Barriers to Breakthroughs

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Former collegiate runner Meaghan Wessel comes on the podcast to talk about her journey with having an eating disorder and how it affected everything in her life! Meaghan gets real about her thoughts, feelings and experiences through the peak of her E.D to her recovery. She is now a certified Baptiste Power Yoga instructor and has never felt better about her body!  

In today's episode, we discuss topics such as;

• Thoughts + feelings during her eating disorder
• The recovery process
• How yoga has changed her life
• The stigma around getting professional help
• Advice for athletes who deal with eating disorders + who to reach out to

Resources:

Meaghan's Instagram: @meaghan_wessel
Meaghan's Website: meaghanwessel.com

If you want to learn more about eating disorders or need to seek help for yourself or others:
https://nedic.ca
https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org


Follow the Podcast on Instagram: @barrierstobreakthroughspodcast

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Do you have regrets in your athletic career? Do you wish you would have gone a different path or done something different. Same!

This week's episode is all about the things I wish I knew when I was a younger athlete! I talk about the journey I've had as an athlete and how these lessons have shaped me into the person I am today! 

As mentioned in the episode, I've started a career as a mindset coach and I would love to help you overcome the mental barriers you have in your sport! I know how hard it is to admit that you need help and it's the first step to becoming successful! Lean into it and see what the possibilities are for you! Send me a message on Instagram and let's turn your career around!

Resources:

Podcast Instagram: @barrierstobreakthroughspodcast

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Canadian Ski Cross athlete Courtney Hoffos comes on the podcast to talk about her journey of making the switch to Ski Cross from Alpine Skiing and all of the injuries and experiences she learned along the way! In her young career, she has been on the World Cup podium multiple times and won the Freestyle Women's Rookie of the Year award in 2020! Despite the trouble she’s had with her body, she comes back stronger every time and that’s what makes her the successful athlete she is today!

In this episode we talk about:

• The variety of injuries she's had
• Staying motivated during recovery
• Managing expectations and pressure
• The impact her team has had on her performance

Resources:

Courtney's Instagram: @courtneyhoffos_

Follow the Podcast on Instagram: @barrierstobreakthroughspodcast

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Today's guest is Kelsey Dickinson who is a professional biathlon athlete! She is a former collegiate athlete for the College of St. Scholastica in both Nordic skiing and cross country running! Kelsey has also competed on the world stage at World Juniors in 2014 and currently competes on the IBU (International Biathlon Union) circuit! Through all of her obstacles and shortcomings, her love for the sport is what drives her to keep competing and chasing her Olympic dreams!

On the podcast we talk about:

• Calming your mind in high-pressure moments
• The importance of support systems
• Mentally dealing with injuries
• Creating the right goals for success and happiness

Resources:
Kelsey's Instagram: @delseykickinson

Follow the Podcast on Instagram: @barrierstobreakthroughspodcast

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Today's episode is with Liza Baykova, a former Russian swimming who travelled across the world to compete in the NCAA for the University of New Hampshire. During her time, she has broken multiple university and American East records in freestyle and relay events!  We talk about:

• The culture shock she experienced in the first few months in the US
• Adjustments she made in her mindset at practices
• Dealing with internal pressures to perform
• Overcoming doubts in herself to keep going

Resources:
Liza's Instagram: @_baykova

Follow the Podcast on Instagram: @barrierstobreakthroughspodcast

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Today's episode is with Stefanie Fleckenstein who is on the Canadian Alpine Ski Team’s NextGen program and is a member of the University of Colorado ski team! She is a 3-Time All-American and has competed on the world stage such as at World Juniors and World Cup downhill races in 2017. Stef discusses her;

• Realization of how much injuries take a toll on your mental wellbeing,
• How to take recovery days one step at a time,
• Managing expectations coming back from injury,
• Coping with anxiety in a season and future of unknowns.

Resources:
Stef's Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQ4QP4kgiHTUlrKEsISV8lA
Stef's Instagram: @stef_fleck

Follow the Podcast Instagram: @barrierstobreakthroughspodcast

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On today's episode, Emma sits down with Bobbie Burgess, former collegiate cross country and track runner who is in a constant battle with an eating disorder that affected her senior season at Georgetown. Bobbie goes into detail about her thoughts and feelings in the years before seeking treatment; her comparison to teammates and competitors and their eating habits; and fixing her relationship with food and how she found the love of running again.

If you want to learn more about eating disorders or need to seek help for yourself or others:
https://nedic.ca
https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org

The Emily Program: https://www.emilyprogram.com

Follow on Instagram:  @barrierstobreakthroughspodcast

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Former World Cup and Olympic Downhill Skier Larisa Yurkiw sits down with Emma to talk about her unique journey to success. Throughout her career, she has racked up 4 World Cup podiums and finished 3rd overall in the WC downhill standings in 2016! While there were setbacks along the way such as a serious knee injury leading her to race independently, her drive and will to get back up when knocked down makes her the successful and inspiring person she is today! Our conversation sparks interest in how important mindset is in sport, that confidence isn’t everything and to be brave when overcoming your setbacks!

Follow on Instagram: @barrierstobreakthroughspodcast

Girls Coding Link: https://www.ted.com/talks/reshma_saujani_teach_girls_bravery_not_perfection

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America East Diver of the Year Allison Stefanelli joins Emma to talk about her diving career that has been anything but easy. Through all the success she's had has come great obstacles such as pressures no herself and team and having a chronic back injury affecting multiple seasons. Allison really opens up about her mental health during those tough moments and the things that contributed to her winning mindset!

Follow along on Instagram: @barrierstobreakthroughspodcast

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Today's guest is Francesca English, who currently competes on the NCAA circuit as an alpine ski racer. She is a 3-Time All-American and daughter of former World Cup ski racer Tamara McKinney. Francesca and Emma talk about the stigma around depression especially in athletes, and dealing with season-ending injuries!

Follow on Instagram:  @barrierstobreakthroughspodcast