Beneath Sports Podcast

This is a special episode in honour of Truth and Reconciliation Day. We sat down with Taylor McPherson, a Can West and U Sports wrestling champion from the University of Alberta. We discussed her background in wrestling and how she climbed the ranks in the wrestling world. But we also took an in-depth look at her indigenous culture and her fight to reclaim her heritage.

This week, we sat down with Andrew Paris, the founder of the Black Rock Initiative. He is an advocate for bringing the sport of curling to a younger, more diverse generation and creating more representation in the curling coaching ranks. We discussed his upbringing in Summerside, PEI, his experiences coaching the youth and showing that the sport of curling is for everyone whether you are the age of 9 or 99.

This week, we sat down with Sarah Gates, the 2023 Usports Player Of The Year. She has been one of the best hoopers in U sports the past few years, and arguably the best basketball player to step on the campus at McMaster University. We discussed her upbringing in the York region, her commitment to the sport of basketball during the pandemic, and her final season as a McMaster Marauder. 

This week we sat down with Joanna Alphonso, A 3-time U SPORTS women's rugby national champion and 3-time Atlantic University Sport MVP. This Ajax, Ontario native helped continue the rugby dominance at St. Francis Xavier University as a part of the X-women. Now, post rugby career she is aiding the young minds of tomorrow to be dominant in the classroom. 

On this week's episode of the Beneath Sports Podcast, we sat with Alena Luciani the owner of Training 2xL. She was a former athlete at Wilfrid Laurier University and is a certified strength and conditioning specialist, that has worked with many university programs in Canada. However, she now puts her focus on her business and teaching others to be "Athletes In Life".

This week, we sat down with Rose-Anne Joly. She is a former Hooper, the founder of Basket Plus, and the current Head Coach of the University of Ottawa Women’s Basketball Team. We discuss her journey through the coaching ranks, her infectious love for travel, and what inspires her day to day. 

This week we got to sit down with Mike Daly. A former defensive back with the Hamilton Ticats of the Canadian Football League. We discussed Daly being a part of the 2011 Vanier Cup Champion McMaster Marauders Football Team playing in the BEST GAME EVER! His love for the city of Hamilton, being a part of Laurier Golden Hawk coaching staff, and joining the broadcast team on the Ticats Audio Network. 

This week we sat down with Olivia Ghosh-Swaby to talk about her childhood in the Peel region and her passion for sports led her to become the founder of the Ontario Women's Intercollegiate Football Association. She is the quarterback of the University of Western women's football team as well as a Phd candidate at the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry. We chatted about her aspiration to see women thrive in football, her love for academia, and her integral role in Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion at the University of Western.