In Episode 4 of the Breaking Barriers Podcast, host Lori Thurman, 1994 Kentucky Wesleyan College graduate and current Title IX and Disability Services Coordinator, sits down with fellow Panther alum Angel Welsh (Class of 2003), Executive Director and Founder of My Sister’s Keeper.

The conversation opens with Lori sharing her personal connection to Angel and My Sister’s Keeper, highlighting how their paths crossed through a shared commitment to serving unhoused women and children in the community. Angel reflects on her time at Kentucky Wesleyan College, where she balanced life as a student-athlete, cheerleader, and employee while working multiple jobs both on and off campus. She discusses the challenges of managing those responsibilities and what it was like to navigate college as a female athlete.

Angel shares her fondest memories from her time at KWC and offers insight into whether she experienced gender-based discrepancies or inequities during her athletic career. The discussion then turns deeply personal as Angel explains how her own life experiences inspired the creation of My Sister’s Keeper and fueled her passion for advocacy and shelter work.

Throughout the episode, Angel offers wisdom she wishes she could share with her younger self, reflects on gender inequities in sports and the workplace, and discusses why female athletes and coaches continue to be undervalued. She speaks candidly about what she is most proud of both professionally and personally, and considers whether there is any moment in her life she would change if given the chance.

The episode closes with a heartfelt reflection on motherhood, as Angel shares her hopes and dreams for her daughter and for the next generation of young women growing up in a world still striving for true equity.

This episode is an inspiring conversation about resilience, leadership, advocacy, and breaking barriers—both on and off the field.