FIERCE Athlete Podcast

In this wrap-up episode, Sam Kelley reflects on the journey of this podcast, exploring FIERCE topics like identity, femininity, the physical, the mental, and the spiritual for female athletes.  FIERCE expresses deep gratitude to its listeners and supporters. To help shape future content, Q&A sessions, and potential guest appearances for the upcoming season, listeners are invited to take a brief three-minute survey: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdEJcIa9Vd6JcmAIvsJFgNYdui4PZe3meO2SD7NE4jbtVDYBQ/viewform . Listeners are also encouraged to check out Sam Kelley’s book Be Fierce or join the new Fierce Athlete Chapters initiative to lead and share this content with your own teams, high schools, and universities.

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Darilyn Bixenman, Catholic women's psychologist, is back for another version of “This or That”. Blending fun personal preferences with practical counseling expertise, they navigate a range of topics—from choosing between grueling 3,000-foot bike climbs and marathons to picking favorite spiritual giants like St. Teresa of Ávila. The conversation shifts into deeper waters as Darilyn redefines common spiritual expressions like "let go and let God," unpacks the distinct roles of therapy versus confession and spiritual direction, and explains why overthinking fuels modern anxiety.

Show Notes:

- Previous Episodes with Darilyn: Episodes 16 and 17

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Get ready for another fun, lighthearted round of "This or That"! In this quick episode, Sam Kelley sits down with recent identity podcast guest, former college swimmer, professional Ironman triathlete and "baker extraordinaire" Rachel Zilinskas. Utilizing a random question generator, they put their similarities and differences to the test—debating everything from blindfolded cake baking to a memorable 20-mile sightseeing bike ride they shared in Italy just days after the crash Rachel talked about in our Identity episode! 

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As we wrap up the Spiritual “month”, we thought it was time to have a little fun! Get to know Fr. Ben through a fun game of Catholic “this or that”. Learn a priest’s “preferences” but also His perspective! Thank you Fr. Ben for the fun and your Fatherhood! 

What would your answers be to these questions?

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Father Ben Keller—a Dominican priest and former college baseball player— is back to explore the powerful intersection of sports and spirituality. He opens up about his grueling battle with an autoimmune disease that shattered his athletic identity, forcing him to let go of pride, embrace weakness, and truly surrender to God's grace. Fr. Ben and host Sam Kelley dive into how the discipline of training can beautifully translate into a deeper spiritual life, unpacking complex theological concepts like "non-competitive agency" and the way grace builds upon human nature. Ultimately, listeners are challenged to look past their performance and embrace the profound truth that God simply delights in them—leaving athletes with a tangible challenge to commit just 10 minutes a day to active participation in their faith.

Takeaway:

• Recognize and accept God's infinite delight: Understand that God's love and delight in you are infinite and extend to everything you do (ordered toward Him), rather than being tied only to a specific athletic gift or performance.
• Commit to active participation: Because athletes understand daily commitment, they should apply that same effort to the spiritual life, actively participating in a relationship with God rather than just expecting Him to fix things.
• Start with 10 minutes a day: Build a daily habit of prayer and connection by starting small, committing to just 10 minutes a day (which is less than 1% of the day) to avoid burning out.

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Dominican priest and former college baseball player, Fr. Ben Keller joins Sam on the FIERCE podcast to share his inspiring journey of growing up in Minnesota, navigating his faith on his own as a student-athlete at Minnesota State University, Mankato, and discovering his true vocation during an unforgettable, life-changing conference in Orlando. From running athlete Bible studies to navigating career-threatening injuries, his story beautifully illustrates what happens when sports psychology and faith collide. But the real challenge is just beginning; tune in to catch this week's cliffhanger as Fr. Ben prepares to confront the ultimate test—facing the reality that his identity was still deeply tied to being an athlete.

Takeaway: 

Father Ben Keller emphasizes that if an athlete's core identity is not placed in Jesus, it will inevitably be tied to temporary or unhelpful things like popularity, setting them up for a crisis when their athletic career faces challenges or comes to an end. Analyze how your own identity is or isn’t rooted in Jesus. 

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This episode of the FIERCE Athlete Podcast focuses on practically integrating our spiritual life into our athletic training and performance. Athletes spend hours training their bodies, but often far less time on their spiritual lives. What if you could do both at the same time? Sam and Julianna explore how sport itself is a path to prayer, allowing athletes to "pray without ceasing" by viewing their training and competition as an interaction with God. Through gratitude, intercession, and uniting personal pain with Christ's suffering, every sprint and every game becomes an act of worship.  

Takeaways

• Create a List of Intentions: Develop a list of people or causes to pray for and "offer up" specific workouts or drills for each intention.  
• Call Upon a "Cloud of Witnesses": For each game or competition, choose specific spiritual or earthly supporters—such as a favorite saint, a guardian angel, or a parent—to be your "fans" and cheer you on from the spiritual stadium.  

Show Notes

• Scripture References: 1 Thessalonians 5:17 ("Pray without ceasing"), Hebrews 12:1-2 (the "cloud of witnesses"), Colossians 1:24 (filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions), and John 15:13 (“no greater love").  
• Father John Riccardo: The hosts borrowed an athlete comparison regarding the "cloud of witnesses" from this priest.  
• The Passion of the Christ: The hosts recommended watching this Mel Gibson film to better understand the "gruesomeness" and reality of Christ's suffering.  

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What you do to the body affects the soul, and what you do to the soul affects the body. So it's time to talk about the spiritual! Hosts Sam Kelley and Julianna Dalton kick off a new month dedicated to the spiritual life of athletes, exploring how body, mind, and soul must integrate to achieve peak performance and true sanctity. Drawing inspiration from St. Paul's athletic analogies in scripture, they challenge listeners to channel the same discipline, sacrifice, and drive they bring to daily workouts into their relationship with God, running the ultimate race toward heaven. The hosts break down practical ways to build a spiritual "game plan," introducing the concepts of active prayer—like reading scripture and examining your day—and receptive prayer, which requires stepping into vulnerable silence to hear God's unique voice.

Takeaway: 

Eliminate distractions, schedule dedicated time, and commit to 10 minutes of daily silence to let God facilitate a total spiritual rewiring.

Show Notes:

The 30-Day Prayer Prescription by Gina Witt https://a.co/d/0g51Bw9m

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Ready to turn your athletic drive into your ultimate psychological superpower? In this episode of the FIERCE Athlete Podcast, host Sam Kelley continues a powerhouse conversation with counseling psychologist Darilyn Bixenman to reveal how female athletes can crush anxiety, build unwavering confidence, and deepen their trust in God. The secret weapon? Self-efficacy—the unbreakable belief that you can tackle any obstacle and triumph on the other side. Darilyn breaks down how the grit you develop in training naturally prepares you for life's toughest moments, from injuries to unanswered prayers. Packed with quick, practical grounding exercises you can do anywhere, this episode gives you the mental playbook to reclaim your peace and stay rooted in your true identity.

Takeaway: 

Practice daily "psychological PT" check-in exercise to stay connected with your internal sense of self.

• The Method: Connect with a grounding principle or an interior image that represents your true self (such as a pair of glasses, a basketball, a sacred heart or a deep memory like an image of yourself at seven years old).
• Frequency: You should practice this check-in skill multiple times throughout the day before you actually feel anxious, which makes it much easier to deploy when anxiety does strike.
• Practical Examples:
  • While walking to practice, you can close your eyes for a quick two-second body scan to connect with your interior image.
  • While lacing up your cleats feel the laces to ground yourself in the exact activity you are doing.

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In this episode of The Fierce Athlete Podcast, host Sam Kelley sits down with counseling psychologist Darilyn Bixenman to unpack the modern epidemic of debilitating anxiety affecting female athletes. Moving past the typical blame on social media, they explore how constant information overload, perfectionism, and the paralyzing fear of disappointing others leave young women feeling disconnected from who they are. Through relatable athlete analogies, Darilyn offers a powerful shift from being hyper-externally focused to finding strength from within, explaining how grounding yourself in your true identity can quiet overthinking and transform how you receive feedback and how you perform.

Takeaway:

Take some time to reflect on everything discussed in the episode and evaluate your own anxiety levels. Tune in next week for more solutions!

Shownotes:

Interview with Sam and Darilyn at the 2022 GIVEN Forum

https://youtu.be/QgTi53uwLOo?si=GEFhn-OyAilhu_vB

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