Feisty Women's Performance

Louise Green envisions a world where everyone can achieve their athletic potential regardless of size and, for 17 years, she’s been creating that world for people in larger bodies through her coaching, programming, and education at bigfitgirl.com and the Size Inclusive Academy.

She joins Sara Gross to discuss athleticism in a larger body. Weight bias is still so rampant in our culture that it’s normalized, but imagine navigating a world that is not made for you — from small doors and cramped fitness studios, to buff trainers and classes focused only on getting lean and “earning a bikini body.” You’re literally walking into a space where people don’t want to look like you.

It’s a traumatic experience, which is why some in larger bodies avoid fitness altogether, especially in public spaces.

It’s not laziness or lack of dedication. It’s not an unwillingness to do the work. It’s the impossible task of trying to fit into an unrealistic “one size fits all” standard and this is the cultural divide Louise is working to close. 

She and Sara discuss:

• Louise’s personal entry into the fitness space and the stereotypes she had to overcome to be recognized
• Our culture’s obsession with thinness 
• Why avoiding fitness is often a trauma response
• Why people in larger bodies are often devalued 
• How she started working with this population and why she feels it’s still important to create safe spaces
• The details of developing curriculums for trainers and fitness centers on how to work specifically with larger-bodied athletes
• Identifying Body positivity vs. body neutrality
• Our complicated relationship with the word, “fat” and the value of owning your own language
• How to work with companies and industries in helping them change and expand their offerings
• Future courses, programs, and books to support this audience

As she says, “If you're hating on yourself all the time, there's no way that you can rise to your highest potential.” This is why she creates programming specifically for women in larger bodies because she undoubtedly believes that anybody and any body can be an athlete. 

Follow Louise on Instagram: @bigfitgirl

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Are sports the last bastion of the patriarchy?

Our guest, Macaela MacKenzie thinks so. Her new book, Money Power Respect: How Women in Sports Are Shaping the Future of Feminism explores how the role of sports is shaping cultural attitudes towards women and their value, and how sports can promote and encourage women's equality - both in changing external policies and institutions and internally empowering women. 

Sara and Macaela explore:

• How women's sports have been traditionally viewed as less valuable than men's sports, but the reality is that women's sports are an important avenue for empowering girls and women, challenging gender norms, and promoting gender equality.
• The unique challenges that women face in sports, including sexism, harassment, and discrimination, and why it's important to address these issues in order to create more inclusive and equitable sports environments.
• The fallacies behind the arguments that women’s sports are boring, or that women are biologically inferior to men, especially when it comes to sports.
• The role the media plays in shaping attitudes toward women's sports, especially with coverage, representation, and accessibility. 

• The pitfalls of white feminism in sports.

• Why investment from stakeholders, sponsors, and fans will continue to drive change and increase power and respect for female athletes.

• How sports provide a training ground for future female leaders.

• Ways to grow female sports and increase viewership and engagement. 

Women's sports have the potential to transform cultural attitudes toward gender and power, but this requires investment and support from a range of stakeholders, including sports organizations, media outlets, and individual athletes and fans.

By understanding the challenges facing women in sports, and advocating for change, we can create a more just and equitable society for all women. And, no doubt, we owe much of this progress to the women athletes who have shown us what is possible.

Money Power Respect: How Women in Sports Are Shaping the Future of Feminism - comes out on June 27, 2023, but you can pre-order today.

http://www.macaelamackenzie.com/

Follow Macaela on Instagram: @macaelamac

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An integral part of the Feisty Women's Performance brand is education and Feisty focuses their education on the four pillars of: physiology, nutrition, social/cultural influences, and mental health.

In the Spring of 2023, Feisty successfully launched its first online course entitled FUELED: A Comprehensive Nutrition Course for Active Women.

Today, CEO Sara Gross talks with Feisty Business of Fitness host, Molly Hurford about the details of creating an e-course:

• Why did Feisty go down the road of comprehensive online courses?
• How did they land on a topic?
• What and who went behind the content creation strategy?
• Who built the course?
• What was the launch and marketing strategy?
• What valuable lessons have you learned about creating courses?
• Knowing what you know now, what would you change?

Creating a comprehensive online course may look easy, but as Sara notes, "there is no such thing as passive income" and a good course is in a constant state of evolution.

Speaking of, the new Summer School session of Fueled starts in mid-June and you can sign up now.

Join the Feisty Winter Training Programs:

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Follow us on Instagram:

@feisty_womens_performance

Support our Partners:

Momentous: Head to https://www.livemomentous.com/ and use promo code PERFORMANCE for up to 35% off your first order

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As much as she loves running, Jessica Michalofsky wishes her purpose was different. 

Jessica runs in memory of her son, Aubrey, who died in August of 2022 of toxic fentanyl poisoning and her mission is clear - we need the drug supply to be safe in order for people to stop dying. 

Toxic drugs are now the leading cause of death in British Columbia in people ages 10-59 and the problem is that the criminal supply of opioids has become increasingly synthetic and toxic. 

Yes, the cultural perception that “this won’t happen to me” and social stigma still play a massive role, but as she says, toxic drug use isn’t just killing "traditional" addicts. These drugs are killing first-time users and recreational users. 

Sara and Jessica talk about her “Marathon a Day for Safe Supply” campaign and the response to her efforts to bring awareness and solutions. 

They discuss the way that our culture tends to blame bad parenting and specifically “bad mothering” if your child becomes a user. (In fact, Jessica wrote a piece for Feisty Media on the concept of "Bad Enough Mothers.")

They also talk about using running to deal with her grief, the ups and downs of these daily runs, and what it truly means to be "feisty" when you're running against the status quo.

So, yes, as much as she would love to eradicate addiction, her purpose is to, first, provide a safe supply in order to preserve life…a life like her late son’s.

Bad Enough Mothers and the Illicit Poisoning Crisis

Follow Jessica's Journey on Instagram: @marathon.for.safe.supply

Join the Feisty Winter Training Programs:

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@feisty_womens_performance

Support our Partners:

Momentous: Head to https://www.livemomentous.com/ and use promo code PERFORMANCE for up to 35% off your first order

Wahoo: Learn more about Wahoo Fitness Products at: https://wahoofitness.pxf.io/0GAByR

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Creatine is having a moment and, as today’s guest, Shannon O’Grady says, “Creatine has been waiting for its moment for decades.”

Shannon has her PhD in Nutritional Physiology and is the COO and Chief Product Officer of Gnarly Nutrition, where she leads product research and innovation across their entire line of products.

Today, she and Sara focus their conversation on creatine.

Creatine is the most studied ergogenic aid and, early on, was pigeonholed as mostly a bodybuilding supplement. 

Research is now clear that the benefits of creatine are far greater than just increased muscle mass (although that’s a great benefit). It has been shown to help in:

• Recovery
• Injury prevention
• Cognitive function and brain health
• Heat tolerance
• Treatment in psychiatric disorders
• Aging athletes and female athletes
• Increased power for endurance athletes

Sara and Shannon discuss what creative is, how it’s produced and synthesized, how it could possibly provide all of these benefits, the best types, dosages, and the importance of being NSF Certified for safety and efficacy in a “wild west” industry. 

The advantages of creatine supplementation are clear and the question has gone from, "Why would I take that?" to "Why wouldn't I?"

From The Wall Street Journal to Runners World, People Magazine, and Women's Running Magazine...

From Lululemon to Ford Motor Co...

Mirna Valerio is proving that you can be an athlete in whatever body you have.

What started as a blog, FatGirlRunning, about her experiences as a larger woman in a world of thinner athletes, has turned into a movement that inspires people everywhere to be whoever they want and to do whatever makes them happy. 

Her training, racing, and advocacy work allow others to see what is possible because no one should determine what you can or can't do.

So, as she says in her keynote from the Feisty Women's Performance Summit, "Stick your ass in all the spaces because you belong!"

Follow The Mirnavator: https://themirnavator.com/

Instagram: @themirnavator

Join the Feisty Winter Training Programs:

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Sign up to Receive The Feisty Women's Performance Newsletter:

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Follow us on Instagram:

@feisty_womens_performance

Support our Partners:

Momentous: Head to https://www.livemomentous.com/ and use promo code PERFORMANCE for up to 35% off your first order

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Tifosi Optics: Use code FEISTY2026 for 20% off at https://tifosioptics.com/

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Since Title IX passed in 1972, there has been extraordinary growth in women’s sports and performance. 

However, for decades, athletic research primarily conducted on males has simply been applied to women, and as we’ve discovered, when the standard of performance is based on that one type of person, it skews our understanding of what is considered “normal physiology.”

Christine Yu, author of the new book Up to Speed - The Groundbreaking Science of Women Athletics speaks with Sara Gross about the future of research on women athletes.

As Yu says, “Women and female athletes need specific research that reflects their personal experience to provide appropriate and specific guidance from nutrition and injury prevention, to customized training, and even clothing and gear.”

So, what reputable science and research is out there for performance-minded women? And, how can we apply good science to our lives in order to boost performance and remain healthy for years to come?  

Sara and Christine discuss this and more, including:

• Why females have often been considered “messy” and “poor subjects” when it comes to research studies on athletics 
• The impact good (and bad) research can have on female athletes, especially when it comes to longevity in sports and overall health
• How more female scientists and researchers are asking the right questions and leading the way to close the gender gap in research
• What surprised Christine the most when researching and writing the book?
• What angered her, and what has she applied any of the good research in her own daily life?

Maya Angelou once said, “When you know better, you do better.” Yu’s book provides an understanding of how we go to this point and, thanks to the vigilance of others, how we are starting to do better.

Order Up to Speed - The Groundbreaking Science of Women Athletics

Follow Christine on Instagram: @cyu888

Join the Feisty Winter Training Programs:

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Follow us on Instagram:

@feisty_womens_performance

Support our Partners:

Momentous: Head to https://www.livemomentous.com/ and use promo code PERFORMANCE for up to 35% off your first order

Wahoo: Learn more about Wahoo Fitness Products at: https://wahoofitness.pxf.io/0GAByR

Tifosi Optics: Use code FEISTY2026 for 20% off at https://tifosioptics.com/

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Orca: Use the code FEISTY15 for 15% off at https://orca.avln.me/c/HzUkzIfxsmYo

Jill Moffatt and Jenny Casson didn’t dream of becoming Canadian Olympic rowers. In fact, neither actually started the sport until they were a little older, but discovered quickly they both had an innate talent for the sport. 

This talent, coupled with their chemistry and work ethic, landed them a spot at the 2021 Tokyo Olympic Games and they’re currently in the process of trying to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics. 

It all seems like a fairy tale, right? Start a sport later in life and still land at the Olympics?! Amazing? Yes. Fairy tale? Not always.

Today, Sara, Jenny, and Jill have a wide-reaching and powerful conversation about the pros and cons of being a high-level athlete, including:

• How they complement each other as a pair 
• Dealing with the pressure that their spot in the boat is never guaranteed
• Approaching mandatory weigh-ins during race season 
• Tracking their cycles for performance
• Handling their inevitable personality differences on and off the water

Jenny and Jill also candidly address the toxic culture and predatory behavior that existed just a few years ago on their team, along with the organization that was complicit in this behavior. 

The personal damage and erosion of trust were and are devastating for both, but Jenny and Jill remain vocal advocates for providing support, education, and advice on spotting, addressing, and changing predatory behavior.

No doubt, this is a duo we look forward to watching in Paris. Best of luck to Jenny and Jill!

IG: @jillmoffatt ([email protected])

IG: @jenny_joan_casson ([email protected])

Join the Feisty Winter Training Programs:

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Sign up to Receive The Feisty Women's Performance Newsletter:

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Follow us on Instagram:

@feisty_womens_performance

Support our Partners:

Momentous: Head to https://www.livemomentous.com/ and use promo code PERFORMANCE for up to 35% off your first order

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Tifosi Optics: Use code FEISTY2026 for 20% off at https://tifosioptics.com/

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So often, women’s sports history is forgotten, lost, or, at best, diminished. It’s especially true for African American female athletes in sport. 

Many are familiar with Jackie Robinson as the first black man to play Major League Baseball, but few know of the accomplishments of female tennis and golf legend, Althea Gibson.  

Author, Ashley Brown, shines a light on Gibson’s history with her biography, “Serving Herself: The Life and Times of Althea Gibson.”

Brown is Assistant Professor and the Allan H. Selig Chair in the History of Sport and Society at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She is an expert on sport history, women's history, and African American history. 

Why Althea Gibson?

As Brown highlights, Gibson was a woman of many firsts. In her unprecedented athletic career, she was the first African American to win titles at the French Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open.

She went on, amazingly, to become the first African American to compete in the Ladies Profressional Golf Association. She had a success music career, and high political ambitions. She even graced the covers of Sports Illustrated and time. 

Always an advocate for causes she believed in, Althea Gibson didn’t do anything half-heartedly, even in a time in society were there was little support for people of color. In fact, for as much fame as she had on the court, she also faced increased challenges as a woman of color in the late 50s and 60s.

Lessons from this legend bubble up in this enlightening conversation, including themes of:

• Resilience and Perseverance
• Not Letting Passion Go Cold
• Continuous Pursuit of Excellence
• Helping and Supporting Others in their Journeys
• Being an Advocate for Causes You Believe In
• Fighting for Social Justice Reform

Althea Gibson was a woman who refused to be forgotten and thanks to Ashley Brown’s comprehensive biography, she won’t be. 

Purchase Serving Yourself: The Life and Times of Althea Gibson

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This episode first aired on the Women's Performance Podcast on April 4, 2022.

Sara talks to Emily Kraus and Megan Roche. Emily is the FASTR program coordinator, MD, a clinical assistant professor at Stanford children's orthopedic and sports medicine center, a seven-time marathoner, and a two-time Boston finisher.

Megan is the FASTR lead researcher, an MD, a Ph.D. candidate in epidemiology, AND a five-time national trail running champion.

So what is FASTR? It is a program designed to conduct research and provide information for female athletes. Sara talks to Emily and Megan about the moments they first realized there was a gender gap in sports science research, and how they are working to close that gap. Further, they discuss how women have certain advantages built into their physiology to help them perform, and what Emily and Megan would do if they could conduct ANY research on female performance broadly.

Follow the FASTR program on Instagram @stanfordfastr

FASTR Website

Follow Emily @emilykrausmd_sportscience

Follow Megan @meg_runs_happy

Join the Feisty Winter Training Programs:

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Sign up to Receive The Feisty Women's Performance Newsletter:

Feisty Women's Performance Newsletter: https://livefeisty.com/newsletters/feisty-womens-performance/

Follow us on Instagram:

@feisty_womens_performance

Support our Partners:

Momentous: Head to https://www.livemomentous.com/ and use promo code PERFORMANCE for up to 35% off your first order

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Tifosi Optics: Use code FEISTY2026 for 20% off at https://tifosioptics.com/

Hettas: Use code STAYFEISTY for 20% off at https://hettas.com/

Orca: Use the code FEISTY15 for 15% off at https://orca.avln.me/c/HzUkzIfxsmYo