Welcome to The Feist — your favorite sports, with your feistiest friends.

Hosted by Sara Gross and Kelly O’Mara, Feisty's newest podcast is here to celebrate the unstoppable rise of women’s sports. Every week they'll cover what you need to know in women's sports: from running to basketball to everything in between. The Feist will bring you the untold stories of female athletes, interviews with those athletes and behind-the-scenes experts, and the feisty analysis you need to be a fan.

This is the women's sports podcast that covers the sports that don't always get covered from voices that don't always get heard.

In a special live launch episode, they kick off with a panel on what's next and where women's sports go from here. Joining us for the live event are:

• Scott Lake – Newly minted co-owner of the Toronto Tempo, Canada’s first WNBA team, co-founder of Shopify, and an investor in girls' and women's sports.
• Hilary Stellingwerff – Two-time Canadian Olympian, multi-time national champion in the 1500m, and now head track & cross-country coach at the University of Victoria.
• Krista Thompson – Former national team field hockey player and award-winning coach with 20+ years of experience at the provincial, regional, national and international level.

Together, they dive into:

• The massive economic upside of investing in women’s sports
• Why female role models and maternity support matter more than ever
• The coaching and performance knowledge gaps rooted in outdated research
• The lessons they wish they’d known earlier
• And what’s exciting them most about the future

Whether you're a seasoned fan or want to learn more, The Feist is your front-row seat to this women's sports revolution. Because women’s sports aren’t just having a moment—they’re building a movement. And they need fans like you.

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Episode 3: The Fertility Journey as a Professional Athlete

In this final episode of our series on IVF, guest host Jill Van Gyn sits down with six-time world champion mountain biker Annika Langvad to explore the unexpected intersection of pro racing and the IVF process.

Her vulnerability offers insight into the quiet battles many athletes face behind the scenes.

She discusses:

• The unique challenges female athletes face around fertility and family planning
• Societal pressures, career timing, and the stigma surrounding fertility struggles in sport
• Her personal IVF experience—including the "loss of control" in the process
• Learning to separate hope from expectation
• To train or not to train during IVF—and why she ultimately chose to workout for her mental health
• The importance of support, community, and continued education
• Her advice for others seeking IVF

This is an inspiring and eye-opening conversation about navigating ambition and humanity—both on and off the bike.

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Episode 2 - The Emotional Highs & Lows of IVF

In this second episode of our series on IVF, co-host Jill Van Gyn explores the emotional complexities of fertility treatments, with a special focus on IVF and pregnancy loss. Joining her is Alexandra Stewart M.A., RCC, PMH-C, a seasoned fertility therapist with personal and deep expertise in reproductive mental health.

They unpack the often unspoken psychological toll of infertility, highlighting:

• the emotional resilience required to endure repeated treatments
• the grief of pregnancy loss
• the impact of societal and self-imposed expectations on the journey to parenthood
• the unexpected toll it can take on relationships and partnerships

Alexandra shares invaluable insights on the importance of therapy as both a coping mechanism and a community-building tool. She also offers guidance on how to support oneself or a loved one through the profound ups and downs of reproductive challenges.

Whether you're facing fertility challenges yourself or supporting someone who is, this conversation offers empathy, understanding, and hope.

Trigger Warning: This episode includes sensitive discussions about pregnancy loss.

Sign up to Receive The Feisty 40+ Newsletter:

https://www.feistymenopause.com/blog/Feisty-40-plus

Sign up to Receive The Feist Newsletter:

https://www.womensperformance.com/the-feist

Follow us on Instagram:

@feisty_womens_performance

Feisty Media Website:

https://livefeisty.com/

https://www.womensperformance.com/

Support our Partners:

Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with the code PERFORMANCE at https://www.previnex.com/