The Athletes Podcast

We sit down with Olympic goalie Rei Halloran right after she represents Team Japan and talk through what the Games actually feel like from inside the village. We dig into the work, mindset shifts, and support system that carry her from being overlooked in Division III to believing she belongs on the biggest stage. 

• Olympic Village reality, beds, food, and meeting athletes across sports 
• Handling goalie pressure, going in cold, and choosing fun over fear 
• The bullet train phone call that confirms her Olympic roster spot 
• Building confidence through strength work, extra skates, and “little things” 
• Training camp as a tryout mindset versus clinics as a test lab 
• Recovery routines, warm-ups, and why readiness changes performance 
• Nutrition with gluten and dairy allergies and finding clean protein 
• Favorite goalies, film study habits, and learning from InGoal resources 
• Family support, advocacy, and finding an agent as a D3 player 
• Playing pro overseas in Norway and Sweden and adapting to European style 
• Growing on TikTok, mentoring young women, and making women’s hockey bigger 
• Biggest advice for athletes, set a goal and refuse limits 

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We play a nine-hole simulator round with Heidi Cannon while tracing how a bikini champion turns contest discipline into real gains in golf. Along the way, we get honest about fittings, long drive pressure, social media distortion, and the slow fundamentals that beat every shortcut.
• how Heidi gets into golf and why it sticks as a lifelong sport
• meeting the right people on the course and landing in the golf industry
• why fitness training carries over to speed, flexibility, and control
• PXG fitting benefits and the role of quality equipment
• the grind behind a long drive tour across Canada
• Birdie Juice as a golf celebration ritual and brand story
• what bodybuilding prep really looks like from off-season to stage weight
• natural competing, peptides, and why medical guidance matters
• Ozempic and the danger of chasing quick fixes
• social media perception and staying grounded in real life
• why more women belong in golf and how sims reduce intimidation
Use my promo code, yeah. Absolutely. Which is tidy 18, golf ball planet.

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We sit down with Mac Boucher to unpack how a self-taught swing, bold shot shapes, and a course-first creative style turned golf into a joyful career built on intention and integrity. Mac shares strategies for pressure, boundaries with haters, and advice for athletes who want longevity.

• curving the ball to control the miss
• building a brand that prioritizes long-term partners
• balancing pressure, performance, and public scrutiny
• learning on the course instead of living on the range
• using creativity to make the course the star
• recovery basics and keeping golf a happy place
• supporting peers and calling out toxic behavior
• advice for young athletes to chase passion, not clout

“Shout out to PERFECT Sports, sponsor of this episode”

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Join David Stark & Cole Hergott, the S&C coach at Trinity Western University. We explore how better beats more, why consistent full-body training outperforms grind culture, and how a simple, repeatable Sparta Score keeps hundreds of athletes focused on the right improvements. Cole shares actionable ways to program, recover, and earn buy-in without fancy gear.

• Creatine’s physical and cognitive benefits across ages
• Why submax testing and bar speed drive safer progress
• The Sparta Score formula and how it unifies teams
• Offseason planning that builds, not burns, athletes
• Under-recovery versus overtraining and how to fix it
• Full-body frequency over body-part splits
• Overcoming isometrics for force and potentiation
• Neck strength strategies for concussion-prone teams
• Data selection, dashboards, and clear KPIs
• Culture, confidence, and competition that lasts

Hey, thank you guys for tuning in. We’ll see you again next week

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 Join us on episode #277 featuring Dr. Brandon Pentheny as we unpack how to turn messy sports data into clear coaching decisions, why outliers can’t be your standard, and how to separate capacity from utilization so training actually transfers. We also dig into lifting before practice, tendon loading, youth overuse, and building buy-in with simple, consistent methods.

• bridging biomechanics, neuromuscular performance, and real coaching choices
• tailoring data to athletes and coaches with plain language
• discrete vs open skills across baseball and basketball
• tech overload vs low-tech, high-intent training
• capacity vs utilization as the core diagnostic
• load management shaped by travel and schedule density
• culture shift toward lifting and tendon health
• priming lifts and isometrics around practice and games
• offseason structure, MLB dead period, and youth rest
• choosing metrics that matter and avoiding outlier traps
• when literature conflicts with what wins on the field
• career advice for young coaches in a noisy landscape

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Episode #276 features Chong Xie, Founder @hyperarchfascia_training and Therapy ® (HFT). Chong is a Clinical Fascia Researcher, Performance Coach for the Pros in MLS, NFL, and NBA. We challenge muscle-first thinking and show how fascia, the body’s tension network, drives elastic power, foot-to-glutes connection, and resilient performance. Practical drills, footwear context, nutrition timing, and new research back up big gains without bulky mass.

• what fascia is and why it integrates force
• signs of an elite foot and glute activation
• EMG evidence of elastic athletes vs segmented movers
• how to train the foot–glutes connection safely
• case studies on punching power and ankle stability
• strength versus elastic performance under speed and fatigue
• footwear choice based on mechanics and adaptation
• fascial gliding, recovery, and pain reduction
• nutrition timing for collagen synthesis and antioxidants
• self-tests and three-month remodeling timelines
• environment, barefoot culture, and epigenetic influences
• open-minded advice for the next generation

The 276th episode of the Athletes Podcast, brought to you by Perfect Sports Supplements, Pioneer Auto Group, Alder Grove, for providing us with an amazing Jeep Wrangler!

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Join David Stark & Mike Pickles as we share how smart, simple training builds confidence and keeps athletes healthy while cutting through the noise of gimmicks and hype. Mike reflects on lessons from coaching hundreds of kids and why life skills matter more than making the pros.

• origins in strength and conditioning and early mentors
• confidence as the biggest gain from youth training
• injury prevention as the first priority
• translating gym work to on-ice performance
• in-season maintenance versus off-season progress
• mindset, recovery, and screen discipline
• rejecting gimmicks and “sport-specific” myths
• the power of basics: squat, hinge, push, pull, carry

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We talk with BJJ athlete and coach Sean Spence about building real confidence under pressure, smarter training without burnout, and why “framing” chaos works on and off the mat. We also dig into cross-training, youth development, and how longevity can live with peak performance.

• Sean’s path from fitness to Brazilian jiu-jitsu
• Why humility beats ego for faster skill gain
• Framing pressure to stay calm and think
• Managing training load to avoid burnout
• Cross-training for movement literacy and durability
• Coaching youth to build broad athletic skills
• Simple nutrition for fuel, recovery, and clarity
• Personal definitions of peak performance for longevity
• Consistency as the engine of progress

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We explore how elite performance is built on consistency, smart prioritization, and a network that protects long-term availability. Stories from NHL rooms, Kelowna’s rise as a training hub, and a candid look at captaincy, data, and mental health show what actually moves the needle.

• playing the long game with career choices and boundaries
• why availability beats bigger, faster, stronger
• data that validates coaching intuition rather than leading it
• kelowna’s high-performance ecosystem and culture
• chasing the right rabbits instead of shiny tools
• mental health support through trained professionals
• evolved programming and safer exercise selection
• short-window prep: strength, expression, then capacity
• myths around aesthetics vs performance with real examples
• final takeaways on consistency, accountability, and showing up

Thank you guys for tuning in. We’ll see you next week.

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Clark Hardman, CEO of Thread Performance, joins us to rethink how young athletes fuel growth, focus, and safe strength. We dig into trust, bioavailability, multi-sport benefits, and why snack bars and kids’ menus need a hard reset.

• mission to build youth-specific supplements
• why processed food hurts focus and recovery
• trust gap in teen supplements and how to fix it
• bioavailability and iron deficiency in young athletes
• connective tissue support with eggshell membrane
• adaptogens for stress and attention in school and sport
• multi-sport development vs early specialization
• spike in non-contact injuries and prevention
• integrating training, nutrition, sleep, and mindset
• creatine use for developing athletes and safety
• lessons from Clark’s baseball path and coaching influence
• changing snack bars and daily touchpoints for performance
• where to learn more and how parents can lead

Use the code AP10 at checkout to save 10% on Thread Performance supplements
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