Women on the Mic

In this episode, Kaavya chats with Saroya Tinker—a rising star in the NWHL and a powerful voice advocating for inclusivity in hockey. They dive deep into her journey with ice hockey starting with her roots in Canada to her recent collegiate career at Yale University. She recalls her favorite Yale traditions, her decision to play pro, and her path to finding her own voice. Since getting drafted to the NWHL, she’s recognized her larger platform and used it to advocate for racial justice, women’s empowerment, and body image. She lists out actionable steps to foster more inclusivity and fight racial injustice in the sport and beyond. She details her involvement with art and how she uses her work as a means to spread positive messages about body image. Saroya recently launched her new mentorship program to connect with and guide young women of color as they navigate their lives in and out of sport. Finally, they talk about Saroya’s go to Starbucks drink and her excitement for her future in the league and beyond.

Super exciting episode featuring 3x NWHL All-Star and 2020 NWHL Defender of the Year Kaleigh Fratkin of the Boston Pride. Kaavya talks to Kaleigh about her journey with hockey growing up and tells some incredible stories about the girls’ hockey scene in Canada and playing on boys teams. They also dive into her thoughts about the NWHL when it was founded and the landmark Discovery partnership. Moreover, she goes in depth about what she would like to see more with respect to growing the league and increasing its visibility. Currently, the Boston Pride along with three other teams are training to compete in the Isobel Cup Playoffs on March 26/27 on NBC!! (Yup, NBC! So y’all better tune in!)

In this episode, Kaavya chats with youth basketball coach and newly minted author of Lady-thletes. Her book addresses five lessons she learned from her time playing sports and provides the necessary tools for female athletes to work through those problems. They chat about how she got introduced to sports, how she found her love for coaching, and the inspiration behind her new book. As a youth basketball coach, she also shares the power of coaches to impact young girls’ lives and the value sports has to combat adolescent challenges.

Check out Emily Williams!

Link to an exclusive copy of her "Note from the Author" from her book, Lady-thletes: https://us7.admin.mailchimp.com/reports/summary?id=0300d1a4e1f0

Instagram: @coachemilywilliams

Website: https://emilytheauthor.com/

In this episode, Kaavya chats with University of South Carolina Basketball Alum Markeshia Grant. Markeshia is also the founder of her life skills and basketball mentorship business—Savvy Skills. They talk about her unconventional journey to the Gamecocks’ powerhouse basketball program as she transferred from Junior College. They also touch upon her favorite memories at South Carolina—especially the valuable mentorship of Coach Dawn Staley. During the pandemic, unfortunately she was furloughed. However, within 5 days of being furloughed she started Savvy Skills to give back and uplift young women through basketball. Not only does she share what she hopes to instill in the young girls she mentors but also what those girls teach her. Stay tuned till the end to find out Markeshia’s and Kaavya’s favorite desserts! Follow Markeshia on Instagram @savvyfive and Savvy Skills @savvyskillsllc !! You can check out their website: savvyskillsacademy.com

In this episode, Kaavya sits down with CEO of WAKE (Women and Kids Empowerment) and Pro Basketball Player Batouly Camara to talk about her journey with sports and the work she is doing with WAKE. They address how sports is a platform to build young girls’ confidence and place them on the trajectory to success and prosperity. Batouly is a Forbes 30 Under 30 Sports Inductee and has written a book called “A Basketball Game on Wake Street”. She tells stories of young women who she has worked with who have grown in confidence through WAKE and basketball. She also reveals the 3 actionable steps you need to take in order to make your vision a reality. WAKE has big plans for the future, and Batouly’s mission of service is extremely inspiring! If you want to donate to WAKE and help more young girls find their true potential through sport, please visit their website: https://wake-academy.org/donate/ Additionally, follow Batouly and WAKE on Instagram: @toolyyy and @w_a_k_e__

In this very special episode, Kaavya sits down with Blair Westerlund—former University of Texas volleyball player and a mental health advocate. After tearing her ACL freshman year, she had to find her identity outside of volleyball and prioritize her mental well-being. They talk about her journey with mental health and how she found strength to reach out for help. Additionally, Blair opens up about her decision to medically retire from volleyball in 2019. They also discuss the stigma surrounding mental health—especially in athletes—and how we should normalize conversations about topics like therapy. This was truly such an eye-opening episode, and it was an honor to have someone as inspiring as Blair share her story—you are not alone. Check out Blair’s blog which is linked on her Instagram: @blairwesterlund

This is a special episode. Kaavya chats with WNBA star Elizabeth Williams of the Atlanta Dream. The WNBA has always spoken out against racial injustice as a unified voice for years now, and this season was no different. They talk about what this season of the WNBA was devoted to—more specifically the work of the WNBA with respect to the 2021 Georgia Senate Runoff Election. After Senator Kelly Loeffler criticized the WNBA embracing the Black Lives Matter Movement, the players of the team she partly owns—the Dream—decided to take action. In this episode, Elizabeth talks about what it took to stand up against your boss and her advice for the future generation of change makers.

In this episode, Kaavya chats with USA Saber fencer and Olympic bronze medalist Monica Aksamit! They talk about how she picked up a sword and started fencing, how she gets mentally prepared to compete, her journey to Rio, and fencing under pressure. They also talk about some of the amazing experiences Monica alludes to on her own podcast—“On the Fence with Monica Aksamit”. From meeting celebrities to pregame playlists, this episode has got a lot of neat tidbits and is a super fun one!

In this episode, Kaavya brings on the first ever tennis player on the podcast—Abbey Forbes of UCLA Women’s Tennis Team. They dive deep into how she embraces the “individual” aspect of tennis and combats negative self talk. Being one of few black collegiate tennis players and after the murder of George Floyd, she was inspired to start the Black Tennis Student Athlete Alliance. Abbey talks about BTSAA’s mission and why sports is a platform for social change. On the court, they chat about her experience winning the 2019 Girls’ Doubles Wimbledon title and competing with the pros at the US Open. This is such an eye opening episode, and Abbey’s story, perspectives, and work on and off the court is an inspiration to all! Take a listen!

In this episode, Kaavya talks to Valerie Arioto, a member of the USA Softball team. They dive deep into her journey with softball from UC Berkeley to the national team. They also talk about her new initiative—The Integrated Vault—where she emphasizes self growth through courses and journals. If you are new to self-care and want some tips, want inspiration from a USA softball players, or just need some TV show recommendations, this episode is for you!