Latest / Beyond the Paw - Clemson Athletics / Ep. 62 - "Keep Going" with Kennedy Wagner

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Ep. 62 - "Keep Going" with Kennedy Wagner · Beyond the Paw - Clemson Athletics

• 0:03
  Speaker 1: Hello, everyone.
• 0:04
  Speaker 2: Welcome back to another episode of Beyond the Paw. I'm
• 0:07
  Speaker 2: your host, Grace LaCrosse, alongside Ashley Pearson. And we have
• 0:11
  Speaker 2: a really awesome episode for you guys today. It's very inspirational.
• 0:15
  Speaker 2: Miss Kennedy Wagner from the volleyball team is joining us today.
• 0:19
  Speaker 2: Let's go Beyond the Paw.
• 0:20
  Speaker 1: Hey, Ashley. Hey, Ashley. Hi, Grace.
• 0:26
  Speaker 3: How are you today?
• 0:27
  Speaker 2: I'm good.
• 0:27
  Speaker 3: How are you?
• 0:28
  Speaker 1: Good.
• 0:28
  Speaker 3: I love your pink sweater.
• 0:29
  Speaker 2: Thank you.
• 0:30
  Speaker 3: Feeling good?
• 0:31
  Speaker 1: Feeling good.
• 0:32
  Speaker 3: The mock neck is really in right now.
• 0:34
  Speaker 2: It is so in right now.
• 0:36
  Speaker 3: It's so in right now.
• 0:36
  Speaker 2: Yes. I keep getting mock necks on my Instagram feed,
• 0:40
  Speaker 2: the little like shop.
• 0:41
  Speaker 1: Yeah.
• 0:42
  Speaker 2: Things where it just has, I want to buy them all.
• 0:45
  Speaker 3: I get got.
• 0:46
  Speaker 1: Mm-hmm.
• 0:46
  Speaker 3: More than I like to admit.
• 0:48
  Speaker 2: And Apple Pay makes it really dangerous.
• 0:49
  Speaker 3: She's like, double click. Just recognize my face.
• 0:52
  Speaker 1: I'm done.
• 0:52
  Speaker 3: I'll take it.
• 0:52
  Speaker 1: Mm-hmm.
• 0:53
  Speaker 2: And I check my bank account. I'm like, ooh, that's rough.
• 0:56
  Speaker 3: This is new, right? This is new.
• 0:58
  Speaker 1: Yeah. Yeah.
• 0:58
  Speaker 3: You were telling me about how you got it earlier.
• 1:00
  Speaker 1: Yes.
• 1:01
  Speaker 2: I literally got an email and I think five minutes
• 1:03
  Speaker 2: later it was in the store.
• 1:05
  Speaker 1: Okay. Yeah.
• 1:06
  Speaker 3: And sometimes... You have to do that for yourself.
• 1:08
  Speaker 2: You know what?
• 1:09
  Speaker 1: Yes. You deserve it.
• 1:10
  Speaker 3: Yeah. Treat yourself.
• 1:12
  Speaker 1: Yeah.
• 1:12
  Speaker 3: Have you seen those memes where it's like me every day?
• 1:15
  Speaker 2: Treat yourself.
• 1:16
  Speaker 3: You don't need a treat every day. No, but sometimes
• 1:19
  Speaker 3: you do. And maybe you do.
• 1:21
  Speaker 2: Speaking of treats.
• 1:22
  Speaker 1: Yeah.
• 1:23
  Speaker 2: It's almost Halloween.
• 1:25
  Speaker 3: And how did we get here?
• 1:27
  Speaker 2: I have no idea.
• 1:28
  Speaker 1: I don't know.
• 1:29
  Speaker 2: It was like that.
• 1:29
  Speaker 3: Did you ever have a favorite Halloween candy? When you
• 1:32
  Speaker 3: would go door to door as a child. Did you
• 1:34
  Speaker 3: go trick or treating? Oh, I went trick or treating.
• 1:35
  Speaker 1: Okay.
• 1:36
  Speaker 2: And the thing about the Midwest, too, is you never know.
• 1:38
  Speaker 2: It might snow on Halloween. It might snow.
• 1:41
  Speaker 3: So would you have to cover up your entire costume? Grace,
• 1:44
  Speaker 3: that's really sad. It's really sad.
• 1:46
  Speaker 2: Especially if you have one that's a little bit more
• 1:49
  Speaker 2: like short sleeve, skirt or something. And then you have
• 1:53
  Speaker 2: to put a coat over it.
• 1:54
  Speaker 1: Yeah.
• 1:54
  Speaker 2: Or it might rain. You have an umbrella. Yeah. It
• 1:57
  Speaker 2: really just depends.
• 1:58
  Speaker 3: Yeah. That would be a bummer.
• 2:00
  Speaker 1: Yeah. Yeah.
• 2:01
  Speaker 2: In honor of Ronan's episode.
• 2:04
  Speaker 1: Yeah.
• 2:04
  Speaker 2: Let's do a little Halloween candy draft.
• 2:07
  Speaker 1: Okay.
• 2:07
  Speaker 2: Because he was talking about his cereal draft.
• 2:09
  Speaker 3: He really did. Yeah. I have bought a few boxes
• 2:12
  Speaker 3: of cereal since then.
• 2:13
  Speaker 1: Really?
• 2:14
  Speaker 2: He inspired you?
• 2:15
  Speaker 1: Yeah.
• 2:16
  Speaker 3: I'm like, yeah, I should mix it up.
• 2:17
  Speaker 1: Yeah. Okay.
• 2:21
  Speaker 3: Go ahead.
• 2:22
  Speaker 2: Okay. I was going to say how we want to
• 2:24
  Speaker 2: do this.
• 2:24
  Speaker 1: Yeah.
• 2:24
  Speaker 3: Like top.
• 2:27
  Speaker 1: Four?
• 2:28
  Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
• 2:29
  Speaker 2: But we're going to go back and forth. So once
• 2:30
  Speaker 2: I say something, you can't say it.
• 2:32
  Speaker 1: Okay. Yeah. Yeah.
• 2:33
  Speaker 2: Do you want to go first? Should we rock, paper,
• 2:35
  Speaker 2: scissors it?
• 2:36
  Speaker 3: Yeah, let's go. Two out of three or one?
• 2:38
  Speaker 1: One. One.
• 2:39
  Speaker 3: Yeah, that was extra.
• 2:40
  Speaker 1: Okay.
• 2:42
  Speaker 3: Okay, I'll go first then.
• 2:46
  Speaker 2: Cookies and cream Hershey's.
• 2:49
  Speaker 3: That's very specific.
• 2:50
  Speaker 2: That was probably my favorite growing up.
• 2:54
  Speaker 3: This probably isn't in anyone's draft but mine, but like
• 2:56
  Speaker 3: a mini Butterfingers.
• 2:58
  Speaker 1: Mm-hmm.
• 2:59
  Speaker 2: I was never a big Butterfingers.
• 3:01
  Speaker 3: Fan, not going to lie.
• 3:03
  Speaker 1: That's okay.
• 3:03
  Speaker 3: A little sticky like this.
• 3:05
  Speaker 2: Yeah. Reese's pumpkins, specifically. The pumpkin shape.
• 3:13
  Speaker 3: Okay. Those lollipops that are like the caramel apple ones.
• 3:17
  Speaker 2: That's really Halloween coated.
• 3:19
  Speaker 3: So coated.
• 3:20
  Speaker 1: Yeah.
• 3:21
  Speaker 3: Those, I'll have that year round. I don't think you
• 3:25
  Speaker 3: can buy them.
• 3:27
  Speaker 2: Amazon it.
• 3:28
  Speaker 1: You're right.
• 3:29
  Speaker 2: I'm going to go just classic M & M' s.
• 3:36
  Speaker 1: Solid.
• 3:38
  Speaker 3: I'm going to go candy corn.
• 3:41
  Speaker 2: Okay. You're going very Halloween.
• 3:45
  Speaker 3: I love a theme. I would say.
• 3:51
  Speaker 2: I'm going to do a Kit Kat.
• 3:55
  Speaker 3: I don't want.
• 3:55
  Speaker 1: Yeah. It's a classic.
• 3:57
  Speaker 3: I'm going cherry Jolly Rancher.
• 3:59
  Speaker 2: Cherry specifically.
• 4:01
  Speaker 3: Thinking of my youth. Like what did I, when you
• 4:02
  Speaker 3: come back and everyone pours all their candy out and you, and.
• 4:05
  Speaker 2: You're trading and stuff.
• 4:06
  Speaker 3: I want that.
• 4:06
  Speaker 1: You take that. Yeah.
• 4:08
  Speaker 3: That's what, those are mine.
• 4:09
  Speaker 1: Okay.
• 4:09
  Speaker 2: My mom always would take all our Twizzlers. Yeah.
• 4:13
  Speaker 1: Yeah. Hot take.
• 4:14
  Speaker 3: I'm taking a red vine over a Twizzler. Really?
• 4:17
  Speaker 1: Yeah.
• 4:17
  Speaker 2: I'm taking the pull and peel cherry Twizzlers.
• 4:21
  Speaker 3: Twizzlers.
• 4:21
  Speaker 1: Yeah. Yeah.
• 4:22
  Speaker 2: The regular Twizzlers.
• 4:24
  Speaker 1: Eh.
• 4:24
  Speaker 3: That's valid.
• 4:25
  Speaker 1: Yeah. Yeah.
• 4:26
  Speaker 2: I would say.
• 4:26
  Speaker 3: Yeah.
• 4:28
  Speaker 2: Wow. Yeah.
• 4:28
  Speaker 3: I think Halloween looked very different for me as a
• 4:30
  Speaker 3: child probably than you being in Southern California.
• 4:32
  Speaker 2: Yeah, definitely.
• 4:33
  Speaker 3: Definitely not the wintertime.
• 4:34
  Speaker 1: No.
• 4:35
  Speaker 3: But it is fall. It is Halloween. That's a fun
• 4:39
  Speaker 3: time of year. All the Burr months are good. Oh,
• 4:41
  Speaker 3: they're great. They're a solid chunk of the year.
• 4:43
  Speaker 2: It's because the vibes are immaculate.
• 4:46
  Speaker 1: It's warm.
• 4:46
  Speaker 3: It's cold. So you get to go inside to get
• 4:48
  Speaker 3: warm and cozy and comfy. And I also love... I
• 4:53
  Speaker 3: do love the sports this time of year. And somewhere
• 4:56
  Speaker 3: I've spent a few nights over the last few weekends
• 4:58
  Speaker 3: is in Jervie Gym.
• 5:00
  Speaker 2: Yeah.
• 5:01
  Speaker 3: Because it's volleyball season. Oh, yeah. Jervie's such a fun place.
• 5:04
  Speaker 3: It's beautiful.
• 5:05
  Speaker 1: It's new.
• 5:05
  Speaker 3: The energy in there is fantastic.
• 5:07
  Speaker 2: The fans are amazing.
• 5:08
  Speaker 3: So good. Yeah. Which is really exciting because today our
• 5:12
  Speaker 3: guest is on the volleyball team.
• 5:14
  Speaker 1: Yes.
• 5:15
  Speaker 3: We have Kennedy today and she's awesome. And so I'm
• 5:18
  Speaker 3: really excited to hop into that.
• 5:21
  Speaker 2: Me too. Let's do it. Today, we are joined by
• 5:27
  Speaker 2: Clemson Volleyball's Kennedy Wagner. Kennedy has been a standout for
• 5:31
  Speaker 2: the Tigers since arriving at Clemson, earning ACC Rookie of
• 5:34
  Speaker 2: the Week honors and leading the Tigers with 39 aces
• 5:37
  Speaker 2: in 2023. She followed that up with a strong 2024
• 5:41
  Speaker 2: season and continued to make an impact in 2025, recording
• 5:44
  Speaker 2: double-digit kills in 12 matches and a career-high 2020 kills
• 5:48
  Speaker 2: against Florida State. Welcome to the show, Kennedy.
• 5:51
  Speaker 1: Thank you for having me, guys.
• 5:53
  Speaker 3: I'm so excited. We're so excited to have you. Thanks
• 5:56
  Speaker 3: for being here with us.
• 5:57
  Speaker 1: Of course.
• 5:58
  Speaker 3: We'll get started today. We've started doing this as we
• 6:01
  Speaker 3: begin with our guests, but starting with a two-word check-in.
• 6:04
  Speaker 3: So the rules of the two-word check-in, they can be
• 6:07
  Speaker 3: any two words. They don't need to really make sense.
• 6:09
  Speaker 3: They don't need to be connected. You can explain them
• 6:11
  Speaker 3: as much or as little as you want, but it's
• 6:13
  Speaker 3: really just kind of like a pulse on how you're doing,
• 6:16
  Speaker 3: how you're feeling today before we get started.
• 6:19
  Speaker 1: Hey, I think just keep going. That's a good two-word
• 6:25
  Speaker 1: check-in for me. Okay.
• 6:26
  Speaker 3: I love that.
• 6:27
  Speaker 2: Keep going.
• 6:27
  Speaker 3: That's good.
• 6:28
  Speaker 2: Because I was thinking like two, I don't know. When
• 6:32
  Speaker 2: you traditionally think of a two-word check-in, you're thinking of
• 6:35
  Speaker 2: two feelings. But you chose two words that go together.
• 6:39
  Speaker 1: Yeah.
• 6:40
  Speaker 3: That's why I love this is. They can literally be
• 6:42
  Speaker 3: any two words. Sometimes people have no words. I said,
• 6:45
  Speaker 3: that's two words. Yeah, exactly. And if that's how you
• 6:48
  Speaker 3: feel today, OK, we can we can start there.
• 6:52
  Speaker 1: No, yeah, for sure. I think I it's a daily
• 6:56
  Speaker 1: thing for me. Like, I think I wake up, say, OK,
• 6:58
  Speaker 1: keep going, like, just keep it up. And I think
• 7:01
  Speaker 1: it's just a thing that's been stuck with me. And
• 7:03
  Speaker 1: that's funny that you guys say that because, like, I
• 7:05
  Speaker 1: have it tattooed on me. Do you really? Yeah. So it's, like,
• 7:08
  Speaker 1: the thing that keeps me going every day.
• 7:10
  Speaker 2: Yeah.
• 7:10
  Speaker 3: She's like, these are my two words every single day.
• 7:12
  Speaker 1: Literally.
• 7:12
  Speaker 3: They don't change.
• 7:13
  Speaker 1: They do not change at all.
• 7:14
  Speaker 2: And you have a reminder of it on your body.
• 7:16
  Speaker 1: Yes. That's beautiful. Oh, I love that. Yeah, for sure. Okay.
• 7:18
  Speaker 3: So, Candice, keep going. Grace, what are yours today?
• 7:21
  Speaker 2: I'm feeling pizzazzed.
• 7:23
  Speaker 3: Wow. Okay.
• 7:24
  Speaker 2: Because I have a new sweatshirt on.
• 7:28
  Speaker 3: Isn't that funny, the magic that comes when you wear
• 7:30
  Speaker 3: something brand new?
• 7:32
  Speaker 1: No, literally.
• 7:36
  Speaker 2: And then my other word would just be joyful.
• 7:39
  Speaker 1: I love that.
• 7:40
  Speaker 2: Yeah.
• 7:40
  Speaker 3: That's joyful. Those are good.
• 7:42
  Speaker 1: Yeah, those are really good ones.
• 7:45
  Speaker 3: I think mine today are I'm feeling.
• 7:51
  Speaker 2: Put together.
• 7:53
  Speaker 1: Yeah. Yeah.
• 7:54
  Speaker 3: I don't feel like that every day or had like a,
• 7:56
  Speaker 3: I had a typical Monday morning at the beginning of
• 7:58
  Speaker 3: this week where like, you know, I had to go,
• 8:00
  Speaker 3: I had left my laptop somewhere, had to go grab
• 8:02
  Speaker 3: it 6.30 a.m. before work, realized it was in my
• 8:05
  Speaker 3: brother's kitchen. And so I think today I feel good.
• 8:09
  Speaker 2: Yeah.
• 8:10
  Speaker 1: I love that.
• 8:10
  Speaker 3: Fully rested, had a good morning. I feel put together.
• 8:13
  Speaker 3: Had a slow morning.
• 8:15
  Speaker 1: Always feels good when you feel put together. It is.
• 8:17
  Speaker 3: It's a, There are certain things where I'm like, if
• 8:20
  Speaker 3: this isn't done right, I can't. I'm not 100%.
• 8:24
  Speaker 1: Yeah.
• 8:24
  Speaker 3: And it can be rare to feel put together. Yes.
• 8:28
  Speaker 3: When everything's clicking, it doesn't happen.
• 8:31
  Speaker 1: It doesn't happen often. No, not at all.
• 8:34
  Speaker 2: Makes those days even better.
• 8:36
  Speaker 1: Better.
• 8:37
  Speaker 2: Yeah.
• 8:37
  Speaker 3: I feel like, okay, for women, I've seen TikToks of this,
• 8:39
  Speaker 3: but it's talking about like your hair, your makeup, your outfit,
• 8:42
  Speaker 3: like of those three. If you have to pick two,
• 8:44
  Speaker 3: what ones do you pick? Or when you have all three,
• 8:47
  Speaker 3: you fully are put together or- yeah what two you
• 8:50
  Speaker 3: would pick to feel the most put together or if
• 8:52
  Speaker 3: you have at least two then like okay you have
• 8:54
  Speaker 3: a good day yeah have you ever have you seen
• 8:57
  Speaker 3: that yeah.
• 8:58
  Speaker 1: I've definitely seen that i don't even know what i
• 9:00
  Speaker 1: would choose if i'm gonna be honest because i really
• 9:02
  Speaker 1: don't care like makeup is whatever i think it'd be
• 9:05
  Speaker 1: hair and outfit so if your hair is good okay
• 9:08
  Speaker 1: yeah i think makeup is fine i you don't need
• 9:11
  Speaker 1: it i love this.
• 9:12
  Speaker 2: Yeah i don't wear makeup really on a day to
• 9:15
  Speaker 2: day you do have really good skin i really wish
• 9:17
  Speaker 2: thank you Yeah, so I would say hair and outfit.
• 9:21
  Speaker 1: Yeah.
• 9:22
  Speaker 2: A bad hair day is really tough.
• 9:24
  Speaker 1: Really, really tough.
• 9:25
  Speaker 3: It's really tough. Because you can't really fix it.
• 9:27
  Speaker 1: No.
• 9:27
  Speaker 3: So it's like, what are you going to do?
• 9:29
  Speaker 1: It's when you just put a hat on.
• 9:30
  Speaker 3: Slick back.
• 9:30
  Speaker 1: Slick back.
• 9:31
  Speaker 2: I love that the slick back is in trend.
• 9:33
  Speaker 1: Yes. Slick back or a hat. Or a claw clip.
• 9:36
  Speaker 3: Or a claw clip.
• 9:37
  Speaker 1: That'll save your day.
• 9:39
  Speaker 2: Okay. So now I want to get into some rapid
• 9:42
  Speaker 2: fire questions.
• 9:43
  Speaker 1: Oh, gosh. Okay.
• 9:45
  Speaker 2: This is not that intimidating.
• 9:46
  Speaker 1: Okay. Don't worry. Okay. Okay. Okay.
• 9:49
  Speaker 2: If you could have one superpower.
• 9:52
  Speaker 1: What would it be? Ooh. Would time travel be one?
• 9:56
  Speaker 3: Yeah.
• 9:57
  Speaker 1: Time travel. I love the time travel. Okay.
• 9:59
  Speaker 3: That's a good one.
• 10:00
  Speaker 1: It's always been like one of my things. Yeah. Yeah.
• 10:03
  Speaker 2: Dream vacation.
• 10:06
  Speaker 1: Um, that's a hard one. I'm going to have to
• 10:10
  Speaker 1: go Bali.
• 10:12
  Speaker 2: That's mine too.
• 10:13
  Speaker 1: Really? Yes. No way.
• 10:14
  Speaker 2: Oh my gosh. I usually don't hear Bali.
• 10:16
  Speaker 1: Okay.
• 10:20
  Speaker 2: One word to describe yourself.
• 10:22
  Speaker 1: Outgoing.
• 10:23
  Speaker 2: I can see that. If you could only eat one
• 10:26
  Speaker 2: meal for the rest of your life, what would it be?
• 10:30
  Speaker 1: This is tough because I'm really picky. Okay. I think
• 10:36
  Speaker 1: this is going to be weird, but any type of seafood. Like,
• 10:40
  Speaker 1: if you just put seafood in front of me, I'm good.
• 10:42
  Speaker 1: I know that may not sound like I'm picky, but
• 10:43
  Speaker 1: I am very picky.
• 10:44
  Speaker 3: Yeah, that is a little surprising.
• 10:46
  Speaker 1: Yes, but if you put, like... A good, like, seafood
• 10:50
  Speaker 1: pasta in front of me. There we go.
• 10:53
  Speaker 3: Anything from the ocean, can you pick?
• 10:54
  Speaker 1: Yes.
• 10:55
  Speaker 2: So you were having fun in Boston.
• 10:56
  Speaker 1: I was having the time of my life. They have good.
• 10:58
  Speaker 2: Seafood out there.
• 10:59
  Speaker 3: Oh, so yummy.
• 11:00
  Speaker 1: Yeah. Oh, yeah.
• 11:02
  Speaker 2: Favorite pizza topping?
• 11:05
  Speaker 3: Cheese.
• 11:07
  Speaker 1: Classic.
• 11:07
  Speaker 2: Honestly, same. A song that you listen to on repeat?
• 11:15
  Speaker 1: That's a good one. Oh, my gosh. My Body Isn't
• 11:18
  Speaker 1: Ready by Somber. I've never heard that song. Wait, it's
• 11:22
  Speaker 1: so good.
• 11:22
  Speaker 3: I haven't heard it either, actually.
• 11:24
  Speaker 2: Listening to that on the drive back from here. If
• 11:28
  Speaker 2: you could instantly become an expert in something, what would
• 11:30
  Speaker 2: it be?
• 11:32
  Speaker 1: Oh, wow. That's a good one. I've never thought of that.
• 11:38
  Speaker 1: I think like knowing every bone in the human body. Wow.
• 11:42
  Speaker 1: I really am interested in that. And I've taken some
• 11:45
  Speaker 1: anatomy classes, but like if I could name off every
• 11:48
  Speaker 1: single one.
• 11:49
  Speaker 3: How many bones are there in the human body?
• 11:51
  Speaker 1: Over 100. Yeah.
• 11:53
  Speaker 3: I want to say 206. It is 200.
• 11:56
  Speaker 1: It's 206 or 209. It's one of them.
• 11:58
  Speaker 3: I think it's 206. And if we're both wrong, I'm
• 12:00
  Speaker 3: sure we'll hear about it.
• 12:01
  Speaker 1: Yeah. No, for sure.
• 12:02
  Speaker 2: Leave it in the comment section below.
• 12:04
  Speaker 1: Oh, yeah.
• 12:05
  Speaker 3: I feel like it's 206.
• 12:06
  Speaker 1: I think it's 206. Yeah. Yeah. And I don't know
• 12:10
  Speaker 1: all of them at all.
• 12:12
  Speaker 3: But you can.
• 12:13
  Speaker 1: But I can. I would love to.
• 12:15
  Speaker 3: Okay.
• 12:15
  Speaker 1: Yeah.
• 12:16
  Speaker 3: It's never too late.
• 12:17
  Speaker 1: It's never too late. I know a few, but that's it.
• 12:20
  Speaker 1: That's all.
• 12:21
  Speaker 3: All right.
• 12:22
  Speaker 2: Most used emoji.
• 12:25
  Speaker 1: Oh, the straight face one. The one that's just like straight.
• 12:29
  Speaker 3: The mouth is the line.
• 12:31
  Speaker 1: The mouth is the line.
• 12:31
  Speaker 2: Do you do the one where the eyes are also straight?
• 12:34
  Speaker 1: Yeah, I do that one too. Yeah, that's the one.
• 12:36
  Speaker 3: Does that mean they're shut?
• 12:38
  Speaker 2: I think so.
• 12:38
  Speaker 1: Yeah, it's like.
• 12:39
  Speaker 3: Make the face of your favorite emoji.
• 12:45
  Speaker 1: I just use it because then I just have no
• 12:47
  Speaker 1: words after the conversation. I'm like, okay. I'm going to.
• 12:50
  Speaker 3: Leave it here.
• 12:51
  Speaker 2: I've been using that one quite often as well as
• 12:55
  Speaker 2: the slap.
• 12:55
  Speaker 1: Oh, the slap one. That one's a good one.
• 12:57
  Speaker 2: They're kind of similar vibes.
• 12:59
  Speaker 1: They are.
• 12:59
  Speaker 3: They are for sure.
• 13:02
  Speaker 2: Three things you can't live without.
• 13:05
  Speaker 1: My dog. I cannot live without him.
• 13:08
  Speaker 3: What's his name?
• 13:09
  Speaker 1: Oreo. And he is literally black and white.
• 13:11
  Speaker 3: So it's perfect.
• 13:12
  Speaker 1: Yeah. Perfect. Um, my stuffed animals.
• 13:17
  Speaker 2: Same.
• 13:18
  Speaker 1: Yeah.
• 13:18
  Speaker 3: I know a lot.
• 13:20
  Speaker 1: I have a lot. It's really bad, but it's okay.
• 13:23
  Speaker 1: It's getting better. I have not bought one in so long, but.
• 13:26
  Speaker 3: You put them on your bed. Yeah, I do.
• 13:28
  Speaker 1: People just gift them to me too. Cause I know
• 13:30
  Speaker 1: I love them. Yeah. I don't know what else. I
• 13:38
  Speaker 1: would have to say my phone, but I'm getting better
• 13:40
  Speaker 1: on like not using it, but I contact everyone through that.
• 13:45
  Speaker 3: So yeah.
• 13:46
  Speaker 1: Yeah. So I'd say my phone. Yeah. That's a basic answer.
• 13:49
  Speaker 2: I know.
• 13:49
  Speaker 1: Sorry guys.
• 13:50
  Speaker 3: But you're reaching for it.
• 13:52
  Speaker 2: Yeah.
• 13:52
  Speaker 1: Better than just to scroll and stuff. But yeah, that's
• 13:56
  Speaker 1: how I get contact. Cause like my family just moved.
• 13:58
  Speaker 1: So I'm like, okay, got to contact some, my hometown
• 14:00
  Speaker 1: friends somehow.
• 14:01
  Speaker 3: Need to talk to you.
• 14:02
  Speaker 1: Yeah, exactly. Yeah, exactly. Yeah.
• 14:04
  Speaker 2: So you have a pretty big family. You have a
• 14:07
  Speaker 2: lot of siblings. Yes, I do. What was that like
• 14:10
  Speaker 2: growing up?
• 14:11
  Speaker 1: So it's a lot. My parents did get divorced when
• 14:16
  Speaker 1: I was in seventh grade. So it was a little tough.
• 14:21
  Speaker 1: I was the second oldest. And then I had my
• 14:25
  Speaker 1: little brother. I have an older sister. And then my
• 14:28
  Speaker 1: parents split. And it was just us three for a while.
• 14:33
  Speaker 1: And then... my both parents got remarried um and then
• 14:38
  Speaker 1: I didn't know how to be the second oldest out
• 14:42
  Speaker 1: of seven siblings like there's a lot of us and
• 14:47
  Speaker 1: I have never been in the I've been in the
• 14:48
  Speaker 1: middle child I've been picked on my siblings would gang
• 14:51
  Speaker 1: up on me like I've just grown up like that
• 14:53
  Speaker 1: and that's okay like I loved it I thought it
• 14:55
  Speaker 1: was funny but then like my mom was like okay
• 14:57
  Speaker 1: like stop picking on her like no more um but
• 15:01
  Speaker 1: honestly it has changed me a lot because now whatever
• 15:05
  Speaker 1: I do like I know I do it with a
• 15:07
  Speaker 1: purpose because they all look up to me um I
• 15:10
  Speaker 1: am very close to my little brother he is my
• 15:12
  Speaker 1: blood sibling him and I are like super tight it
• 15:17
  Speaker 1: has changed a lot of my perspective on like the
• 15:20
  Speaker 1: way I move the way I do things um he
• 15:23
  Speaker 1: really looks up to me a lot he comes hang
• 15:26
  Speaker 1: out with me on the weekends because he lives in
• 15:27
  Speaker 1: Georgia now so it's super nice to see him and
• 15:30
  Speaker 1: then with my step-siblings it's just good to have that
• 15:33
  Speaker 1: extended family because you weren't a part of their life
• 15:37
  Speaker 1: for a while and now like you're going to be
• 15:39
  Speaker 1: a part of their life forever and it's really nice
• 15:41
  Speaker 1: to have them and like learn new things about them
• 15:44
  Speaker 1: every day and my dad and stepmom had a kid
• 15:49
  Speaker 1: He's five, I think. I'm really bad with ages sometimes.
• 15:53
  Speaker 1: But I think the coolest thing is, like, seeing him
• 15:56
  Speaker 1: grow up. Like, I was little when my brother was
• 15:59
  Speaker 1: growing up. And I didn't see him, like, yeah, I
• 16:03
  Speaker 1: remember him talking. But, like, no, I don't remember him
• 16:05
  Speaker 1: taking his first steps. Like, I don't remember that at all.
• 16:08
  Speaker 1: But watching, like, my half-brother do all those little things,
• 16:11
  Speaker 1: it's so amazing. And just, like, seeing him after a
• 16:14
  Speaker 1: long time of not seeing him, like, he's learning new things.
• 16:17
  Speaker 1: He's becoming a whole new person. And I'm like, whoa,
• 16:20
  Speaker 1: but I think it has changed a lot of like
• 16:23
  Speaker 1: how I do my daily things. Cause I know like
• 16:25
  Speaker 1: I have siblings and I have a lot of them
• 16:27
  Speaker 1: looking up to me. And then my other two step siblings,
• 16:31
  Speaker 1: they don't have a mom. So like my mom and
• 16:34
  Speaker 1: I have been really supportive of them and it's just
• 16:37
  Speaker 1: like hard and it's, Very warming that they love me.
• 16:42
  Speaker 1: And it's just so nice because we have group FaceTimes.
• 16:45
  Speaker 1: We talk all the freaking time. Like, I just love
• 16:48
  Speaker 1: them with my whole entire heart. Everyone's like, that's a lot.
• 16:51
  Speaker 1: And I'm like, it is. But also, like, they're your
• 16:54
  Speaker 1: best friends. Like, you have friends for life. I have
• 16:57
  Speaker 1: seven friends. friends for life like built in built in
• 17:01
  Speaker 1: friends and it's super nice because I am the second
• 17:05
  Speaker 1: oldest and we all are kind of close in age
• 17:07
  Speaker 1: so it's just nice to have them around like I
• 17:09
  Speaker 1: love them to death and I'm like so excited to
• 17:11
  Speaker 1: see like where they like continue to grow and stuff
• 17:14
  Speaker 1: and just like watching them and it's cool because they
• 17:17
  Speaker 1: all look up to me and like I am the
• 17:19
  Speaker 1: only one that's a college athlete and my brother will
• 17:22
  Speaker 1: probably be one too he's huge a basketball player and
• 17:25
  Speaker 1: so it's just nice because they're like wow like you're
• 17:28
  Speaker 1: doing so good. Like we're so proud of you. And
• 17:30
  Speaker 1: it's just like good to like have that feeling with
• 17:32
  Speaker 1: like my siblings, like watching. Yeah. Yeah.
• 17:34
  Speaker 2: Well, this is something we've talked about a lot on
• 17:36
  Speaker 2: the podcast. That's very important to have a good support system. Yeah.
• 17:40
  Speaker 2: Especially when you're a college athlete and the demands are
• 17:43
  Speaker 2: so heavy sometimes.
• 17:44
  Speaker 1: Yeah.
• 17:45
  Speaker 2: End, your days might not look perfect. And so you
• 17:48
  Speaker 2: can come back to your siblings or your family or
• 17:50
  Speaker 2: whoever it might be and talk with them or laugh
• 17:52
  Speaker 2: with them.
• 17:53
  Speaker 3: That's so important.
• 17:54
  Speaker 1: Yeah, no, it is. And they like understand my humor.
• 17:57
  Speaker 1: Like I am sometimes really rude, but sometimes like it's
• 18:01
  Speaker 1: in a funny way and they understand it. Like we
• 18:04
  Speaker 1: also just gang up on each other. And I love that.
• 18:06
  Speaker 1: Like I love that part of family. And We sometimes
• 18:09
  Speaker 1: gang up with, like, the parents. Like, we'll have these
• 18:11
  Speaker 1: little secrets. And it's just, like, super nice to, like,
• 18:13
  Speaker 1: have that with them. But I love them to death.
• 18:15
  Speaker 1: Love all of them.
• 18:16
  Speaker 3: And it's so nice to have people, your family, whoever
• 18:19
  Speaker 3: that is, that you can just be truly authentic with.
• 18:22
  Speaker 3: And they get you. And you're like, I don't have
• 18:24
  Speaker 3: to explain this. Like, they understand how I show up.
• 18:26
  Speaker 3: They understand my humor. So you just get to really
• 18:29
  Speaker 3: let all those guards down.
• 18:30
  Speaker 1: Yeah.
• 18:31
  Speaker 3: And that is so amazing. So needed, you know, especially
• 18:35
  Speaker 3: to your point, when you're in the grind as a
• 18:37
  Speaker 3: student athlete, all those places, I would imagine having a little,
• 18:40
  Speaker 3: you know, coming to other people outside of that is
• 18:44
  Speaker 3: also really helpful.
• 18:44
  Speaker 1: Yeah.
• 18:45
  Speaker 3: Aren't maybe doing everything you're doing every day or on
• 18:47
  Speaker 3: your team, but that you can just kind of have
• 18:50
  Speaker 3: solace with in another space. Yeah.
• 18:53
  Speaker 2: Yeah, for sure. Can you think of any moments in
• 18:57
  Speaker 2: your life or college career that it was very important
• 19:00
  Speaker 2: for you to have that support system?
• 19:02
  Speaker 1: Yeah, I think when I tore my ACL, I think
• 19:05
  Speaker 1: that was a big thing. I was going through a
• 19:07
  Speaker 1: lot those weeks. It was hard. And just having their
• 19:12
  Speaker 1: backs was really important. And I got texts from them.
• 19:16
  Speaker 1: I got calls from them like after surgery, like they
• 19:19
  Speaker 1: were checking in and it's like meant a lot. Like
• 19:22
  Speaker 1: I think having that support system during that hard time
• 19:24
  Speaker 1: was really, really needed. Yeah.
• 19:27
  Speaker 2: Injuries can be so difficult.
• 19:29
  Speaker 1: Yeah.
• 19:29
  Speaker 2: So difficult. What was the hardest part of the recovery
• 19:33
  Speaker 2: process that people couldn't necessarily see from the outside?
• 19:38
  Speaker 1: I would say the mental part. I am a very
• 19:40
  Speaker 1: positive person and I don't like to show my emotions
• 19:43
  Speaker 1: a lot. And I think it's just because I know
• 19:45
  Speaker 1: a lot of people are looking up to me and
• 19:47
  Speaker 1: I don't want to show that like I'm going through
• 19:49
  Speaker 1: a lot of things but the mental part was tough
• 19:52
  Speaker 1: and I've been working on my mental health for a
• 19:54
  Speaker 1: long time and I think going through it alone was
• 20:00
  Speaker 1: hard and I don't sometimes I like to go through
• 20:02
  Speaker 1: things alone and I thought I could go through the
• 20:05
  Speaker 1: recovery process alone and I was like okay I got
• 20:07
  Speaker 1: it And then it was just like mentally like there
• 20:10
  Speaker 1: are days where I was drained and I was like,
• 20:12
  Speaker 1: I don't know if I can keep going. I don't
• 20:14
  Speaker 1: know if like I can do this. And I think
• 20:18
  Speaker 1: that was like one part that a lot of people
• 20:20
  Speaker 1: didn't see because they always just saw my positive side
• 20:23
  Speaker 1: and they always just saw me smiling and like not
• 20:25
  Speaker 1: the tough moments like during rehab that I had to
• 20:27
  Speaker 1: go through and the little things like that. And I
• 20:30
  Speaker 1: think that was like really hard, but I feel more
• 20:33
  Speaker 1: like I wouldn't say like I feel more mentally strong.
• 20:37
  Speaker 1: Like I think going through that really helped me with
• 20:40
  Speaker 1: like the way I go about things now.
• 20:43
  Speaker 2: Yeah.
• 20:43
  Speaker 1: Yeah.
• 20:44
  Speaker 2: Do you feel like your identity as a positive person
• 20:48
  Speaker 2: was difficult for you to keep up throughout the process?
• 20:53
  Speaker 2: Because I know sometimes people have this idea of I
• 20:55
  Speaker 2: am this person. I have to be the happy person.
• 20:58
  Speaker 2: I have to be the positive person. And when you
• 21:00
  Speaker 2: put that pressure on yourself to always be that, it
• 21:03
  Speaker 2: can almost be tiring and exhausting sometimes. Did you find
• 21:06
  Speaker 2: that throughout the process when you had those hard days?
• 21:09
  Speaker 1: Yeah, I did. And it's like hard because I think
• 21:13
  Speaker 1: also with my team, like I had a great start
• 21:16
  Speaker 1: of my season last year and it was just like
• 21:19
  Speaker 1: the constant like questions and just people like asking me like,
• 21:22
  Speaker 1: how are you doing? Like, you look great. Like you're
• 21:25
  Speaker 1: doing awesome. And I was just like, at some point
• 21:28
  Speaker 1: I wanted to just like break down and it was
• 21:31
  Speaker 1: just so tiring to be like keeping that smile on
• 21:34
  Speaker 1: my face and I mean, there were just fans like
• 21:37
  Speaker 1: asking me little things and I was just like, yeah,
• 21:39
  Speaker 1: I'm doing great. I'm doing awesome. Like that's all I
• 21:42
  Speaker 1: would give like the answers. And it was just, it
• 21:44
  Speaker 1: was tiring at a point. Like I was like, okay,
• 21:46
  Speaker 1: there is a point where I'm going to break and
• 21:48
  Speaker 1: I can break in front of people. And I started
• 21:51
  Speaker 1: to break more in front of my trainer, Mita. I
• 21:55
  Speaker 1: started to like open up more with her and become like, okay,
• 21:58
  Speaker 1: I don't need to stay positive all the time. Like
• 22:00
  Speaker 1: even she told me, dude, she's like, there are going
• 22:02
  Speaker 1: to be tough days like where you don't. like think
• 22:04
  Speaker 1: you can do it anymore and I was like yeah
• 22:06
  Speaker 1: I'm feeling that it's today yeah like that's today but
• 22:10
  Speaker 1: like in those moments like I just have never been
• 22:13
  Speaker 1: viewed as not a positive person so it's like hard
• 22:16
  Speaker 1: to like fake that smile sometimes now because I'm just
• 22:20
  Speaker 1: like okay I've been through the worst of the worst
• 22:23
  Speaker 1: and I'm trying to be there for my team and
• 22:27
  Speaker 1: mind you I'm not traveling with my team at this
• 22:29
  Speaker 1: moment like I didn't travel at all last year after
• 22:31
  Speaker 1: tearing it and it was just like okay, how do
• 22:34
  Speaker 1: I stay positive? But also like allow myself to feel
• 22:37
  Speaker 1: these emotions, like allow myself to go through this. Cause
• 22:41
  Speaker 1: I feel like at points I was like not allowing
• 22:43
  Speaker 1: myself to do that and like take in everything. Yeah.
• 22:46
  Speaker 3: How do you think when you think about that experience
• 22:48
  Speaker 3: and navigating, we've talked about, you know, maintaining positivity, but
• 22:53
  Speaker 3: starting to let yourself express some of those emotions that
• 22:56
  Speaker 3: maybe aren't as positive. How do you think that has
• 22:58
  Speaker 3: shaped how you try to lead others now? Like when
• 23:01
  Speaker 3: you think about Because that's vulnerable.
• 23:03
  Speaker 1: Yeah.
• 23:04
  Speaker 3: But that's also part of leadership is being vulnerable about
• 23:07
  Speaker 3: your experience and saying, hey, I'm not 100 right now.
• 23:11
  Speaker 2: Yeah.
• 23:11
  Speaker 3: I need help. So how do you think that has
• 23:13
  Speaker 3: helped you view leadership or view how you support your
• 23:17
  Speaker 3: teammates and show up for them?
• 23:19
  Speaker 1: Yeah. I think with leadership, I've learned a lot that, like,
• 23:24
  Speaker 1: leaders can have bad days and you don't need to
• 23:27
  Speaker 1: be perfect all the time. I think with power, too,
• 23:29
  Speaker 1: it really helped that, like, also leaders– sometimes you don't
• 23:32
  Speaker 1: need to speak and sometimes you can just sit back
• 23:34
  Speaker 1: and watch other people lead. And I think that was,
• 23:40
  Speaker 1: One thing where I kind of like tell like the
• 23:42
  Speaker 1: younger teammates of mine, because we do have a very
• 23:45
  Speaker 1: young team and I'm like, guys, it's okay to have
• 23:48
  Speaker 1: rough days because we are all hard on ourselves. And
• 23:51
  Speaker 1: I think that was a big thing that I have
• 23:53
  Speaker 1: learned too, that like, okay, allow yourself to feel these moments.
• 23:58
  Speaker 1: Do not bottle it in. It's okay to be upset.
• 24:01
  Speaker 1: Don't feel like you're weak in any way because I mean, you're,
• 24:06
  Speaker 1: it's part of being an athlete, showing your emotions. Like
• 24:08
  Speaker 1: that's totally okay. Like yeah you want to put on
• 24:10
  Speaker 1: a smile for the fans but at the end of
• 24:12
  Speaker 1: the day like we're allowed to feel things I think
• 24:14
  Speaker 1: that's what a lot of athletes like hold back is
• 24:17
  Speaker 1: okay we need to like put a smile be positive
• 24:19
  Speaker 1: like we can't feel anything right now like but I
• 24:22
  Speaker 1: think a lot of things that I've told the younger
• 24:25
  Speaker 1: like my younger teammates is just like allow yourself to
• 24:28
  Speaker 1: like feel those things like I've been through it it's
• 24:31
  Speaker 1: okay to be sad but also like you have so
• 24:34
  Speaker 1: many people supporting you on the team that you can
• 24:36
  Speaker 1: go to anyone anyone has been through these little things
• 24:39
  Speaker 1: and I think our team is very open. And if
• 24:41
  Speaker 1: we're going through something like we'll reach out and like, hey,
• 24:45
  Speaker 1: what advice could you give me? And I think that's
• 24:47
  Speaker 1: something like that's super special to me is that like
• 24:49
  Speaker 1: we have that bond that and like I have that
• 24:52
  Speaker 1: bond with people like they come to me. They're like, hey,
• 24:54
  Speaker 1: I know you've been through. Can you help me like
• 24:56
  Speaker 1: with little things like with mental health? Like how do
• 24:58
  Speaker 1: I get these negative thoughts? And I'm just like, yeah,
• 25:00
  Speaker 1: of course, like I'm going to be that person for them.
• 25:03
  Speaker 1: And I think that's super important. Like I kind of
• 25:05
  Speaker 1: hold close to my heart because I'm like, okay, these
• 25:08
  Speaker 1: people are leaning on me. Like they see that I
• 25:09
  Speaker 1: struggled at one point and that like, they're like, no,
• 25:12
  Speaker 1: you bounced back. And it's like important for me.
• 25:15
  Speaker 2: Yeah, definitely. When you're bringing up this idea of feeling
• 25:18
  Speaker 2: your feelings, it reminds me of this metaphor that I've
• 25:22
  Speaker 2: been told before. And it's like, if you have a
• 25:25
  Speaker 2: bottle of water or soda, I think it was soda.
• 25:29
  Speaker 2: And you keep filling it up and it gets to
• 25:30
  Speaker 2: the top and then you just start to shake it
• 25:32
  Speaker 2: and you don't let it go. I mean, it is combusting, right?
• 25:36
  Speaker 2: And then once you finally open it, it explodes. But
• 25:40
  Speaker 2: if you let things out little by little and you
• 25:43
  Speaker 2: don't keep filling it up and trying to pack it
• 25:44
  Speaker 2: all in there, then you don't have that huge explosion, right?
• 25:49
  Speaker 2: It's not going to come crashing and burning at the
• 25:51
  Speaker 2: end and you're just taking care of yourself as you go.
• 25:55
  Speaker 2: What do you feel like on the hardest days you
• 25:57
  Speaker 2: do to empty your bottle or I guess take care
• 26:01
  Speaker 2: of yourself.
• 26:02
  Speaker 1: Yeah um I kind of just escape into allowing myself
• 26:08
  Speaker 1: to like let my teammates in or let my family
• 26:10
  Speaker 1: in um I feel like in the hardest days I
• 26:13
  Speaker 1: like to be alone and I'm like I can't do
• 26:16
  Speaker 1: that anymore that's that's not me because like you said
• 26:20
  Speaker 1: at one point you're gonna explode by yourself and it's
• 26:22
  Speaker 1: just like you you need to find that like I
• 26:26
  Speaker 1: don't know, like the middle, middle ground with like everything.
• 26:28
  Speaker 1: Like you need to find these like things that help you.
• 26:32
  Speaker 1: And I feel like with me on my hardest days,
• 26:34
  Speaker 1: I'm like, okay, I'm gonna be extra positive. I'm gonna
• 26:37
  Speaker 1: be extra like happy. I'm gonna be extra supportive. Like
• 26:39
  Speaker 1: that helps me take my mind off myself. And like
• 26:43
  Speaker 1: with practices, like we are in season right now. So
• 26:45
  Speaker 1: it's a lot. And there are very hard days and
• 26:49
  Speaker 1: days where I struggle a lot because I'm still trying
• 26:51
  Speaker 1: to get back into things. And I'm like, okay, What
• 26:54
  Speaker 1: could I do? And I'm like, OK, let me feed
• 26:56
  Speaker 1: into my other teammates. Like, let me support them. And like, oh,
• 26:59
  Speaker 1: if they're doing something great, let me tell them that
• 27:01
  Speaker 1: they're doing something great. It helps me like, OK, I'm
• 27:04
  Speaker 1: not worried about myself anymore. I'm worried about like, OK,
• 27:06
  Speaker 1: my teammates are doing awesome. Let me lean into that.
• 27:09
  Speaker 3: I love that you say that because I think both
• 27:11
  Speaker 3: are so important. You have to take care of yourself.
• 27:13
  Speaker 3: I also think sometimes maybe we as a society now
• 27:17
  Speaker 3: put so much emphasis on ourselves. Yeah. But like you're
• 27:21
  Speaker 3: talking about, you're on a team.
• 27:22
  Speaker 1: Yeah.
• 27:22
  Speaker 3: That's full of other people too. If he, if Kenny's
• 27:25
  Speaker 3: not having the best day, how do I channel that
• 27:27
  Speaker 3: energy to support my teammate to show up for them?
• 27:29
  Speaker 2: Yeah.
• 27:29
  Speaker 3: Because there's a whole other, there's the rest of my,
• 27:31
  Speaker 3: this roster that is still showing up. And as a team,
• 27:34
  Speaker 3: we still have to do this.
• 27:36
  Speaker 1: Yeah.
• 27:36
  Speaker 3: Navigate this together. Yeah. So it is, it's like this
• 27:39
  Speaker 3: hard balance because you do have to take care of
• 27:41
  Speaker 3: you to show up for them. And when do you
• 27:44
  Speaker 3: shift that attention to your team? Like put that energy there.
• 27:48
  Speaker 3: So I love that you, articulated that in that way
• 27:51
  Speaker 3: yeah it's really important.
• 27:53
  Speaker 1: It is super important because that's also one thing that
• 27:56
  Speaker 1: we have talked about as a team is like okay
• 27:59
  Speaker 1: if you're not feeling your best that day go lean
• 28:01
  Speaker 1: into someone else who may be doing their best like
• 28:05
  Speaker 1: it's super important because with a team like six people
• 28:10
  Speaker 1: are on the court you got to be connected in
• 28:12
  Speaker 1: a way like even on the bench too, you have
• 28:14
  Speaker 1: to be connected. Like you have to build that chemistry,
• 28:16
  Speaker 1: feel supported. And when one person's down, like someone's got
• 28:21
  Speaker 1: to lift it up because it could, bring the whole
• 28:23
  Speaker 1: team down. And it's a lot. And I think that's
• 28:26
  Speaker 1: something we have been really working on is like lean
• 28:28
  Speaker 1: into other people when you are not your best. And
• 28:30
  Speaker 1: I think that's something that I have been working on
• 28:33
  Speaker 1: is like, okay, if I'm not doing my best, okay,
• 28:36
  Speaker 1: screw myself, but not really. But like at the same time, like, yeah,
• 28:40
  Speaker 1: because I shouldn't be so consumed about like how I'm doing. Like,
• 28:43
  Speaker 1: let's worry about other people.
• 28:44
  Speaker 3: Because sorry.
• 28:45
  Speaker 2: No, I was just agreeing.
• 28:48
  Speaker 3: No, to your point, like in the same way that
• 28:51
  Speaker 3: one person could start to bring energy down, one can
• 28:54
  Speaker 3: bring it up.
• 28:54
  Speaker 1: Exactly. Yeah.
• 28:56
  Speaker 3: It's like you got to look at both.
• 28:57
  Speaker 1: Yeah.
• 28:58
  Speaker 3: You know what I mean? You need that.
• 28:59
  Speaker 2: Yeah.
• 29:00
  Speaker 3: Um, especially to like volleyball, so much is happening at
• 29:02
  Speaker 3: so fast pace. Like even if you are on the bench,
• 29:05
  Speaker 3: it's like, you've got to be so locked in, in anything,
• 29:07
  Speaker 3: but so much is happening and just being in tune
• 29:11
  Speaker 3: and having that energy because momentum can shift so quickly,
• 29:15
  Speaker 3: so fast. I do love that about volleyball.
• 29:17
  Speaker 1: Yeah.
• 29:18
  Speaker 3: Where my head just like back and forth.
• 29:20
  Speaker 1: Yeah. You're like, Oh, what's going on? Oh, okay. Okay. Yeah.
• 29:24
  Speaker 2: On our team retreat, we were watching one of your
• 29:26
  Speaker 2: volleyball games and we were getting so locked in. Oh,
• 29:30
  Speaker 2: my gosh. I mean, we were all sitting there on
• 29:33
  Speaker 2: the edge of our seats shaking. And when you guys
• 29:35
  Speaker 2: would get a point, we were jumping up and down.
• 29:38
  Speaker 2: It was really fun to watch.
• 29:40
  Speaker 1: It was so fun. I tell people that even if
• 29:42
  Speaker 1: you don't understand it, you'll understand it if you watch it.
• 29:46
  Speaker 1: You're like, oh, okay, you just need three hits. Yeah,
• 29:48
  Speaker 1: that's a good point. That's a good kill. Little things
• 29:50
  Speaker 1: like that. And it's so fun to watch. And I
• 29:53
  Speaker 1: think we got a video set. um kitty showed us
• 29:56
  Speaker 1: and it was like you guys been so excited like
• 29:58
  Speaker 1: that's something like because we watch you guys all the
• 30:00
  Speaker 1: time and it's just like that's one thing too i
• 30:02
  Speaker 1: think a lot of athletes here support other athletes and
• 30:06
  Speaker 1: other teams and it's like so like it feels so
• 30:09
  Speaker 1: good that we all have each other's backs.
• 30:11
  Speaker 3: Yeah, I agree. I was at one of your games recently.
• 30:13
  Speaker 3: I was like, that's the entire lacrosse team.
• 30:16
  Speaker 1: Yeah.
• 30:16
  Speaker 3: Half of women's soccer was down in front of me.
• 30:18
  Speaker 1: I'm like, okay. And then tennis comes and I'm just
• 30:21
  Speaker 1: like track. And I'm like, yeah, you know what? We
• 30:23
  Speaker 1: are right there too. So I'm just like, yeah, you
• 30:26
  Speaker 1: guys can go eat and then come watch us.
• 30:28
  Speaker 3: It's a great hub.
• 30:29
  Speaker 1: It is.
• 30:29
  Speaker 3: Come on in. We got a game. Let's go. Yeah.
• 30:33
  Speaker 2: How was that getting the new facility?
• 30:36
  Speaker 1: I love it. I love it. I love it so much.
• 30:40
  Speaker 1: I mean, I was here freshman year. We had the
• 30:42
  Speaker 1: old facility. The ceiling was horrible. So, I mean, with volleyball,
• 30:47
  Speaker 1: with digs, anything could hit the ceiling.
• 30:50
  Speaker 3: And it was extreme.
• 30:52
  Speaker 1: And that was like a game changer with a higher ceiling.
• 30:54
  Speaker 1: And I just think our facility is one of the
• 30:56
  Speaker 1: nicest ones in the country. I think, if so, the
• 30:59
  Speaker 1: nicest one. And it's so nice because we bring in
• 31:01
  Speaker 1: a great fan base. And it's so hard to play
• 31:04
  Speaker 1: in Jervie. So hard. Like, if I was another team,
• 31:07
  Speaker 1: I'd be like, oh, my gosh. Like, I'd be scared
• 31:09
  Speaker 1: to play in our gym because it's just, like, central
• 31:11
  Speaker 1: spirit is so, like, intense. And I love it.
• 31:14
  Speaker 2: Yeah.
• 31:15
  Speaker 1: And I think our fans are intense, too. And, yeah,
• 31:18
  Speaker 1: I love the facility. It's awesome.
• 31:19
  Speaker 2: Yeah.
• 31:20
  Speaker 3: That's amazing. DJ Shay. Shout out to DJ Shay. He
• 31:23
  Speaker 3: is DJ Shay.
• 31:24
  Speaker 1: So awesome.
• 31:25
  Speaker 3: He, like, wrote and rapped a song for volleyball.
• 31:28
  Speaker 1: Did he actually?
• 31:29
  Speaker 3: Oh, you've got to listen to it. I've got to
• 31:30
  Speaker 3: tap in. I was just, like, in there watching the
• 31:33
  Speaker 3: game vibe, and I was like, wait, he's like talking
• 31:35
  Speaker 3: about Jervie. This is DJ Shay. I'm like, oh, okay.
• 31:39
  Speaker 3: So funny.
• 31:40
  Speaker 1: I love it. It's stuck in my head now because
• 31:42
  Speaker 1: I have heard it for so long because we've been home.
• 31:45
  Speaker 1: So I'm just like, okay. And it's just like, every
• 31:48
  Speaker 1: time it turns on, I'm like, yeah, okay. Jervie's jumping here.
• 31:51
  Speaker 3: It's like, yeah, Jervie's really jumping.
• 31:54
  Speaker 2: Can DJ Shay write a gymnastics?
• 31:57
  Speaker 3: I'm calling you out. Can I get him on the phone?
• 31:59
  Speaker 1: Yeah, he needs to because ours is really good and
• 32:02
  Speaker 1: everyone's like catchy and And, I mean, I like it. Yeah.
• 32:06
  Speaker 3: You've got to hear it.
• 32:07
  Speaker 1: You have to hear it. Yeah.
• 32:09
  Speaker 2: Oh, my gosh. I'm actually in shock. The thing you
• 32:12
  Speaker 2: said about Central Spirit, when they come to gymnastics meets, they'll, like,
• 32:15
  Speaker 2: paint leotard replicas onto their bodies.
• 32:18
  Speaker 1: That's insane.
• 32:18
  Speaker 2: I don't know if they do anything like that for volleyball, but.
• 32:21
  Speaker 1: No, they took off their shirts on Sunday. That helped.
• 32:25
  Speaker 1: They stacked their hats.
• 32:26
  Speaker 3: Or who was... That was students, maybe.
• 32:27
  Speaker 1: No, yeah, Central Spirit. They stacked their hats. They do, like,
• 32:30
  Speaker 1: the most craziest things ever because... The camera's right there.
• 32:34
  Speaker 1: So they get every shot. But, yeah, they took off
• 32:37
  Speaker 1: their shirts on Sunday. I, like, turned around. I was like,
• 32:39
  Speaker 1: what is going on? Like, what is this?
• 32:41
  Speaker 2: Yeah. It can be a little distracting at times.
• 32:44
  Speaker 1: Just a little bit. Just a little bit. No.
• 32:47
  Speaker 2: That's the one thing I love about college sports and
• 32:50
  Speaker 2: just sports in general is the fan base and how
• 32:52
  Speaker 2: they come together to support their team.
• 32:54
  Speaker 3: A common purpose. It's a common purpose.
• 32:56
  Speaker 2: There's so much joy. There's so much love. And it's
• 33:00
  Speaker 2: so special.
• 33:01
  Speaker 1: Yeah.
• 33:01
  Speaker 2: And I know you want to stick in the sports industry, right?
• 33:05
  Speaker 2: When you're done with college, can you speak about.
• 33:07
  Speaker 1: That a little bit? Yeah. I would love to be
• 33:09
  Speaker 1: a sideline reporter or broadcaster. I have always, when I
• 33:15
  Speaker 1: was little, I wanted to be a veterinarian and I
• 33:17
  Speaker 1: was like, absolutely not. I can't go to school for
• 33:20
  Speaker 1: that long. But yeah, I have just, I've known I
• 33:25
  Speaker 1: want to keep sports in my life. And I was like,
• 33:28
  Speaker 1: where what way because I don't want to go play
• 33:29
  Speaker 1: pro I don't want to do that I want to
• 33:31
  Speaker 1: be done and I was like what way could I
• 33:33
  Speaker 1: keep it in my life and I was like you
• 33:34
  Speaker 1: know what broadcasting would be awesome I love talking I
• 33:37
  Speaker 1: love watching sports like I'm a big basketball fan so
• 33:40
  Speaker 1: I will watch basketball all the time and it's just
• 33:44
  Speaker 1: super exciting and I'm really excited I just have always
• 33:48
  Speaker 1: just wanted to do like maybe like MLB too, like
• 33:52
  Speaker 1: baseball would be fun. Um, but I think my goal
• 33:55
  Speaker 1: is like college men's basketball. Like I think that would
• 33:57
  Speaker 1: be insane. Would love to work March madness. Um, we
• 34:01
  Speaker 1: do a March madness bracket in my family every year
• 34:04
  Speaker 1: and it's intense. Uh, I've lost like the past two
• 34:07
  Speaker 1: years or something like that, but it's fine.
• 34:08
  Speaker 2: Um, this year is your year.
• 34:10
  Speaker 1: No, it is. It is. But yeah, I think it's
• 34:13
  Speaker 1: just so cool seeing all the women going to broadcasting.
• 34:16
  Speaker 1: And I think I want to like continue to like
• 34:18
  Speaker 1: keep that up and like, I think there's a lot of, like,
• 34:22
  Speaker 1: talk of, like, oh, like, women don't need to do this.
• 34:24
  Speaker 1: But also at the same time, like, yeah, we deserve
• 34:27
  Speaker 1: to do this. Like, we deserve to, like, broadcast even
• 34:30
  Speaker 1: male sports, too. Like, you see all of, like, more
• 34:34
  Speaker 1: women on the camera and stuff. And I think that's
• 34:37
  Speaker 1: super important. And I think that's, like, something I've just, like,
• 34:40
  Speaker 1: always wanted to do. Mm-hmm.
• 34:42
  Speaker 3: So you're comfortable, you like being on camera?
• 34:43
  Speaker 1: I love being on camera. I'm like, you know what?
• 34:46
  Speaker 1: I've been on camera for a while now. Like, you
• 34:48
  Speaker 1: know what? Keep it up, yeah. Let's just keep going.
• 34:50
  Speaker 2: Do you feel like there was anything as a student
• 34:53
  Speaker 2: athlete that you've learned that you can bring into your
• 34:56
  Speaker 2: experience as a broadcasting later on?
• 34:58
  Speaker 1: Yeah, I think storytelling and being yourself. I think that's
• 35:03
  Speaker 1: super important. I've always been told, like, storytelling will get
• 35:06
  Speaker 1: you a long way. And I think also with just
• 35:09
  Speaker 1: being yourself, like, everyone's gonna see your true self at
• 35:12
  Speaker 1: one point why not just show them now like I
• 35:15
  Speaker 1: think that's super important to like not fake yourself on
• 35:18
  Speaker 1: camera or like little things like that I think that's
• 35:21
  Speaker 1: kind of what I'm gonna take in with me when
• 35:23
  Speaker 1: I go into broadcasting it's like okay I'm just gonna
• 35:24
  Speaker 1: be myself like be my happy giddy giddy self because
• 35:28
  Speaker 1: I'm just like you know what that's who I am
• 35:30
  Speaker 1: and that's what people like really want to see they
• 35:32
  Speaker 1: don't want to see like the fake Kennedy like that's
• 35:35
  Speaker 1: just not who I am.
• 35:36
  Speaker 2: Yeah And I think authenticity is something that is so
• 35:39
  Speaker 2: important in the media because you get so many people
• 35:42
  Speaker 2: that just post their highlights, that just post the good things.
• 35:45
  Speaker 2: And you never really feel connected to them because to
• 35:49
  Speaker 2: some extent, they're just a face, right? And it's when
• 35:52
  Speaker 2: you're able to be your authentic, giddy, happy, but maybe
• 35:56
  Speaker 2: not always self, right? That people truly feel connected to you.
• 36:01
  Speaker 2: And that draws them in because when they feel like
• 36:03
  Speaker 2: they know you, they want to know more about what
• 36:05
  Speaker 2: you're doing. They want to hear from you. They want
• 36:07
  Speaker 2: to hear what you have to say and they build
• 36:09
  Speaker 2: that trust with you. And that's so important in the media.
• 36:12
  Speaker 1: Yeah.
• 36:13
  Speaker 3: Relatability. And I think you do a really good job
• 36:16
  Speaker 3: at that. All of those things that Grace just listed,
• 36:18
  Speaker 3: but just being authentic, being able to relate to others.
• 36:23
  Speaker 3: And I think that that is something that's really important.
• 36:25
  Speaker 3: And you talked about it a little bit before, but
• 36:27
  Speaker 3: I would love to hear more about your journey through
• 36:31
  Speaker 3: mental health and just what that has meant to you
• 36:33
  Speaker 3: and how that has impacted you. When I think about
• 36:35
  Speaker 3: you being relatable, like you're so easy to talk to and, um,
• 36:39
  Speaker 3: I would just love to hear more about that. Yeah,
• 36:41
  Speaker 3: of course.
• 36:41
  Speaker 1: Um, I mean, coming in as a freshman, I didn't
• 36:45
  Speaker 1: really know much about mental health and I was like, okay,
• 36:47
  Speaker 1: I'm never going to struggle with these things. Like I'll
• 36:49
  Speaker 1: be fine. Like I'm, I'm okay. I'm a positive person.
• 36:52
  Speaker 1: Like I'm going to come in here, be the athlete
• 36:54
  Speaker 1: I am. And then I just went through a lot
• 36:57
  Speaker 1: my freshman year and I was like, I can't do
• 37:00
  Speaker 1: it alone anymore. And so I've seen Cassidy since I
• 37:03
  Speaker 1: was a freshman. And I think truly she has changed
• 37:08
  Speaker 1: my life. Like just being able to talk to someone
• 37:12
  Speaker 1: that isn't a family member, isn't a teammate, a safe place,
• 37:16
  Speaker 1: isn't a coach, like little things like that. Like, I
• 37:18
  Speaker 1: think it's so nice, like being able to like, okay,
• 37:22
  Speaker 1: I'm just going to let loose and tell you everything
• 37:23
  Speaker 1: that's going on. Um, I, a lot of people don't know,
• 37:27
  Speaker 1: like I have been very open since last year about
• 37:30
  Speaker 1: my mental health. I think that was a big thing
• 37:33
  Speaker 1: for me too. And then obviously ACL, like I was like, okay,
• 37:37
  Speaker 1: a lot of people text me like you're mentally strong
• 37:39
  Speaker 1: for this. Like you have spoken about mental health. Like
• 37:42
  Speaker 1: I think you, if anyone could go through it, it's you.
• 37:45
  Speaker 1: Like you have the mind, you have like the strong,
• 37:48
  Speaker 1: like you're super strong right now. And like, we believe
• 37:50
  Speaker 1: in you. And I think that kind of was like, okay,
• 37:52
  Speaker 1: let me talk more about mental health because if other
• 37:55
  Speaker 1: people are seeing it, that means like I'm changing something.
• 37:58
  Speaker 1: And I think for me, I was just in a
• 38:04
  Speaker 1: moment where I was just like struggling and I was like, okay,
• 38:08
  Speaker 1: I need to be like let myself loose. I need
• 38:12
  Speaker 1: to allow myself to feel these emotions. And like I said,
• 38:14
  Speaker 1: I like to bottle them up a lot. And it
• 38:17
  Speaker 1: was hard. And I think there's a lot of things
• 38:21
  Speaker 1: that I go through with life and it was never easy.
• 38:24
  Speaker 1: And I always escaped to my mom. But at the
• 38:29
  Speaker 1: end of the day, like I needed to escape someone else.
• 38:32
  Speaker 1: And I think that with I have a lot of
• 38:36
  Speaker 1: younger athletes who follow me. And it's just like super
• 38:38
  Speaker 1: important because I'll have parents reach out like I think
• 38:41
  Speaker 1: I had someone. reach out to me last week and
• 38:43
  Speaker 1: DM me. And she's like, my daughter just tore her ACL,
• 38:46
  Speaker 1: but she has seen you grow like throughout your process.
• 38:50
  Speaker 1: She's been following you along, like little things like that.
• 38:52
  Speaker 1: She's like, she's seen how strong you are. And now
• 38:56
  Speaker 1: that you're playing, she knows that you never gave up.
• 38:58
  Speaker 1: And I think that like sticks with me. And like,
• 39:00
  Speaker 1: if I can show younger people that it's okay to
• 39:05
  Speaker 1: like go through things like this, it's okay to be sad.
• 39:08
  Speaker 1: It's okay to like allow yourself to feel these emotions.
• 39:10
  Speaker 1: Cause I feel like us athletes, we don't want to
• 39:13
  Speaker 1: be judged and we don't want to be judged for weakness.
• 39:16
  Speaker 1: And I think that's something that I have been like, no,
• 39:20
  Speaker 1: allow yourself to be judged because who the frick cares
• 39:23
  Speaker 1: on what these fans are thinking? Like you're going through stuff.
• 39:26
  Speaker 1: These fans only see the little parts that you do.
• 39:30
  Speaker 1: they don't see the practices they don't see what time
• 39:32
  Speaker 1: you go to bed they don't see like the homework
• 39:34
  Speaker 1: you're going through how like to get to one place
• 39:36
  Speaker 1: to another they don't see all that and I think
• 39:39
  Speaker 1: that was one thing that really stuck with me too
• 39:42
  Speaker 1: and I'm just like I have two tattoos that have
• 39:45
  Speaker 1: mental health meanings and they keep going. And then I
• 39:48
  Speaker 1: have a little butterfly with a semicolon. And I think
• 39:50
  Speaker 1: these two have been really important to me because it's
• 39:54
  Speaker 1: just like, I wake up every morning, I see them
• 39:57
  Speaker 1: and I'm like, okay, yeah, I'm here today. And I
• 39:59
  Speaker 1: went through the hardest parts of my life. Like sophomore
• 40:02
  Speaker 1: year was extremely hard. Freshman year, yeah, it was hard.
• 40:05
  Speaker 1: But sophomore year, I went through a lot and I
• 40:08
  Speaker 1: was like, how can I be the best version of
• 40:10
  Speaker 1: myself while still allowing myself to like feel like in
• 40:14
  Speaker 1: a darkness at one point? And I was like, you
• 40:17
  Speaker 1: know what? I'm allowing myself to feel these emotions now.
• 40:20
  Speaker 1: Like at the end of the day, who cares? And
• 40:23
  Speaker 1: I think it was just, I was consumed by people
• 40:26
  Speaker 1: and judging me. And I think that was a lot
• 40:28
  Speaker 1: of things for me. And once I started to talk
• 40:30
  Speaker 1: about it, a lot of other people were like, please
• 40:33
  Speaker 1: keep talking about it. Like we hear you, we see you,
• 40:36
  Speaker 1: like you advocate, you're an advocate for mental health. Like
• 40:39
  Speaker 1: we need that. We need more athletes to do that.
• 40:42
  Speaker 1: And it's just like seeing like the biggest athletes go
• 40:45
  Speaker 1: through it too. And I'm just like, okay, like a
• 40:48
  Speaker 1: lot of people are going through this. Like, why aren't
• 40:50
  Speaker 1: more people speaking up? Like it's a big thing. And
• 40:52
  Speaker 1: I think it's just athletes go through a lot and
• 40:55
  Speaker 1: us as people go through a lot in general. Like,
• 40:59
  Speaker 1: I think that's just like important to know. And I
• 41:01
  Speaker 1: think I have just been a big, like, I do
• 41:05
  Speaker 1: feel like a different person from freshman year just because
• 41:07
  Speaker 1: of how much I've opened up and being with Cassidy
• 41:10
  Speaker 1: for four years I'm like this you're a lifesaver because
• 41:13
  Speaker 1: I think without her without these resources that we have
• 41:17
  Speaker 1: I think I would be in a different spot and
• 41:19
  Speaker 1: I think going through the moments that I went through
• 41:23
  Speaker 1: changed me and like changed my perspective on life.
• 41:25
  Speaker 2: Yeah that's amazing thank you thank you so much for
• 41:28
  Speaker 2: sharing I know that sometimes in those moments when you're
• 41:31
  Speaker 2: in the thick of it and you feel like you're
• 41:33
  Speaker 2: in a black hole of sorts it can feel like
• 41:36
  Speaker 2: you're a you're really alone and it's very isolating and
• 41:40
  Speaker 2: it can be really hard to reach out to people
• 41:42
  Speaker 2: and scary at times. Do you have any advice for
• 41:46
  Speaker 2: somebody who might be in that hole or in that
• 41:49
  Speaker 2: moment to give them the courage to reach out?
• 41:53
  Speaker 1: Yeah. Um, I think it is definitely scary, like you said,
• 41:57
  Speaker 1: and I was scared. I was really scared. And at
• 42:00
  Speaker 1: the end of the day, 30, you can go, you
• 42:03
  Speaker 1: can reach out. They're just going to listen to you.
• 42:06
  Speaker 1: They don't have to speak. Like you can just be like, Hey,
• 42:10
  Speaker 1: can I just talk to you about how I'm feeling?
• 42:12
  Speaker 1: I'm in a dark moment. Like, I don't want to
• 42:15
  Speaker 1: hear your thoughts, but allow me to speak. And then
• 42:18
  Speaker 1: that could be the meeting. I think that was my
• 42:20
  Speaker 1: first meeting. I think I literally went into my first
• 42:25
  Speaker 1: therapy meeting and I was like, just let me talk.
• 42:27
  Speaker 1: And I was sitting there like head down, like twiddling
• 42:30
  Speaker 1: my fingers and talking about, like, my issues, and I
• 42:35
  Speaker 1: don't think Cassidy spoke to me back, and I was like, okay,
• 42:38
  Speaker 1: I'm going to continue to gain that trust. I think
• 42:41
  Speaker 1: advice for, like, younger athletes, like, any athletes going through
• 42:45
  Speaker 1: it is just risk it. Like, take that risk. It's okay. Like,
• 42:48
  Speaker 1: you're not going to get judged, and you're not weak. You're, like,
• 42:52
  Speaker 1: actually strong for taking that step and reaching out. I
• 42:55
  Speaker 1: think that's a big thing that we, like, kind of
• 42:58
  Speaker 1: don't see is, like, we take, we see it as weakness,
• 43:01
  Speaker 1: but it's actually, you're, you're strong. You're strong to do that.
• 43:04
  Speaker 1: Cause a lot of people don't do that. And I
• 43:05
  Speaker 1: think that's one thing that needs, like a lot of
• 43:08
  Speaker 1: people need to know is like, no, take the risks.
• 43:10
  Speaker 1: I think that's one thing that I've been telling myself too,
• 43:12
  Speaker 1: is like, just risk it, take the risk, whatever happens, happens.
• 43:16
  Speaker 1: And I think I'm happy. I'm super happy. I took
• 43:19
  Speaker 1: the risk and I, I am grateful. I think my,
• 43:22
  Speaker 1: and it helps with my siblings. Like my siblings see
• 43:25
  Speaker 1: that I'm taking risk and they see that I, I'm
• 43:27
  Speaker 1: advocating for mental health. Like they have gone through stuff
• 43:30
  Speaker 1: and they come to me for it. And I'm just like, yeah,
• 43:32
  Speaker 1: I can help you because I know what I went through.
• 43:35
  Speaker 1: I don't want you to go through that. So yeah,
• 43:37
  Speaker 1: I would say take the risk. Don't think that you're.
• 43:40
  Speaker 2: Weak at all. Yeah. Thank you.
• 43:43
  Speaker 3: And it's so applicable to so many things too. Like
• 43:45
  Speaker 3: take the risk.
• 43:46
  Speaker 1: Yeah. Do it.
• 43:47
  Speaker 3: Even if it's scary.
• 43:48
  Speaker 1: Yeah.
• 43:48
  Speaker 3: And you brought up earlier, Mita, your trainer. I think
• 43:52
  Speaker 3: athletic trainers deserve some more love they do I feel
• 43:54
  Speaker 3: like get so much of those first conversations where student
• 43:58
  Speaker 3: athletes are like realizing they're struggling or needing some extra
• 44:01
  Speaker 3: support just that's a vulnerable place too when you're injured
• 44:04
  Speaker 3: and you're working through that rehab so I just think
• 44:07
  Speaker 3: that's so important so I love that you shouted that
• 44:09
  Speaker 3: out too but whatever that is you know finding the
• 44:11
  Speaker 3: people that you can trust and talk to might be
• 44:14
  Speaker 3: an athletic trainer might be seeking you know different support
• 44:18
  Speaker 3: I just I love that you pointed that out too Yeah.
• 44:21
  Speaker 1: No, Mita's awesome. She helped me through my darkest times, too. Like,
• 44:25
  Speaker 1: that's another thing, too. Like, yeah, give some love to
• 44:27
  Speaker 1: these athletic trainers because they go through a lot and
• 44:30
  Speaker 1: people do not realize it.
• 44:31
  Speaker 3: And they're there all the time. They are.
• 44:33
  Speaker 1: Yeah.
• 44:33
  Speaker 2: Literally.
• 44:35
  Speaker 3: Yeah.
• 44:35
  Speaker 2: Shout out Nolan too. Shout out all that.
• 44:41
  Speaker 3: We love you.
• 44:43
  Speaker 1: We love you guys so much.
• 44:45
  Speaker 2: They are truly the glue that keeps us together physically, mentally,
• 44:48
  Speaker 2: emotionally in every way.
• 44:52
  Speaker 1: Yeah.
• 44:53
  Speaker 2: So on the topic of athletic training injuries, all of
• 44:56
  Speaker 2: the things, when you finally returned to the court, which
• 45:00
  Speaker 2: happened recently.
• 45:01
  Speaker 3: Super exciting.
• 45:01
  Speaker 1: When I saw that, I was like, yes, I'm back.
• 45:05
  Speaker 2: Did it feel the way you imagined it would?
• 45:07
  Speaker 1: Yeah. Nervous for sure. But it felt so nice because
• 45:13
  Speaker 1: I was just like itching for that moment. And I
• 45:17
  Speaker 1: think it felt even better because my teammates were so happy.
• 45:21
  Speaker 1: Like I toured in October last year, one year is
• 45:26
  Speaker 1: coming up on Saturday and And then I re-tore my
• 45:29
  Speaker 1: meniscus in July. So I was like, am I ever
• 45:32
  Speaker 1: going to play again? And then finally like putting the
• 45:35
  Speaker 1: jersey on, like getting back on court and then having
• 45:38
  Speaker 1: like my first kill. It was just like everyone came
• 45:40
  Speaker 1: to hug me and I was like, wait guys, this is,
• 45:43
  Speaker 1: I can't cry on court right now. I can't, but
• 45:45
  Speaker 1: this is like awesome. Like my mom sent me videos
• 45:48
  Speaker 1: of her crying and I was like, wait, this is like,
• 45:51
  Speaker 1: it feels so good to be back. And I'm still
• 45:53
  Speaker 1: like getting into like okay, let me just continue to
• 45:57
  Speaker 1: get my body. Like I'm fatigued a lot, but also like,
• 46:01
  Speaker 1: I just love that feeling now because I'm back to playing.
• 46:04
  Speaker 1: Like I'm back to doing the sport I love and
• 46:07
  Speaker 1: it felt so good. And I think my teammates were
• 46:09
  Speaker 1: so happy and it just made me happy. And I
• 46:12
  Speaker 1: was like, wait, you guys, like, this is so sweet.
• 46:15
  Speaker 1: And I think they also like have seen like the
• 46:18
  Speaker 1: hard work I've been putting in. And they tell me
• 46:19
  Speaker 1: that every day. They're like, you worked so hard to
• 46:22
  Speaker 1: like get to this moment. Like, we're so proud of you.
• 46:24
  Speaker 1: And just being able to be out there again, it
• 46:26
  Speaker 1: was just so nice. And the fans, too, they would
• 46:29
  Speaker 1: come up to me like, we're so happy to have
• 46:30
  Speaker 1: you back. And it was really, really good. It was
• 46:33
  Speaker 1: a great feeling.
• 46:34
  Speaker 3: Yeah, that's amazing. And I think, too, when I think
• 46:37
  Speaker 3: about just how I've known you really since Power started
• 46:41
  Speaker 3: last year, so really in the last year and a
• 46:42
  Speaker 3: half or so, but even just being able to attest
• 46:45
  Speaker 3: to your growth in all those spaces, just watching you
• 46:48
  Speaker 3: navigate and grow through Power, one of our leadership academies,
• 46:51
  Speaker 3: and then bringing that back to the court and your team,
• 46:54
  Speaker 3: Has been so fun to watch from my perspective just
• 46:57
  Speaker 3: of knowing you because I met you through power right
• 47:01
  Speaker 3: I think right after you.
• 47:03
  Speaker 1: Right after I tore it. Yeah. We had our first
• 47:05
  Speaker 1: meeting and I was on crutches and that was.
• 47:07
  Speaker 3: And we partnered up during an activity. I don't know
• 47:09
  Speaker 3: if you remember. I'll never forget it. But we chatted
• 47:11
  Speaker 3: and I think you were in a. darker place yeah
• 47:15
  Speaker 3: and I think like remembering that conversation that we had
• 47:17
  Speaker 3: that night was really the first time we maybe ever
• 47:19
  Speaker 3: talked one-on-one yeah but just our relationship now but then
• 47:23
  Speaker 3: watching you throughout the last year and all and like
• 47:25
  Speaker 3: watching you and sitting here talking to you now about
• 47:27
  Speaker 3: all these things it it makes me so happy yeah
• 47:30
  Speaker 3: um but it really is it's been it's been so
• 47:33
  Speaker 3: great to watch yeah thank you.
• 47:35
  Speaker 2: Yeah so speaking of power we went on the power
• 47:38
  Speaker 2: trip Boston together yes and Boston was amazing it was
• 47:42
  Speaker 2: awesome what was your favorite part.
• 47:44
  Speaker 1: Of the trip um I had a lot of favorite
• 47:48
  Speaker 1: parts I want to live in Boston and I've told
• 47:50
  Speaker 1: Ashley and for that I was like great I would
• 47:53
  Speaker 1: love to live here it's also really good for like
• 47:55
  Speaker 1: sports like yeah you're a big sports fan you're not
• 47:58
  Speaker 1: too far from New York City too so I'm like
• 47:59
  Speaker 1: okay train whatever yeah I think It was awesome because
• 48:03
  Speaker 1: we were in the World Cup. The World Cup was there.
• 48:05
  Speaker 1: And I love to see like everyone come together. And
• 48:09
  Speaker 1: even if we weren't like by them all the time,
• 48:12
  Speaker 1: you would still see everyone. And they're so friendly. And
• 48:15
  Speaker 1: I think that was like one thing that like I
• 48:17
  Speaker 1: kind of took away. I was like, everyone can be friends.
• 48:21
  Speaker 1: Like we don't need to judge people. And I think
• 48:24
  Speaker 1: that was one thing that stuck with me. And I
• 48:27
  Speaker 1: told my mom, I was like, Mom, these people are awesome.
• 48:29
  Speaker 1: Like I love that we went here. And I love
• 48:33
  Speaker 1: that I got to be with a group of girls
• 48:34
  Speaker 1: for a week that I would never hang out with
• 48:37
  Speaker 1: for a week. Like, we wouldn't do this stuff. And
• 48:39
  Speaker 1: I think we grew on a level of, like, we
• 48:42
  Speaker 1: got really close with each other. And I was the
• 48:44
  Speaker 1: only volleyball player, and there was a lot of other
• 48:46
  Speaker 1: sports that, like, had their teammates. So I was like, okay,
• 48:49
  Speaker 1: I have to get out of my shell now. Like, okay.
• 48:52
  Speaker 1: And I think it helped because everyone's so open and
• 48:54
  Speaker 1: everyone's so nice. Like, I think that was one thing
• 48:57
  Speaker 1: that really was awesome on the trip. And I just
• 49:01
  Speaker 1: loved it. being like with everyone and then just watching
• 49:04
  Speaker 1: like the fans for the world cup it was insane
• 49:07
  Speaker 1: like the streets were crawling with kills like actually.
• 49:10
  Speaker 3: 7 a.m in the elevator coming down to breakfast i'm
• 49:13
  Speaker 3: like all right.
• 49:14
  Speaker 2: We're ready i was like whoa all right context it
• 49:19
  Speaker 2: was when scotland was in boston yes and norway too
• 49:23
  Speaker 2: right yes it was yeah and they're.
• 49:25
  Speaker 3: Changing throughout the week yeah.
• 49:26
  Speaker 2: They were doing that whole rowing thing yeah i was
• 49:29
  Speaker 2: like oh my gosh the traffic cones on all the
• 49:31
  Speaker 2: statues no yeah.
• 49:31
  Speaker 1: The traffic cones were awesome i was like what are
• 49:34
  Speaker 1: we doing here guys come on now and they would
• 49:36
  Speaker 1: just take them left and right and i was like
• 49:38
  Speaker 1: you guys have an obsession it's okay but yeah no
• 49:41
  Speaker 1: it was that I loved Boston I love just seeing
• 49:44
  Speaker 1: everyone come together in those moments I think that's we've
• 49:47
  Speaker 1: a lot of like um we've gone through a lot
• 49:50
  Speaker 1: of like hard times and I think with the world
• 49:52
  Speaker 1: cup it brought a lot together and I think that
• 49:55
  Speaker 1: was one thing that I don't watch soccer that much
• 49:59
  Speaker 1: and I watched the world cup I literally was like
• 50:02
  Speaker 1: this is so awesome because my tiktok was filled with
• 50:05
  Speaker 1: it yeah everyone is like coming together and i think
• 50:08
  Speaker 1: that's what like we all needed and it was so
• 50:10
  Speaker 1: like it was just so happy like summer was so happy.
• 50:14
  Speaker 3: It was it was a good it was a feel-good
• 50:16
  Speaker 3: summer it was it was.
• 50:17
  Speaker 2: A feel-good summer and the great halftime show with justin
• 50:21
  Speaker 2: bieber and ted lasso combo it's all i care about
• 50:25
  Speaker 2: but i've just exposed myself as a believer i'm right
• 50:29
  Speaker 2: there with you since day one i never was but She's.
• 50:33
  Speaker 3: Like, that's actually crazy.
• 50:34
  Speaker 1: You know what? It's okay.
• 50:35
  Speaker 3: We all have our differences. It's okay.
• 50:38
  Speaker 1: I love his music. I love his music, but I
• 50:40
  Speaker 1: just was never. That's fair. Oh, my gosh. Not a
• 50:43
  Speaker 1: Swifty either. I love Taylor Swift, but I'm just not like, yes,
• 50:47
  Speaker 1: Taylor Swift.
• 50:48
  Speaker 3: That's fair.
• 50:48
  Speaker 1: That's fair.
• 50:49
  Speaker 2: I agree. So what's something people would be surprised to
• 50:53
  Speaker 2: learn about you?
• 50:55
  Speaker 1: Oh, gosh.
• 50:57
  Speaker 3: That's a good question. Yeah.
• 51:03
  Speaker 1: That honestly, I am very shy. Like deep down, I'm
• 51:09
  Speaker 1: very shy. I have social anxiety. And I think people
• 51:13
  Speaker 1: don't see that because I present myself as like, yeah, okay,
• 51:18
  Speaker 1: you're very like outgoing. And like my teammates say I'm outgoing.
• 51:22
  Speaker 1: But if I meet people, like if I'm in a crowd,
• 51:25
  Speaker 1: I'm not, no, I'm not doing anything. I'm just standing there.
• 51:28
  Speaker 1: And I'm just like, You can come up to me first.
• 51:31
  Speaker 1: I'm not going to come up to you. No. And
• 51:33
  Speaker 1: I think that was hard with like networking things, like
• 51:35
  Speaker 1: little things like that. I think I struggled a lot because, again,
• 51:40
  Speaker 1: I hate being judged. And I think that's still one
• 51:43
  Speaker 1: thing I'm still working on. And it just sucks sometimes
• 51:46
  Speaker 1: because it's always in the back of my head. I'm like, OK, yeah,
• 51:49
  Speaker 1: I'm going to go up to this person. They're going
• 51:51
  Speaker 1: to judge me right away. Like that's my first thought.
• 51:52
  Speaker 1: And I need to like get that out of my head.
• 51:55
  Speaker 1: And it's hard to, but I'm working on it. I'm
• 51:57
  Speaker 1: getting better. But I am very like a shy person.
• 52:01
  Speaker 1: And a lot of people are like, no, you're not.
• 52:03
  Speaker 1: I'm like, I am. I am. Like I will go
• 52:06
  Speaker 1: into crowds and I'm not really speaking that much. I'm
• 52:08
  Speaker 1: just going to be in a corner sometimes. And I
• 52:10
  Speaker 1: think I'm still getting out of that bubble. But once
• 52:13
  Speaker 1: I get comfortable with you, yeah, you're going to see
• 52:15
  Speaker 1: every side of me that you want to. But I
• 52:17
  Speaker 1: think at first it's hard for me to like break
• 52:20
  Speaker 1: out of that bubble because I I just get so
• 52:22
  Speaker 1: nervous like I'm going to be judged right away. And
• 52:25
  Speaker 1: I think that is one thing that really holds me
• 52:28
  Speaker 1: back from being the person I can be from the start.
• 52:32
  Speaker 1: And I think that's something people are like, wait, no,
• 52:36
  Speaker 1: that's not who you are. I'm like, yeah, that kind
• 52:38
  Speaker 1: of is who I am a little bit. yeah and
• 52:41
  Speaker 1: a lot of people don't see that and I'm just
• 52:42
  Speaker 1: like I can see it I understand that but I
• 52:45
  Speaker 1: just have so many thoughts in my head sometimes when
• 52:47
  Speaker 1: I'm in crowds and people like don't like understand what
• 52:51
  Speaker 1: I'm going through sometimes I'm like yeah hey hey hey
• 52:55
  Speaker 1: guys it's so awkward sometimes I'm like don't put me
• 52:58
  Speaker 1: in crowds like family functions too like sometimes I'm like
• 53:01
  Speaker 1: I won't talk to family like I'm just like I
• 53:03
  Speaker 1: can't do that yeah but like that's just not myself
• 53:06
  Speaker 1: around people I'm comfortable with like I my teammates, my
• 53:09
  Speaker 1: best friends are like, you're crazy. And I'm like, yeah,
• 53:12
  Speaker 1: I am. But put me in a crowd and no.
• 53:16
  Speaker 2: It's like that extroverted introvert type thing.
• 53:19
  Speaker 3: Like where you gain energy from or, yeah.
• 53:22
  Speaker 1: Like if my best friend's right next to me, like, okay,
• 53:24
  Speaker 1: I'll step out of comfort zone.
• 53:26
  Speaker 3: A little bit of comfort.
• 53:26
  Speaker 1: Yeah, a little bit. But at the end of the day,
• 53:29
  Speaker 1: it's just like, I need it. The thoughts are just
• 53:32
  Speaker 1: always in my head. And I'm like, okay, yeah, you're
• 53:34
  Speaker 1: going to judge me for the way I walk. Maybe
• 53:36
  Speaker 1: you're going to judge me for the way I talk. Like,
• 53:38
  Speaker 1: Little things like that. But I think that's just like
• 53:41
  Speaker 1: sometimes like I've grown up in Indiana. A lot of
• 53:44
  Speaker 1: people like to judge you a little bit. The Midwest
• 53:48
  Speaker 1: is a little crazy. So I'm just like.
• 53:50
  Speaker 2: Proud Midwest.
• 53:52
  Speaker 1: Proud Midwest. So I'm just like, OK, like, you know what? Like, whatever.
• 53:56
  Speaker 1: Risk it.
• 53:57
  Speaker 3: Back to what you said.
• 53:58
  Speaker 1: Exactly.
• 53:58
  Speaker 2: That's what I was going to say.
• 53:59
  Speaker 1: Right.
• 53:59
  Speaker 2: Like, and I think the lesson here, too, is you
• 54:03
  Speaker 2: can feel all these things.
• 54:05
  Speaker 1: Yeah.
• 54:06
  Speaker 2: Feel all these feelings.
• 54:07
  Speaker 1: Right. Yeah.
• 54:08
  Speaker 2: I'm scared. I am feeling judged. And do it anyways.
• 54:13
  Speaker 1: Yeah. Right?
• 54:14
  Speaker 2: You can still take the risk and reach out while
• 54:17
  Speaker 2: feeling afraid. Yeah. And that's okay, too.
• 54:20
  Speaker 3: That's where growth happens.
• 54:21
  Speaker 1: Yeah. A lot of growth, for sure. A lot. A lot.
• 54:25
  Speaker 3: All right.
• 54:25
  Speaker 2: So to kind of wrap this up, because I feel
• 54:27
  Speaker 2: like we came a little full circle there.
• 54:29
  Speaker 1: We did. Right? Yeah.
• 54:31
  Speaker 2: I want to know who you are beyond the paw.
• 54:35
  Speaker 1: Yeah. I think I... I'm a very strong, like confident,
• 54:40
  Speaker 1: like independent person. Like, I think that's like who I
• 54:42
  Speaker 1: am overall. Like, I think my confidence, like it beams
• 54:47
  Speaker 1: off to other people. And I think that's like one
• 54:49
  Speaker 1: thing that I always like have taken with me is
• 54:52
  Speaker 1: just like, keep your confidence, keep the strong person you
• 54:56
  Speaker 1: are because it's like feeding off to other people and
• 55:00
  Speaker 1: other people are gaining that. And like even younger athletes,
• 55:03
  Speaker 1: like my teammates, like I'm giving them my confidence that
• 55:06
  Speaker 1: I have. And if I have confidence, like they're seeing
• 55:08
  Speaker 1: that and it's just like, no, you're giving us a
• 55:11
  Speaker 1: lot of confidence because you're not afraid. And I think
• 55:14
  Speaker 1: that's one thing that I, like I, who I am
• 55:17
  Speaker 1: basically is like the strong, confident person and just like outgoing,
• 55:21
  Speaker 1: but also shy at some points too.
• 55:24
  Speaker 3: Yeah.
• 55:26
  Speaker 1: Yeah.
• 55:27
  Speaker 2: I can definitely see all of that in you. I
• 55:29
  Speaker 2: would say the same thing.
• 55:30
  Speaker 1: Yeah. Thank you guys.
• 55:31
  Speaker 2: Thank you so much.
• 55:32
  Speaker 1: Thank you. This was so fun.
• 55:34
  Speaker 2: So much fun. I feel like I was just chit-chatting
• 55:36
  Speaker 2: in a coffee shop.
• 55:38
  Speaker 3: Yeah.
• 55:39
  Speaker 1: No, I appreciate it, guys. Like, thank you for sure. Like,
• 55:42
  Speaker 1: this is awesome.
• 55:43
  Speaker 2: Thank you. Thank you.