources

• Book Finals/Worlds media with Mandi/Meet Week Co
• Get coached by Mandi - schedule an athlete interview!

VOTE ON THE NEXT 2 GIRLS 1 BAR MEETUP HERE (INCLUDING CLINICS & CAMPS)

The Power & Strength Summit returns in January!

• Sign up for early bird registration here
• Apply for the Women in Strength PASS Scholarship here

Support Dani's trip to WORLDS!!!

Use the code 2G1B at Virus USA to save 10% off everything and support the podcast!

Follow the podcast on Instagram: @2girls1barpod Follow Mandi on Instagram: @mandimurakami @meetweekco Get coached by Mandi - schedule an athlete interview! Follow Wanda on Instagram: @wl.wanda