The Feist

In this special episode, your Feisty Women's Performance podcast host Dr. Erin Ayala brings together a group of experts on mental health to talk about the science and psychology of stress and collective trauma.
Along with being a sports psychologist & therapist in her own right, Erin also lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota — which has been at the center of the news over the last month since it became the target of the largest immigration enforcement action to date in the U.S. Thousands of federal agents have patrolled the streets and detained residents, and, over this past weekend, shot and killed a second bystander — leading to hundreds of thousands of people protesting in Minneapolis and around the country.
In this tense environment, how do we show up as athletes, as members of our community, as our best and healthiest selves?
Join Dr. Tess Kilwein, Dr. Quincy Guinadi, and Christine Bright as they discuss how these experiences shape mental health and performance, and how you can respond to stress and trauma — whether you're going through it right now with the news or you're dealing with your challenges.
Key Takeaways:
• What is collective trauma? Learn how collective trauma impacts communities and individuals, and why this understanding is crucial for athletes and coaches.
• Recognize that intentional rest in times of stress can be essential for long-term sustainability.
• Know that movement and sport can be powerful tools in community healing.
• Get tips on how to navigate the complexities of wanting to help without feeling performative or overwhelmed, and how to effectively engage in difficult conversations without shame or guilt.
Don't be perfect. Be brave.
Guest Introductions:
• Dr. Tess Kilwein: A board-certified clinical, health, and sport psychologist with expertise in mental performance and athlete wellness.
• Dr. Quincy Guinadi: A postdoctoral resident specializing in identity, mental health, and the experiences of marginalized communities.
• Christine Bright: Lead consultant at the Center for Healing and Justice through Sport, focusing on trauma-informed coaching and community support.
Resources Mentioned:
• Center for Healing and Justice through Sport
• Nothing Heals like Sport Playbook
• "What Happened to You" by Dr. Bruce Perry and Oprah
• Beyond Ally by Dr. Maysa Akbar
• Find ways to help at standwithminnesota.com

It's the last episode of the year! And Kelly and Sara are closing out the season with a full-on countdown of the best races, records, performances, and picks in women’s sports this year.
From #16 all the way down to our #1 women's sports moment of 2025!
What did we miss? What was your moment of the year? Send us a voice memo at podcasts@livefeisty.com and we'll be back in the new year.

Subscribe to The Feist, our Free Weekly Newsletter covering Women's Sports: https://feisty.co/feistnews/
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To get you in the cozy holiday spirit, Kelly and Sara are throwing down some of their best women's sports book and movie recommendations.
But, first, this week's women's sports highlights:
55 women hit the Olympic Trials qualifying standard at CIM — even though the standard (2:37) is faster than ever! And a shoutout to Molly Born, who won the race in her first marathon, despite a fall in the final straightaway.
And you should be following SkiMo (ski mountaineering)! Where it all came down to the U.S. vs. Canada for the final Olympic spot. Enter Anna Gibson, world-class trail runner, who was recruited and secretly turned out to be amazing! (It's Kelly's dream.)
Bonus shoutout to Alysa Liu, who won the Grand Prix in figure skating in her comeback-to-the-Olympics tour.

…like we were saying — a few follow-ups:
The highest-paid women athletes in 2025. Why are 10 of the top 15 tennis players? Thank you, Billie Jean King.
The NWSL rejected Trinity Rodman’s contract deal, which is not a good look for the league.
And the WNBA is still hashing out CBA issues. What's the latest?

Then: Our full list of women's sports book & movie recs
Kelly and Sara are deep in movies-and-books season, which prompted us to pull together some of our Feisty favs. Some of the ones mentioned in the episode:
A League of Their Own
Love & Basketball
Bend It Like Beckham
Bring It On
The Cutting Edge
Personal Best
Challengers

Sara isn't much of a movie-watcher, but she does love books!
Good for a Girl, Lauren Fleshman
Better Faster Farther, Maggie Mertens
The Longest Race, Kara Goucher
Money, Power, Respect: How Women in Sports Are Shaping the Future of Feminism, Macaela MacKenzie
Tough Broad, Caroline Paul
Little Girls in Pretty Boxes, Joan Ryan
In These Girls Hope Is a Muscle, Madeleine Blais
We Loved to Run, Stephanie Reents
Carrie Soto Is Back, Taylor Jenkins Reid
The Favorites, Layne Fargo
As Good as Gold, Kathryn Bertine
Stand, Kathryn Bertine
Tough Broad, Caroline Paul
Up to Speed, Christine Yu
Endure, Alex Hutchinson
Shoe Dog, Phil Knight
For kids: Anything from Strong Girl Publishing, plus Molly Hurford's Shred Girls series

What are your recs? What did we miss? Send us a voice memo to podcasts@livefeisty.com
Plus, our Feisty Picks of the week!
Chapters:
01:10 -...

Kelly and Sara are asking two burning questions this week: Is San Francisco really the top women’s sports town in the world? (The New York Times says so and Kelly agrees.) And: Why in 2025 is Nordic Combined still the *only* sport women aren’t allowed to compete in at the Olympics?
But first, the women's sports highlights:
Mikaela Shiffrin just won her 104th World Cup race — her third in a row and her fifth of the last six. Why isn't this getting more hype!?
Is it because there's too many records? How that happened.
Speaking of: The PWHL set a record for the highest attendance at a women's hockey game in the U.S.

And then a few follow-ups. "Like we were saying..."
There is adult cross-country! And Ceili McCabe won the Canadian champs in the snow. But the Winter Olympics still don't want to add XC to their events.
Why the h*ll aren't women allowed to compete in Nordic Combined in the Olympics?!
And, in the Paralympics, there is no women's sled hockey. Technically, it's co-ed, but only three women have ever competed at the Games.
What are "whereabouts" violations in doping and why did Canada's most decorated female Olympian get one? Sara explains the logistics of how the system worked when she had to update her whereabouts everyday.
And yes, The Enhanced Games appears to actually be happening for real.

Then: What Makes a Great Women’s Sports City?
Is San Francisco really the #1 women’s sports city in the world? According to The New York Times (and Kelly), yes. We unpack what actually creates a powerhouse women’s sports environment — fan culture, investment, access, and visibility...
Disagree? Send us a voice memo to podcasts@livefeisty.com.
Episode Resources:
The stats behind Mikaela Shiffrin's record wins: https://www.fis-ski.com/alpine-skiing/news/2024-25/a-century-in-numbers-the-stats-behind-mikaela-shiffrin-s-100-world-cup-wins
The top women's sports cities ranked: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6807524/2025/11/18/womens-sports-cities-top-ranked-fans/
A Q&A with the founder of The Enhanced Games: https://feisty.co/p/q-and-a-the-founder-of-the-enhanced/
Episode timestamps
02:58 - Mikaela Shiffrin's record-breaking records
06:03 - Are there too many...

This week, we have a special guest: mountain bike world champion Samara Maxwell opens up about her struggles with an eating disorder and why she actually thinks it was good that her federation forced her to stop riding — or at least she can understand and agree with it now.
But first, the women’s sports highlights of the week:
PWHL opening weekend: Vancouver packed in 14,958 fans to watch them take down Seattle—the highest-attended home game in PWHL history.
NWSL Playoffs: Gotham FC’s Rose Lavelle delivered the lone winning goal. And Kelly confirms the hype in the Bay Area was real. Is it time for the NWSL to end neutral site championship games? Up the salary cap? Did Kelly regret not going to the fame?
NCAA cross-country championships: Don't let the debate over international recruiting practices mar an amazing race from Doris Lemngole.

Then, we talk with New Zealand’s Samara “Sammie” Maxwell, the first Kiwi to win the UCI cross-country World Cup overall title.
Sammie, who has been open about her struggles with an eating disorder, was told to stop cycling by her federation and then left off the Olympic team because they didn't think she had fully recovered — a decision she appealed. She explains why she appealed the decision, but also why she now believes Cycling New Zealand made the right call. And what can be done to address eating disorders in cycling?
Then, of course, our Feisty Picks of the Week.
Episode resources:
WADA considers banning Ozempic: https://velo.outsideonline.com/news/ozempic-weight-loss-drugs-ban-sports/
Climbing introduces policy to combat eating disorders: https://www.climbing.com/news/ifsc-policy-combat-eating-disorders/

Episode timestamps:
00:23 - Shoutout to the PWHL & the NWSL Finals
18:05 - Kelly explains cross-country to Sara
22:36 - What is happening with NCAA recruitment?!
32:01 - Samara Maxwell on how she's recovering from an eating disorder and what she wants people to know
57:27 - What responsibility do coaches have?
01:10:51 - The future of GLP-1s in sports

Subscribe to The Feist, our Free Weekly Newsletter covering Women's Sports: https://feisty.co/feistnews/
https://feisty.co/
Hettas:  Use code STAYFEISTY for 20% off at https://hettas.com/