The last time we heard from USA Sitting Volleyball star, Nicky Nieves, she was gearing up for the Tokyo Paralympics, hot after winning gold in Rio. We focused on her identity as an Afro Latina and Black Lives Matter (BLM). I asked her if we have made any progress since our last conversation, "I feel like people are more aware of the differences within race. They're more aware of micro aggressions because more people have spoken out. And to be honest, I think the biggest thing that could happen right now is just a continuation of allyship."

Today we discuss Nicky’s life since our last conversation in the fall of 2020: testing positive for COVID 3 days before the Paralympics, mental health, and her look forward to Paris. Nicky opens up about what it was like to watch her team win gold in Tokyo without her, and how she has fundamentally shifted who she plays for. Hint: it's now herself.

Contributing experts include Nicky's friends and teammates Sydney Satchell and Emma Schieck