Dr. Jennifer Bolt started dancing at a very young age, in an environment where autocratic teaching methods were the norm. Dancers were to be seen and not heard. This resulted in debilitating perfectionism and other unhealthy thinking. One day while attending a high-performance dance camp she stumbled across a group of skiers and saw first-hand what coaching for well-being, and a positive learning experience could look like. This set her on a quest to find a better way to train and create an optimal learning environment for dancers and other athletes.

Dr. Bolt joins SeeWhatSheCanDo Conversations to share the teaching framework and holistic strategies she designed based on her doctoral research to support dancers through life’s most challenging transitions. Dr. Bolt explains how airplanes hitting the World Trade Centre during 9/11 had a big impact on the mental health of her first-year ballet students and illuminated why managing transitions and uncontrollable circumstances is critical for overall health and learning. She shares the practical things we can do today to help us all embrace our new realities and get through the ever-changing transitions caused by COVID-19 and life in general.

Dr. Bolt explains her approach to supporting the whole student through the pandemic while teaching at York University, Toronto. She talks about applying her PRIMEDTM for Life framework and the amazing student success, resilience, and growth she has seen throughout this crisis. Dr. Bolt opens up about her life theme song and what she does to fill her own cup and re-center.

Our guest, Emily Renneberg, joined us to talk about her passion for sports, making a difference and standing up for inclusivity within the sport world. Emily grew up playing ringette and surrounded by people who shared a love for sports. Her mother, Judy Renneberg, also played a part in her journey and shares her joy in raising a confident and ambitious daughter. This mother/daughter duo have been a source of inspiration and have really modeled a fun, healthy dynamic between parent and daughter.

Together we discuss Emily’s endeavors after a 15-year ringette career which include working as a live sports broadcaster and starting her very own podcast, “Even Strength”. Judy describes Emily's confident demeanor as a quality that has been evident ever since she was young. This character attribute is what pushed Emily to pursue different avenues and interests from a very young age. In many ways, her confidence, which was built through playing ringette, is what opened up doors of opportunity.

Emily is an active advocate for equality and inclusion within the sports realm as well as someone who makes space for women in the sport world. Emily shares an experience that impacted her and why it was such an important and monumental moment in her life.

We hear from Judy, and how she paved the way demonstrating sports leadership, community building, and why someone has to do the bottle drive.

Our hosts and guests connect over the importance of stepping up and making a difference no matter how small.

Hosts Tina Finelli and Lisa Dunbar welcome Kelli McRobert to the show. Originally from Quebec, Kelli has set up roots in Ontario, and is passionate about getting women involved in sports from the shy amateur up to the fierce competitor.

Anxiety has been Kelli’s companion for the past 30 years and her struggles have pushed her to challenge her beliefs, change her way of thinking and re-evaluate, how to push on with positivity and humor when things get rough. The pandemic has forced her to re-focus her energy both personally and professionally, and she continues to evolve and adapt while coping with life's uncertainty, constant changes, and simmering internal fear.

In this episode our hosts speak with Kelli about steps we can take to manage life transitions, mental health (PTSD), grief and loss. We talk about how sport, physical activity and a community of women can help us get back on our feet, manage day to day, and even thrive in the thick of challenges. Kelli shares her passion for pickleball and invites listeners to lean in and learn more about this fun, growing sport.