Our guest this week is Jenni Cluskey, a Masters Diver who has reached her 70th birthday with the same enthusiasm for the sport and appetite for winning that drew her back in the early 90’s. Like any athlete she has faced her challenges, whether it be physical or part of the mental game that sport presents. She started diving at the age of 14 and three years later she was already qualified for national championships in the Highboard event. By the time she was 20 she earned a place on the Commonwealth Games team for Scotland where she finished 8th. And then she spent time in the Australia and New Zealand with different coaches and learning how different their system was for divers to that in the UK. She missed a chance to try out for the 1972 Olympic Games because she couldn’t afford the fare home which we learn was a mixed blessing given the massacre at the Munich games. Since returning to the UK she took a break from the sport but when she did pick it up again she began her Masters career with a vengeance competing at numerous European venues and finishing in the top three. This year the World Masters are being held in Gwanju, South Korea but Jennie has to be selective about traveling since divers are entirely self funded. She does however have her sights sent on the European Masters will be held in Budapest in 2020.

For show notes and related links for this episode click HERE.

For more conversations from the world of women’s sport including articles, blogs, videos and podcasts visit wispsports.com. WiSP Sports is the World’s Largest Podcast Network for Women’s Sport with more than 20 hosts, 1000+ episodes across 30+ shows and a global audience of over 2 million. WiSP Sports is on all major podcast players. Follow WiSP Sports on social media @WiSPsports. Contact us at [email protected].

With less than a week to go before horses starting arriving in the Kentucky Horse Park there is a tapering off in their fitness work with just some final hacking and gymnastics ahead of what is a long road trip for most competitors, American Caroline Martin will be heading north from her winter base in Ocala Florida this weekend with two rides; Islandwood Captain Jack and Danger Mouse. For this leading under-25 rider it will be her fourth trip to the park but this time her partners are two different and relatively young horses at 10 years old so her expectations are for clean performances that will be career building as she eyes the long view with world championships and Olympic Games in her sights.  Both horses have had the ideal preparation with easy rides at the Carolina Horse Park and Red Hills to test their fitness but the rolling hills of the Kentucky Blue Grass will be the ultimate test.  Caroline has been training with 5-time Olympic Show Jumper Anne Kursinski (as well as dressage trainer Betsy Steiner and US Team Coach Eric Duvander) making sure she has all the i’s dotted and t’s crossed for the only five star event in North America and Chris also spoke with Anne about the difference in training eventers and event horses in pure show jumping.
We will be at the event with live coverage and exclusive interviews on our Facebook Page so be sure to follow us there.
For show notes and related links for this episode click HERE.
For more conversations from the world of women’s sport including articles, blogs, videos and podcasts visit wispsports.com. WiSP Sports is the World’s Largest Podcast Network for Women’s Sport with more than 20 hosts, 1000+ episodes across 30+ shows and a global audience of over 2 million. WiSP Sports is on all major podcast players. Follow WiSP Sports on social media @WiSPsports. Contact us at [email protected].

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/women-unscripted--4769409/support.

With less than a week to go before horses starting arriving in the Kentucky Horse Park there is a tapering off in their fitness work with just some final hacking and gymnastics ahead of what is a long road trip for most competitors, American Caroline Martin will be heading north from her winter base in Ocala Florida this weekend with two rides; Islandwood Captain Jack and Danger Mouse. For this leading under-25 rider it will be her fourth trip to the park but this time her partners are two different and relatively young horses at 10 years old so her expectations are for clean performances that will be career building as she eyes the long view with world championships and Olympic Games in her sights.  Both horses have had the ideal preparation with easy rides at the Carolina Horse Park and Red Hills to test their fitness but the rolling hills of the Kentucky Blue Grass will be the ultimate test.  Caroline has been training with 5-time Olympic Show Jumper Anne Kursinski (as well as dressage trainer Betsy Steiner and US Team Coach Eric Duvander) making sure she has all the i’s dotted and t’s crossed for the only five star event in North America and Chris also spoke with Anne about the difference in training eventers and event horses in pure show jumping.

We will be at the event with live coverage and exclusive interviews on our Facebook Page so be sure to follow us there.

For show notes and related links for this episode click HERE.

For more conversations from the world of women’s sport including articles, blogs, videos and podcasts visit wispsports.com. WiSP Sports is the World’s Largest Podcast Network for Women’s Sport with more than 20 hosts, 1000+ episodes across 30+ shows and a global audience of over 2 million. WiSP Sports is on all major podcast players. Follow WiSP Sports on social media @WiSPsports. Contact us at [email protected].

Olympic Judo player Angelica Delgado is fighting her for a place in her second Olympic Games with a strong campaign that will take her all the way to Tokyo. At 29 she is coming to her peak and with a record that includes 4-time Pam Am Championship medalist, 2-time Pan Am Games medalist, five-time National Champion and 16-time World Cup medalist as well as seven times as a World team member, she is on track to make this the best run of her career.  Fully funded by the USOC as an elite athlete Angie is focused on a medal in Tokyo in the -52kg category with a strict daily routine and demanding schedule.  On her itinerary this year is the Pan Am Championships in Lima, a Grand Prix in Baku, Azerbaijan followed by a Grand Slam at the end of May, then it’s on to Israel for training at the Wingate Institute and back to Lima for the Pan Am Games.  Chris Stafford caught up with Angie before another busy training day.
For show notes and related links for this episode click HERE.
For more conversations from the world of women’s sport including articles, blogs, videos and podcasts visit wispsports.com. WiSP Sports is the World’s Largest Podcast Network for Women’s Sport with more than 20 hosts, 1000+ episodes across 30+ shows and a global audience of over 2 million. WiSP Sports is on all major podcast players. Follow WiSP Sports on social media @WiSPsports. Contact us at [email protected]. 

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/women-unscripted--4769409/support.

Olympic Judo player Angelica Delgado is fighting her for a place in her second Olympic Games with a strong campaign that will take her all the way to Tokyo. At 29 she is coming to her peak and with a record that includes 4-time Pam Am Championship medalist, 2-time Pan Am Games medalist, five-time National Champion and 16-time World Cup medalist as well as seven times as a World team member, she is on track to make this the best run of her career.  Fully funded by the USOC as an elite athlete Angie is focused on a medal in Tokyo in the -52kg category with a strict daily routine and demanding schedule.  On her itinerary this year is the Pan Am Championships in Lima, a Grand Prix in Baku, Azerbaijan followed by a Grand Slam at the end of May, then it’s on to Israel for training at the Wingate Institute and back to Lima for the Pan Am Games.  Chris Stafford caught up with Angie before another busy training day.

For show notes and related links for this episode click HERE.

For more conversations from the world of women’s sport including articles, blogs, videos and podcasts visit wispsports.com. WiSP Sports is the World’s Largest Podcast Network for Women’s Sport with more than 20 hosts, 1000+ episodes across 30+ shows and a global audience of over 2 million. WiSP Sports is on all major podcast players. Follow WiSP Sports on social media @WiSPsports. Contact us at [email protected].

On Episode 13 of The WeCOACH Podcast, Marci Kornegay talks with the trusted voice behind the research of why women coaches matter, Dr. Nicole M. LaVoi, Co-Director of the Tucker Center for Girls and Women in Sport and WeCOACH founding member of the Board of Directors. Nicole shares how her research has fueled meaningful projects in hopes to initiate social change and opportunities for women coaches. She lays the foundation behind the annual Women in College Coaching Report Card which is aimed at retaining and increasing the number of women in the coaching profession and takes us on a journey to understanding why the Athletic Administration Best Practices of Recruitment, Hiring and Retention of Female Collegiate Coaches is a crucial element in increasing the number of women coaches at the institutional level. You are sure to take away informed nuggets of inspiration and encouragement as a coach or as someone in a position to hire coaches.
For show notes and related links for this episode click HERE.
For more conversations from the world of women’s sport including articles, blogs, videos and podcasts visit wispsports.com. WiSP Sports is the World’s Largest Podcast Network for Women’s Sport with more than 20 hosts, 1000+ episodes across 30+ shows and a global audience of over 2 million. WiSP Sports is on all major podcast players. Follow WiSP Sports on social media @WiSPsports. Contact us at [email protected]. 

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/women-unscripted--4769409/support.

On Episode 13 of The WeCOACH Podcast, Marci Kornegay talks with the trusted voice behind the research of why women coaches matter, Dr. Nicole M. LaVoi, Co-Director of the Tucker Center for Girls and Women in Sport and WeCOACH founding member of the Board of Directors. Nicole shares how her research has fueled meaningful projects in hopes to initiate social change and opportunities for women coaches. She lays the foundation behind the annual Women in College Coaching Report Card which is aimed at retaining and increasing the number of women in the coaching profession and takes us on a journey to understanding why the Athletic Administration Best Practices of Recruitment, Hiring and Retention of Female Collegiate Coaches is a crucial element in increasing the number of women coaches at the institutional level. You are sure to take away informed nuggets of inspiration and encouragement as a coach or as someone in a position to hire coaches.

For show notes and related links for this episode click HERE.

For more conversations from the world of women’s sport including articles, blogs, videos and podcasts visit wispsports.com. WiSP Sports is the World’s Largest Podcast Network for Women’s Sport with more than 20 hosts, 1000+ episodes across 30+ shows and a global audience of over 2 million. WiSP Sports is on all major podcast players. Follow WiSP Sports on social media @WiSPsports. Contact us at [email protected].

Carolyn Nichols sits comfortably on top of the singles and doubles rankings as a US Senior player on the International Tennis Federation Rankings. It’s a place that’s familiar to her. At the age of 63 she has been playing competitively for almost 50 years and her itinerary is as intense as ever. Carolyn enjoys giving back to the sport too serving on numerous committees and in different roles both at national level and for her local California clubs. Her motivation to improve her game is endless as she strives for that better top spin or drop shot. Carolyn has been nationally ranked since 1989 and a member of the 19 Senior Fed Cup teams of which she one the cup no less than 14 times. She has won the World Singles and Doubles a few times and collected 41 gold balls for national championships. Her record is amazing but it’s also her single-minded focus and ambition to be satisfied with every game. Chris Stafford caught up with Carolyn before she took off for another international trip and heard about her training schedule and the tournaments she will be playing.
For show notes and related links for this episode click HERE.
For more conversations from the world of women’s sport including articles, blogs, videos and podcasts visit wispsports.com. WiSP Sports is the World’s Largest Podcast Network for Women’s Sport with more than 20 hosts, 1000+ episodes across 30+ shows and a global audience of over 2 million. WiSP Sports is on all major podcast players. Follow WiSP Sports on social media @WiSPsports. Contact us at [email protected]. 
 

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/women-unscripted--4769409/support.

Carolyn Nichols sits comfortably on top of the singles and doubles rankings as a US Senior player on the International Tennis Federation Rankings. It’s a place that’s familiar to her. At the age of 63 she has been playing competitively for almost 50 years and her itinerary is as intense as ever. Carolyn enjoys giving back to the sport too serving on numerous committees and in different roles both at national level and for her local California clubs. Her motivation to improve her game is endless as she strives for that better top spin or drop shot. Carolyn has been nationally ranked since 1989 and a member of the 19 Senior Fed Cup teams of which she one the cup no less than 14 times. She has won the World Singles and Doubles a few times and collected 41 gold balls for national championships. Her record is amazing but it’s also her single-minded focus and ambition to be satisfied with every game. Chris Stafford caught up with Carolyn before she took off for another international trip and heard about her training schedule and the tournaments she will be playing.

For show notes and related links for this episode click HERE.

For more conversations from the world of women’s sport including articles, blogs, videos and podcasts visit wispsports.com. WiSP Sports is the World’s Largest Podcast Network for Women’s Sport with more than 20 hosts, 1000+ episodes across 30+ shows and a global audience of over 2 million. WiSP Sports is on all major podcast players. Follow WiSP Sports on social media @WiSPsports. Contact us at [email protected].

Well what a weekend of sport is was as the indoor season in Europe concluded with the usual fanfare of the FEI World Cup Finals. Once more the show returned home to Gothenburg in Sweden for both dressage and jumping and yet again it generated a thrilling finale.  I doubt anyone will be surprised that the doyen of dressage Germany’s Isabell Werth was crowned champion for the third consecutive year, her fifth title or that the 14 year old mare Weihegold just keeps getting better when it matters the most.  But what’s always so exciting to watch is the sheer brilliance and panache of Isabell’s riding - she manages to pull out all the stops when the chips are down because she knows that the margin between her and the chasing pack is finite - she cannot afford a mistake. Right on her heals as expected was Laura Graves and the 17 year old gelding Verdades who scored 87.179% for his freestyle just 1.69% behind Isabell. Helen Langehanenberg ensured the Germans would have two places on the podium when her 17 year old stallion Damsey FRH achieved 86.571%.  Their Chef d’Equipe Monica Theodurescu would be well pleased with that result but probably no more so than Debbie McDonald when she saw the final results with Kasey Perry-Glass and Adrienne Lyle finishing in fifth and seventh place respectively. Three riders in the top seven at a World Cup Final bodes well for the Americans Olympic campaign although there is nothing to be complacent about with the quality of grand prix dressage between nations constantly improving. With the Pan Am Games this summer there will be everything to play for as riders plan their season with an eye on team selection.  The US for one has a growing band of combinations that will make selection very competitive when the trials come round. I caught up with Debbie just as she arrived home to get her reaction to the World Cup performances.
Back in the US eventers heading to Kentucky at the end of the month had their final run at the Fork Horse Trials and Chatt Hills this weekend. And continuing our look at some of the first timers my guest this week is 24 year old Hallie Coon who rode her 12 year old Dutch mare Celien to fifth place in the CCI Four Star Short and she joins me now to tell us how this went in her final preparation for her Kentucky debut.
For show notes and related links for this episode click HERE.
For more conversations from the world of women’s sport including articles, blogs, videos and podcasts visit wispsports.com. WiSP Sports is the World’s Largest Podcast Network for Women’s Sport with more than 20 hosts, 1000+ episodes across 30+ shows and a global audience of over 2 million. WiSP Sports is on all major podcast players. Follow WiSP Sports on social media @WiSPsports. Contact us at [email protected]. 

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/women-unscripted--4769409/support.