FIERCE Athlete Podcast

Fear is one of the greatest opponents you'll ever face—and it's not wearing a jersey. In this powerful episode, Sam and Julianna expose the lies, strongholds, and hidden fears that keep athletes trapped in their minds and playing from a place of anxiety instead of freedom. Together, they invite Jesus into the darkest corners of the heart, where true healing begins. Through honest conversation, practical tools, powerful prayer, and personal stories, you'll discover how to break free from fear, silence the lies, and compete with the confidence and freedom Christ offers. Whether you're battling pressure in competition, struggling in the pain cave, or fighting unseen battles off the field, this episode is a roadmap to lasting freedom.

Takeaway:

Walk in your brain with God! Let Him heal and reveal the following:

1. A painful Memory- invite Him into it
2. Make a list of Lies you came to believe because of that
3. Replace with Truths
4. Embrace the Pain Cave, Don’t numb!

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New month= new topic! On this episode of the Fierce Athlete Podcast, hosts Samantha Kelley and Julianna Dalton tackle the mental game. They explore how female athletes can harmonize their physical, mental, and spiritual health to fully embrace their God-given identity. Discover practical strategies to conquer failure, rewire negative thought patterns, and use body language to instantly boost your confidence and game-day performance. Listeners will learn how one mentally tough play can shift an entire game’s momentum and how to turn moments of failure into opportunities for surrender and outward encouragement.

Takeaways:

• Create a Truth Statement: Pick a statement rooted in your identity, not your performance, such as "I am enough" or "I am a daughter of God," to act as a trigger phrase to stop negative mental spirals. Share your statement with a teammate or friend to help you!

Show notes:

• Surrender Novena: https://www.catholicdoors.com/prayers/novenas/p03530.htm

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Time for a good film review session! This week we recap three months of life-changing insights on what it means to be a daughter of God in the world of sports. Moving beyond the "charge forward" mentality of an athlete, Sam dives back into the core pillars of identity, femininity, and the sacredness of the physical body. From the danger of defining yourself by your past to the "active receptivity" of a surfer waiting for a wave, this episode is a powerful reminder that you are a unique masterpiece, created to be fully feminine and fully strong.

The Takeaway

-Identify Your "Prick": Pinpoint one specific topic from the recap—whether it was identity, shame, femininity, or self-perception—that sparked curiosity or "pricked" your heart.

- Daily Prayer Habit: Spend 5 to 10 minutes every day this week talking to the Lord specifically about that one area, allowing Him to speak into your life during this time of reflection.

Show Notes:

Dove "Real Beauty Sketches" Video: Sam highlights this video to illustrate the gap between how we often degrade our own appearance versus how others see our beauty.

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It's time to change. It's time to love our bodies. In this unique episode, host Sam Kelley gets practical and leads a transformative exercise aimed at healing self-image and overcoming the toxic cycle of body comparison and self-hatred. Designed specifically for female athletes, this "body scan" prayer is a tool Kelley has used for over a decade to shift her perception of her own body from critique to sacredness.

Takeaway:

Do the Body Scan. 

1. The first phase involves a non-judgmental inventory of every body part, from hair to toes, to identify personal feelings of like or dislike. 
2. The second phase shifts the focus to a spiritual perspective, asking Jesus, "Do you love this part of my body?"

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Dealing with an injury is an inevitable, yet often ill-equipped, part of an athlete's journey. In this episode, host Sam Kelley shares seven transformative tips for those currently sidelined, drawing from her own experience of seven orthopedic surgeries. Whether you are facing physical injury, chronic pain, or even "injuries of the heart," this discussion offers a roadmap for integrating your physical suffering with your spiritual life. Learn how to move past the temptation to hate or disassociate from your body and instead find peace, purpose, and profound healing through surrender.

Takeaway

The primary takeaway for the week is to actively work through these seven steps to find beauty and fruitfulness in a time of injury.

1. Make Peace with Your Body
2. Grieve
3. Pray for Healing
4. Learn to Receive
5. Offer Up Your Pain
6. Find Your Role
7. Surrender

Shownotes:

Surrender Novena: https://www.catholicdoors.com/prayers/novenas/p03530.htm

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Your body is not something to fix, you are someone to honor. Sam and Julianna continue talking about the Physical, and dive into exactly what that statement means and why. Reflecting on scripture and the nature of God dwelling in us, they give both theological and practical ways to honor the bodies that God gave us. If you struggle to treat your body well, if you struggle with stress, if you struggle to love your body- you need to listen in! We promise, it will forever change you!

Takeaway: Physical + Spiritual Goal

Physical: Pick one thing you need to work on to support your body’s health and recovery- whether that be more sleep, more healthy eating, hydration, rest, stress management, phone use and make a plan to fulfill that goal with it.

Spiritual: Go read Elizabeth of the Trinity and spend time with God- realizing He is in you!

Show notes: 

St. Elizabeth of the Trinity writings: 

He is my Heaven: https://a.co/d/0fEDZ5jq

Her Works Vol 2 (her retreats): https://a.co/d/006a6myF

Snooz sleep machine: https://a.co/d/01V4xQag

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New Month = New Topic. The Physical. In this episode Sam and Julianna explore the intersection of physical identity and faith, focusing on how female athletes can integrate their physical, mental, and spiritual lives to honor God. They discuss the common struggles female athletes face, such as being reduced to physical measurements or facing pressure to conform to specific body types, which often leads to comparison and disordered habits. By reframing the body as a "very good" creation and a gift from God, they encourage listeners to move away from negative self-perception and embrace their unique physical design as a reflection of His image. 

Takeaways

• Practice Gratitude for Physical Ability: Create a gratitude list to thank God for the specific ways your body allows you to move and compete.
• Seek God’s Perspective in Prayer: Spend time in quiet prayer asking God, "Lord, how do you see me?" and listen for His voice affirming your beauty and worth as His creation.

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Episode Summary:

In this powerful follow-up conversation, Sr. Mary Grace and Sr. Zion Joy from the Sisters of Life return to explore the profound gift of femininity within the world of athletics. Often, female athletes struggle to reconcile their physical strength with their feminine identity, sometimes viewing the two as mutually exclusive. This episode deconstructs those misconceptions, illustrating how traits like receptivity, sensitivity, and maternal strength are not just compatible with sports—they are a "secret sauce" for peak performance. This episode concludes with compassionate advice and a moving story of hope for athletes navigating unexpected pregnancies or the grief of abortion, emphasizing that a woman who is loved and supported can achieve both her dreams and motherhood.

Contact the Sisters: sistersoflife.org

Takeaway:

Meditate on: Your true power as an athlete doesn't come from your stats or your performance, but from being "securely possessed by the Beloved". True peace and "fierceness" are found when you stop seeking validation in what you do and instead rest in who you are: a daughter of God who is fully feminine and fully strong.

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Sister Mary Grace and Sister Zion Joy from the Sisters of Life join the FIERCE Athlete podcast to discuss the intersection of athletics, femininity, and faith. In Part 1 of a 2-part series, both sisters share how their backgrounds in sports shaped their spiritual lives by teaching them the value of sacrifice, the drive for greatness, and the importance of having goals beyond worldly achievements. Sister Zion Joy recounts being raised in an athletic home by her father, an Olympic kayaker, while Sister Mary Grace discusses her own journey from a specialized sports college to training for the Rio Olympics on a rugby sevens trial team before ultimately choosing to pursue a different "gold"—her religious calling. The conversation offers profound insights into finding purpose beyond the podium and learning to listen for the "pace of grace" in the midst of intense physical and spiritual competition.

Takeaway: 

Meditate on the quote shared by Sr. Mary Grace: "Wildness is the dance partner of discipline". How does it relate to your sport and faith life?

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In this episode of the Fierce Athlete Podcast, Sam Kelley and Juliana Dalton delve into the practical application of true femininity within the world of sports. Building on their previous foundational discussion, they explore the dichotomy between active receptivity and the "spirit of death" found in being closed off or self-focused. The conversation challenges common misconceptions about competitiveness, redefining it not as tearing others down to get ahead, but as "willing the good" of teammates and opponents alike to bring out everyone’s best performance. They boldly address the cultural trends of over-sexualizing female athletes and rejecting the "spiritual motherhood" that allows women to nurture and embolden one another on and off the field. This discussion is CRUCIAL to our times, so give it a listen, share it with a teammate, and together let's embrace our FIERCE Femininity. 

Takeaway:

• Pick a Spiritual Intention and Enter the Pain Cave. : Before you begin your next difficult workout, choose a specific person or cause to offer your effort toward, and when the workout gets tough, do not cut corners, skip reps, or reduce your time; instead, remain present in that physical suffering and offer it as a prayer. If training with others, make a conscious effort to move outside of your own discomfort to verbally support and push your teammates.

Show Note Mentions

• Foundation Episode: Watch Episode 1 of Femininity https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l8Ls3KcgDis&t=5s 
• The Litany of Humility: https://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/devotions/litany-of-humility-245 
• Colossians 1:24 RSV:  Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I complete what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church,
• Connect with Fierce Athlete: Join the community via their Patreon or visit their website for more resources.

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