Strong Girl Talk

Quick Strong Girl Publishing announcement, we just made some major updates to our website over at StrongGirlPublishing.com! We also have a new newsletter over there where we’ll be sharing book updates, discount codes and giveaways, so do us a huge favor and bop over, check out the site and subscribe to the shop newsletter! We’ll still do podcasts and articles over here, but we’ll have the best Strong Girl Publishing goodies there.Welcome to Strong Girl Talk, where we dive into the latest in sports science, performance, and well-being—all with a focus on women and girls in sport. This week Sasha and Molly go down memory lane with the Winter Olympics, talk about the Winter Paralympic Games (which start today), the Arctic Winter Games in the Northwest Territories, all with the emotion and energy you expect in our gender equity conversations.Before we dive in, do us a huge favor and make sure you give the podcast 5 stars and click follow: .This is also the wrap up to Season 1 of Strong Girl Talk. Molly and Sasha are pressing paws (see what we did there with our dog-love) as we think about the future direction of our pod.In today’s episode, we start with a celebration of International Women’s Day, this Sunday, March 8th, and this year’s theme of Give to Gain. We highlight the challenges many women face in the tension of where to give our time.As we wrap up our conversations about the Winter Olympics we shifted our focus to the Winter Paralympics. The Winter Paralympic Games get underway today. Tune in to watch the 655 athletes, across 6 Sports in 79 events including, men’s and women’s para alpine skiing, men’s and women’s para biathlon, men’s and women’s para cross-country, open para ice-hocky, men’s and women’s para snowboard, and mixed wheelchair curling.On Sunday March 8th, the Arctic Winter Games get started in Whitehorse, Northwest Territory. The Arctic Winter games are comprised of 20 sports, in four categories: Traditional Sports, Nordic Sports, Indoor Sports, and Ice Sports.In the mean time, connect with on social media and follow along the Strong Girl Society newsletter for updates.Remember you can follow Molly and Sasha on Social Media including:Molly - @mollyjhurford @stronggirlpublishingSasha - @SGollishRuns @Yellow_Running_ShoesListen, Subscribe, Rate + Review on Substack | Spotify | iTunes | YouTube Get full access to Strong Girl Society at stronggirl.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to Strong Girl Talk, where we dive into the latest in sports science, performance, and well-being—all with a focus on women and girls in sport. This week Sasha and Molly talk all about the Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina … well Molly asks Sasha about the Winter Olympics since she’s the resident sports-nerd and Molly was curious to know more.Before we dive in, do us a huge favor and make sure you give the podcast 5 stars and click follow: New to the Winter Olympic Games? Feeling overwhelmed by all the sports, events, and rule quirks? Don’t worry, Sasha’s got you. Consider this your cheat sheet for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano, starting today!In this jam-packed episode, we break down:🏔️ The 8 official sports - Biathlon, Bobsleigh (including Skeleton), Curling, Ice Hockey, Luge Skating (Figure Skating, Short and Long Track Speed Skating), Skiing (Alpine, Freestyle, Snowboard, Cross-Country, Nordic Combined, and Ski Jumping), and Ski Mountaineering (plus how we group them to make it easier: Sliding Sports, Ice Sports, Skiing, etc.)🥇 The 116 medal events—including 8 new events with a focus on gender equity like Women’s Large Hill Ski Jumping, Women’s Double Luge, Mixed Team Skeleton, and Dual Moguls 📊 The not-so-great gender equity stats:🥇 Medals: 54 men’s gold medals, 50 women’s gold medals, 12 mixed gender medals, because some sports are still men-only 👀👫 Gender Balance: Total Athletes = 2900 (100%), Male Athletes 1538 (53%), Female Athletes 1362 (47%)🧊 What even is Ski Mountaineering?! And why Nordic Combined might finally be on its way out…Plus: Olympic hot takes, a little history (did you know Winter and Summer Olympics used to be in the same year? And that Figure Skating was a summer sport?! ), and shout-outs to the Strong Girls we’re watching this Games.🎿 Whether you’re a casual viewer or a full-blown Olympic nerd, this episode will get you ready to cheer, cry, and argue over scoring systems with confidence.And this is just the beginning. Over the next 16 days, follow along with us on Instagram as we spotlight our favourite Strong Girls of the Games and break down each sport, one event at a time.Plus, if you’re looking for some Olympics inspiration consider these Strong Girl Publishing Books:- Sasha’s Unstoppable Mental Performance Journal to help you create a winning mindset (or order in bulk to help your team create a winning mindset)- Stevie’s Power Up to help you or the athletes in your life fuel for their best performance- Vanessa’s Finding Grace to help you or those in your life use self-compassion as a way to spur better outcomes- Molly’s Shred Girl’s Series and Running As Fast as We Can, which are great fiction books to inspire the athlete’s in our life- Micha’s Sprinting Through Setbacks, who better to learn from than an Olympian herself!Remember you can follow Molly and Sasha on Social Media including:Molly - @mollyjhurford @stronggirlpublishingSasha - @SGollishRuns @Yellow_Running_ShoesListen, Subscribe, Rate + Review on Substack | Spotify | iTunes | YouTube Get full access to Strong Girl Society at stronggirl.substack.com/subscribe

At Strong Girl Publishing, we recently shared a virtual Shred Girls book club featuring book 3 in the series, Jen’s Bumpy Ride, and two-time World Champion racer Kate Courtney of She Sends joined readers and author Molly Hurford on a Zoom session to talk all about the book and what winning really means to her—and to the Shred Girls!In Shred Girls: Jen’s Bumpy Ride, there’s bikepacking, gravel racing, and more importantly, Jen has a major decision to make: Should she stick with the Shred Girls, or join the local cycling team that promises to make her faster, and help her to become a pro cyclist?Kate shared her experience finding her first team and teammates, how she decided to start the She Sends Foundation and race under her own team banner last year, and how she sets big goals and smaller race-specific ones. Our virtual book club was a total blast, and we wanted to share a few of our favorite moments with all of our listeners. If you get anything from this, consider making a donation to She Sends here. They are doing awesome work and supporting so many cool, grassroots initiatives to get more girls on bikes! Before you dive in, do us a huge favor and make sure you give the podcast 5 stars and click follow: .We also chat about Vanessa Coulbeck’s recently released book, The Mirror Diaries: Finding Grace, and the accompanying workbook. And while you’re on Strong Girl Publishing Shopping don’t forget to order a copy of Unstoppable - so you too can be unstoppable in 2026 - and Stevie Lyn’s Power Up. Plus if you missed the book club with Kate Courtney, but you still want to feel like you were part of it, grab a copy of Jen’s Bumpy Ride.Remember you can follow Molly and Sasha on Social Media including:Molly - @mollyjhurford @stronggirlpublishingSasha - @SGollishRuns @Yellow_Running_ShoesListen, Subscribe, Rate + Review on Substack | Spotify | iTunes | YouTube Get full access to Strong Girl Society at stronggirl.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to Strong Girl Talk, where we dive into the latest in sports science, performance, and well-being—all with a focus on women and girls in sport. This week Sasha and Molly welcome you to 2026 and share with you their ‘words’ of the year.We’re also celebrating the first book in our Mirror Diaries series by self-compassion and body image researcher Vanessa Coulbeck coming out in just a couple of days. Preorder for book one, Finding Grace, and the accompanying workbook, Beyond the Mirror is here. We also had Vanessa on Strong Girl Talk explaining why self-compassion isn’t just a nice idea, it actually provides you a performance edge.Before we dive in, do us a huge favor and make sure you give the podcast 5 stars and click follow: .In this episode, Sasha and Molly are debriefing post-holidays with some honest ups and downs, then digging into the Word of the Year concept. Molly talked about Strong Girl Publishing’s GIRLS TO THE FRONT 2026 mantra, but shared in this episode how her personal word is going to be FUN. Meanwhile, Sasha debated using Unstoppable (you know, like her amazing journal!) but ultimately settled on COURAGE. What’s your word? Finally, as we said, it’s just days away from the release of Vanessa Coulbeck’s The Mirror Diaries. And while you’re on Strong Girl Publishing shopping, don’t forget to order a copy of Unstoppable - so you too can be unstoppable in 2026 - and Stevie Lyn Smiths’s Power Up. Plus if you missed the book club with Kate Courtney this week but you still want to feel like you were part of it when we release the episode next week, order Molly’s Shred Girls book, Jen’s Bumpy Ride.Plus, if you want to hear Sasha gush over Molly and all her work with Strong Girl Publishing, head over to the Athletics Ontario Podcast hosted by Strong Girl Publishing Fan, John Shep. In this interview Sasha shares with John how meaningful working with Molly is, more about how you can be Unstoppable in 2026, plus, she admits she’s willing to be second on the podium in the Molly fan club!Remember you can follow Molly and Sasha on Social Media including:Molly - @mollyjhurford @stronggirlpublishingSasha - @SGollishRuns @Yellow_Running_ShoesListen, Subscribe, Rate + Review on Substack | Spotify | iTunes | YouTube Get full access to Strong Girl Society at stronggirl.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to Strong Girl Talk, where we dive into the latest in sports science, performance, and well-being—all with a focus on women and girls in sport. This week Sasha and Molly talk all things holidays. Whether you’re excited or a little bit stressed, we bring you some holiday cheer.Before we dive in, do us a huge favor and make sure you give the podcast 5 stars and click follow: This week we talk about the holidays, what we like, what we love, and how we manage the stressful moments. We also talk about goal setting; don’t forget our practical tips for goal setting. Whether you are a resolution person or not, it’s a good time to think about what matters to you, and also who matters to you.No matter how you holiday, in this episode we remind you to practice some self-compassion and self-gratitude. A few weeks ago we chatted with Vanessa Coulbeck about self-compassion as an edge. So as you go about your gift giving and receiving we hope you have us in your ears while you’re shopping, exercising, or lounging whatever way you holiday.Now if you need a few last minute gifts …. we recommend an IOU for one or two (or all) of the Strong Girl Publishing books; so print out a photo and it will arrive early in the new year. We recommend:- Vanessa Coulbeck’s The Mirror Diaries and workbook and her ‘‘ swag- Sasha’s Unstoppable Mental Performance Journal- Molly’s Shred Girls Series, and Sasha’s favourite Running As Fast as You Can- Stevie Smith’s Power Up- Marley Blonskey’s Rag Tag Bicycle Friends pre-order, plus check out her episode on Molly’s other podcast, The Consummate Athlete PodcastLet us know what you want to us to talk about in 2026 - guests, sport science topics, sports updates - we’re here for you and what you want to hear more of.Until early 2026 … We wish you all a very Happy holidays!Remember you can follow Molly and Sasha on Social Media including:Molly - @mollyjhurford @stronggirlpublishingSasha - @SGollishRuns @Yellow_Running_ShoesListen, Subscribe, Rate + Review on Substack | Spotify | iTunes | YouTube Get full access to Strong Girl Society at stronggirl.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to Strong Girl Talk, where we dive into the latest in sports science, performance, and well-being—all with a focus on women and girls in sport. This week Sasha and Molly interview Mia Lerner, founder of Project Unlaced, an initiative dedicated to educating young athletes about Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (REDs) and eating disorders in sports. Keep scrolling to learn more and to check out our new author gift guide from Stevie Lyn Smith, RD + author of Power Up!Before we dive in, do us a huge favor and make sure you give the podcast 5 stars and click follow: .Mia shares her own story of struggling with REDs and anorexia as a young athlete—and how those experiences sparked a movement to make sure other girls don’t feel alone. We talk about what support should look like, how to talk to coaches and parents about these issues, and why performance isn’t the only measure of athlete health.Whether you’re a young athlete, a coach, or a parent, this conversation is packed with insight, heart, and the reminder that you don’t have to wait until it gets “bad” to ask for help or to offer it.Come for the inspiration, stay for the truth bombs. Mia and her work through Project Unlaced do all the little things to make things easier for those who need it most. Thanks Mia!Follow Mia on Instagram: @Mia_Lerner_ @Project_UnlacedWe also wanted to share this article from the Sport Information Resource Centre, Preventing Eating Disorders among Young Athletes, which landed in Sasha’s inbox the day of the interview.And Stevie Smith’s book, Power Up, is out! Order her book here and listen to our SGT episode with Stevie! (She was also on Mia’s podcast last week!)Speaking of Stevie, it’s time for her gift guide! What’s on her list?* Oofos recovery slides — am a new convert!* Stasher reusable silicone bags — bigger ones to put all my snacks in when I travel/am on the go!* Thinksport SPF 50 —sweat and water resistant, always on my face after having surgery for skin cancer* Briotech Skin Spray — post-workout spray to help prevent zits!* My nonprofit of choice: Friends of the City of Buffalo Animal Shelter* And of course, Power Up: A Young Woman’s Guide to Winning with Sports Nutrition!Sasha’s mental performance journal, Unstoppable, is also available now. Don’t forget to listen to our episode all about the journal.Remember you can follow Molly and Sasha on Social Media including:Molly - @mollyjhurford @stronggirlpublishingSasha - @SGollishRuns @Yellow_Running_ShoesListen, Subscribe, Rate + Review on Substack | Spotify | iTunes | YouTube Get full access to Strong Girl Society at stronggirl.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to Strong Girl Talk, where we dive into the latest in sports science, performance, and well-being—all with a focus on women and girls in sport. This week Sasha and Molly dive into gratitude, kindness and when things go toxic (yeah, you know that feeling when you’ve eaten too many sweet things and you want to barf, but it’s brought on by that fake-feeling gratitude and kindness).Before we dive in, do us a huge favor and make sure you give the podcast 5 stars and click follow: .It’s that time of year—the season of gratitude, giving, and maybe… gritting your teeth while pretending to be nice? 😅We dig into the difference between being nice and being kind—and why clear is kind while nice can be toxic. From leadership lessons to life off the field, we explore how gratitude and kindness can actually be powerful tools for connection, direction, and growth—when they’re real.We also:✨ Chat about self-compassion as part of kindness and gratitude. A nod to Vanessa Coulbeck’s first YA novel, Finding Grace, and Beyond The Mirror workbook.✨Break down the RACI (Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed) leadership matrix (yes, we’re nerds and proud)✨ Talk about what it means to lead with clarity and compassion✨ Call out toxic kindness and forced gratitude (because not everything needs a silver lining)Whether you’re feeling full of thanks or just trying to survive the holiday season with your values intact, this one’s for you.💛 Listen in and reflect with us on what it really means to lead, live, and show up with heart—without faking the smiles.Sasha Gollish’s Gift GuideGrab a copy (or 10) of Sasha’s Unstoppable journal here, check out Power Up and her other Strong Girl Publishing faves here, shop ASICS here, and grab the Coffee Ride mug here (plus some Pluck Tea)!Join the Shred Girls Book Club Featuring KATE COURTNEYThis December, read along and then join author Molly Hurford and special guests including two-time World Champion racer Kate Courtney of She Sends for a Zoom session in late December to talk all about the book and what winning really means to you—and to the Shred Girls!Learn more and sign up hereTime to Tell Your Own Story!If you’re an athlete who’s had an idea for a novel or memoir, or has wanted to get better at visualizing that finish line or journaling to hone your athletic identity, or if you’re an elite athlete who really needs to work on their captions & interview responses, Carolyne Whelan of Forward Motion Writing and I have a webinar and a course for you!! Own Your Story Webinar 12/30: Whether you’re planning to write your memoir or you just need some clarity in your sporting life, being able to look back and ahead in story form is a gamechanger. Hosted by Molly Hurford of Strong Girl Publishing and Carolyne Whelan of Forward Motion Writing, we will give you the tools to understand narrative arc, find your story, and get writing.Storytelling for Athletes 8 week course starting 1/15: Everyone has a story and if you’re ready to tell yours, this writing course is for you. Tailored to athletes, this 8-week course won’t just teach you how to develop a narrative arc for your memoir or novel, it will help you gain clarity in your athletic life. Whether you want to get published or supercharge your journaling, we’ll help you cross the finish line.(code EARLYBIRD gets you $100 off before 12/3!)Make this the year you finally out pen to paper and tell your story!!Love one of our books? Take 5 Seconds + Leave a ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ Review!We’ve also made it easier to find our books on Amazon right here, so if you have read one of our books and loved it, take a few seconds and click the link, go to the book you loved, and quickly let us know what you thought! It makes a HUGE difference towards building our author’s sales.Follow along!Remember you can follow Molly and Sasha on Social Media including:Molly - @mollyjhurford @stronggirlpublishingSasha - @SGollishRuns @Yellow_Running_ShoesListen, Subscribe, Rate + Review on Substack | Spotify | iTunes | YouTube Get full access to Strong Girl Society at stronggirl.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to Strong Girl Talk, where we dive into the latest in sports science, performance, and well-being—all with a focus on women and girls in sport. This week Molly’s interview Marley Blonsky, a leading voice at the intersection of body size inclusion, cycling, and environmental advocacy… and author of the upcoming book, The Ragtag Best Friends Bicycle Club. They talk about what it means to be included in cycling, how rides can be more truly inclusive, the why behind the book, and some truly practical tips for cyclists in bigger bodies. You’ll laugh, cry and learn in this episode!It’s also a big week for Strong Girl Publishing Authors. Sasha’s mental performance journal, Unstoppable, is less than a week away from being available in the wild; by the time our next episode is out the journal will be out. Don’t forget to listen to our episode all about the journal. And Stevie Smith’s book, Power Up, is out now! Order her book here and listen to our SGT episode with Stevie!Before we dive in, do us a huge favor and make sure you give the podcast 5 stars and click follow: .Marley Blonsky began her career in the field of Environmental Sustainability, working in corporate responsibility and zero waste programs—laying the foundation for a lifelong commitment to systems change and equity. Marley later turned her attention to the cycling world, discovering the transformative power of bikes not only as a sustainable mode of transportation but as a joyful tool for community and self-empowerment.As the Co-Founder and Executive Director of All Bodies on Bikes, Marley leads a nationwide movement dedicated to creating inclusive, welcoming spaces for people of all sizes and abilities to experience the joy of cycling. Her work has been featured on The TODAY Show, in the Washington Post, and numerous cycling and outdoor publications.She was named a Bicycling Magazine’s 2023 Rider of the Year and honored as a 2024 Outsider of the Year by Outside Magazine, recognizing her leadership in reshaping who gets to be seen, celebrated, and supported on bikes.Marley continues to ride, speak, and advocate around the country, helping to create a cycling culture rooted in body liberation, joy, and radical inclusivity.And her children’s book The Ragtag Best Friends Bicycle Club: A Story About Riding Your Own Way is coming this spring! In the book, readers meet a group of kids who don’t all look like “typical cyclists”—and that’s exactly the point. Through a heartwarming and fun-filled story, the book explores how everyone, no matter their size, shape, background, or style, can find joy and belonging on a bike.The story celebrates the power of community and the freedom of riding—whether it’s racing, adventuring, popping wheelies, or just riding to visit a friend… or to get ice cream. At its core, The Ragtag Best Friends Bicycle Club reminds kids that they don’t have to fit a mold to be part of the cycling world.Get the preorder of her book, the limited edition KEEP GOING art print, and tons of Ragtag Best Friends Bicycle Club clothing options here. You can shop Shredly here, or snag her fave sunscreen here. And of course, donate to All Bodies on Bikes here—and remember, a percentage of all sales of her book + merch also get donated to All Bodies on Bikes! Remember you can follow Molly and Sasha on Social Media including:Molly - @mollyjhurford @stronggirlpublishingSasha - @SGollishRuns @Yellow_Running_ShoesListen, Subscribe, Rate + Review on Substack | Spotify | iTunes | YouTube Get full access to Strong Girl Society at stronggirl.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to Strong Girl Talk, where we dive into the latest in sports science, performance, and well-being—all with a focus on women and girls in sport. This week Molly interviews Sasha about her upcoming youth mental performance journal, Unstoppable.Before we get into it, we have SO MANY pre-orders open now on Strong Girl Publishing! Don’t miss out! In order of publication… * Power Up: A Young Woman’s Guide to Winning with Sports Nutrition by Stevie Lyn Smith, RD, with Molly Hurford (out 11/11)* The Unstoppable Journal: For Every Practice, Game, and Goal That Matters to You from Dr. Sasha Gollish (out 11/20)* The Mirror Diaries: Finding Grace by Vanessa Coulbeck (out 1/13)* Beyond the Mirror Workbook by Vanessa Coulbeck (out 1/13)* The Ragtag Best Friends Bicycle Club by Marley Blonsky, illustrated by Pip Claffey (out 4/12)We’re also super excited to announce our new Shred Girls Book Club, a virtual book club launching later in November with a VERY special guest joining us to talk about Jen’s Bumpy Ride and what goal-setting and success looks like to different people at different times in their lives. OK, on to the podcast where we are talking all about Sasha’s Unstoppable journal!Before we dive in, do us a huge favor and make sure you give the podcast 5 stars and click follow: .In this interview with Molly, Sasha shares the journey behind the project—from her starting her Advanced Coaching Diploma in 2013 to launching Unstoppable through Strong Girl Publishing. Sasha knows that this first Yellow Running Shoes project is the first of many with Molly and the Strong Girl Publishing team.So why did Sasha put this journal together for your kids? Here’s what she noticed as an athlete, as a coach, as a researcher:➡️ The rise in mental health and well-being challenges in youth (we won’t overwhelm you with more media and research!)➡️ The disappearing link between sport skills and life skills (Linda Flanagan, we love your book, Take Back the Game)➡️ The growing demands on coaches, parents, and caregivers (We see you!)When we feel unstoppable, when kids feel like they are unstoppable, we are confident, focused and resilient. We love this poem that’s in the book:You are unstoppable.Not because you do not have failures and doubts.But because you continue on despite them.And when we give kids tools to discover their inner selves, they get to uncover dreams they didn’t even know they could dare to dream.Whether you’re a coach trying to support your team’s mental game, a parent navigating big emotions, or an athlete who wants to feel stronger and more grounded—Unstoppable is here to help.🎧 Tune in to hear how this resource came to life, why it matters now more than ever, and how we can all help kids feel more unstoppable in sport—and in life.📘 Learn more or grab a copy: stronggirlpublishing.com/unstoppable. Want to connect with Sasha to speak to your group? Head over to: https://stronggirlpublishing.com/authors/sasha-gollish/Remember you can follow Molly and Sasha on Social Media including:Molly - @mollyjhurford @stronggirlpublishingSasha - @SGollishRuns @Yellow_Running_ShoesListen, Subscribe, Rate + Review on Substack | Spotify | iTunes | YouTube Get full access to Strong Girl Society at stronggirl.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to Strong Girl Talk, where we dive into the latest in sports science, performance, and well-being—all with a focus on women and girls in sport. This week Sasha and Molly have a conversation about challenging conversations - you know those awkward things you don’t want to talk about but we let fester inside of us!?Before we dive in, do us a huge favor and make sure you give the podcast 5 stars and click follow: .1000 days to LA2028! On Saturday, it is 1000 days to the opening ceremonies of LA2028. In honour of this milestone, Strong Girl Publishing is launching 1000 Days to LA—a new project tracking the road to the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. Follow along for big dreams, big training days, and even bigger heart. 💫🇺🇸 #1000DaysToLAMarley Blonskey’s debut children’s book Ragtag Bicycle Friends is now available for preorder! This joyful, beautifully illustrated story celebrates inclusivity, body diversity, and the magic of finding your people on two wheels. Whether you’re new to cycling or a lifelong rider, Ragtag Bicycle Friends reminds us all that there’s no one way to be a cyclist—and that the best rides are the ones we take together.Why are the hardest conversations often the ones we need most?Whether with coaches, teammates, friends, or ourselves challenging conversations can feel so uncomfortable… and why leaning into them matters. From sport to everyday life, we unpack the science behind conflict avoidance, the social pressure to stay “nice,” and how silence often protects comfort, not connection. Plus, we share real stories, strategies, and a few stumbles of our own. Whether you’re gearing up for a tough talk or still avoiding it—this one’s for you.Remember, you can listen to our previous episode on creating psychologically safe spaces so that everyone in the conversation feels seen and heard. Plus, go back to our conversation on Goal Setting, so you can set some objectives for the outcome (think: I want us to get along so we can be the best version of a team together)Sports Highlights:Athlos, you showed up and delivered; she lit the city. This is the future of track and field and it is so much fun. Do yourself a favour and Google ‘Athlos Time Square.’ As Molly said these photos look like they were AI generated, but they are IRL and fabulous!Women’s sports fans are growing and you want them to get your $$! Research by Wasserman’s The Collective surveyed 7,100 women across 10 countries, finding women sports fans make 85% of household purchasing decisions and will control 75% of global discretionary spending by 2030. Despite this economic power, 66% of women sports fans say sports organizations don’t understand or appeal to them, with women having 13% less free time than men requiring different engagement strategies.And finally, we leave you with this 🎤 drop of a comment from Caster Semenya from the 2025 Play the Game conference when asked about what is one thing she would change in women’s sport: “I would stop men regulating women’s sport.”Remember you can follow Molly and Sasha on Social Media including:Molly - @mollyjhurford @stronggirlpublishingSasha - @SGollishRuns @Yellow_Running_ShoesListen, Subscribe, Rate + Review on Substack | Spotify | iTunes | YouTubeA few new preorders have dropped on Strong Girl Publishing, don’t miss out! Get full access to Strong Girl Society at stronggirl.substack.com/subscribe

Before we dive in, do us a huge favor and make sure you give the podcast 5 stars and click follow:About Stevie Lyn Smith:Stevie Lyn Smith is a registered dietitian and founder of Stevie Lyn Nutrition, a virtual sports nutrition private practice. Her mission is to help educate and coach athletes and active humans on how to fuel their goals while not sacrificing their health and happiness.As a board certified specialist in sports nutrition, Stevie Lyn has helped hundreds of athletes and active individuals fuel to improve their performance, energy levels, and recovery without feelings of guilt or restriction. Drawing from her experiences growing up as a team-sport athlete to completing ten full Ironman distance triathlons and countless other endurance and ultra distance races, she knows firsthand how important nutrition is to be a healthy athlete.She received her B.S. in Dietetics and Nutrition from SUNY Buffalo State University in 2012 and M.S. in Applied Nutrition with a Sports and Fitness concentration from Northeastern University in 2019. She is the host of her podcast, Real Fuel with SLS, where she has honest conversations to dive into the human side of endurance sports paired with sports nutrition knowledge for the everyday athlete. She has also contributed to Run Tri Bike Magazine, Runner’s World, Outside Magazine, Bicycling Magazine, and Triathlete Magazine. In her free time, she enjoys volunteering at her local animal shelter. When she’s not swimming, biking, or running you can find her outside exploring new trails or with her dog in sunny Buffalo, NY.Preorder Power Up right here!A few new preorders have dropped on Strong Girl Publishing, don’t miss out!Sports Highlights:Oh Canada! 🇨🇦 🚴‍♀️What a ride at the UCI world championships in Kigali for EF Education Oatley Rider, Magdeleine Vallières, who won the elite women’s road race. This photo with Alison Jackson at the finish line about sums up why we love sport.🏉 After 6 weeks of competition, England, No 1 ranked, came out on top of the 15’s World Championship beating Canada in the final 13-33.Canadian Women and Sport released their latest Campaign, Get Girl Coached, all about the role models - the coaches, the administrators, the investment - to keep girls in sport.Another International Federation, FIS,vThe International Ski & Snowboard Federation, announced sex screening for all those wanting to compete in the women’s competitions in advance of the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina. We covered sex testing back on an earlier episode when World Athletics implemented their plan to do so back in March. This follows World Boxing’s update on sex screening as well.Remember you can follow Molly and Sasha on Social Media including:Molly - @mollyjhurford @stronggirlpublishingSasha - @SGollishRuns @Yellow_Running_ShoesListen, Subscribe, Rate + Review on Substack | Spotify | iTunes | YouTube Get full access to Strong Girl Society at stronggirl.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to Strong Girl Talk, where we dive into the latest in sports science, performance, and well-being—all with a focus on women and girls in sport. This week Sasha and Molly talk about Goal Setting - for sure one of my Molly’s favourite things to talk about.Before we dive in, do us a huge favor and make sure you give the podcast 5 stars and click follow: .What is goal setting? Goal setting is the practice of identifying something you want to achieve—and creating a plan to get there. But it’s not just about outcomes like medals or personal bests. It’s about building direction, purpose, and progress in a way that aligns with your values, your well-being, and your own definition of success.We believe goal setting isn’t about perfection—it’s about intention. It’s how you learn, grow, and celebrate who you are along the way, not just when you cross the finish line, finish a big project, or meet a big team goal.Before we dive in, we’re going to celebrate Molly’s other podcast, the Consummate Athlete Podcast, and it has some great goal setting episodes, like last years and the one at the end of 2023. Plus there are lots of other great episodes to listen to.Molly and Sasha, loved this from Skadi Sports Psychology, which emphasizes the use of these three types of goals for effective goal setting:* Outcome Goals: These are your major achievements, such as winning a competition or qualifying for a championship.* Performance Goals: These focus on improving individual performance metrics, like increasing a training pace or earning a personal best.* Process Goals: These are the specific, controllable daily tasks and habits that support your performance and outcome goals. For example, sticking to a specific training schedule.Want to understand how these work together? Tune in to listen to Sasha and Molly discuss how outcome, performance, and process goals weave through their lives.We also talk about why goal setting in an adult context might be harmful to kids, especially those under 12. We highlight this work from the British Journal of Sports Medicine, Goal setting in youth sport: are we unintentionally contributing to dropout, (ps, it’s open access!). Don’t worry we’ve got you covered with what we talk about in our episode, plus these great resources from ILoveToWatchYouPlay and TrueSport.Plus, Sasha shares a piece she wrote for Oiselle a few years ago about how every goal has a past, a present, and a future.And finally, we wrap about talking about how goal setting and routines are related and we promise to do a future episode on motivation.Sports Highlights:The World Athletics Championships wrapped up in Tokyo with many amazing performances. Alongside the world and championship records broken, World Athletics hosted a series of engagements, including the Gender Leadership conference (see Sasha’s notes). At the Gender Leadership Conference, Alexis Ohanian, founder and co-owner of Athlos said “when women lead, we all win.” Check out the Athlos meet October 10th if you can with this year’s theme She Lights the City.Women’s World Cup of Rugby continues. No. 1 seed, England, was knocked out by France. Canada is set to play England in the final this Saturday (11am ET), and France and New Zealand battle it out for the bronze. (Sasha made a mistake and England did beat France in the semi-final and will play Canada in the final).Mountain Bike World Cup action returned to Lenzerheide, following the World Championships. There are two more stops on the World Cup Circuit, both in North America, finishing at Mount St Anne Quebec.World Road Racing Championships are underway in Kigali, Rwanda. It’s the first time an African Nation’s hosted a world championships event for cycling. Will this open the gates to seeing more of this beautiful continent.In North America it’s cross-country running season. If you’re looking for school programming, Sasha has put together a host of resources on YouTube and in a Google Drive.A few new preorders have dropped on Strong Girl Publishing, don’t miss out!Remember you can follow Molly and Sasha on Social Media including:Molly - @mollyjhurford @stronggirlpublishingSasha - @SGollishRuns @Yellow_Running_ShoesListen, Subscribe, Rate + Review on Substack | Spotify | iTunes | YouTube Get full access to Strong Girl Society at stronggirl.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to Strong Girl Talk, where we dive into the latest in sports science, performance, and well-being—all with a focus on women and girls in sport. This week while Sasha is in Tokyo for the World Athletics Championships and Molly interviews Vanessa Coulbeck, Strong Girl Publishing Author of The Mirror Diaries series, about self-compassion, body image, and how we can use fiction as a vehicle for change.Before we dive in, do us a huge favor and make sure you give the podcast 5 stars and click follow: About Vanessa Coulbeck: Vanessa is a PhD candidate focusing on body image and physical activity promotion for young girls. She currently serves as the Director of Research Project Management for The ReThinkSport Project—a groundbreaking national research initiative working to change knowledge, innovate sport practices, evolve sport access, and improve sport participation in youth sports, particularly among girls—as well as other national initiatives at the Mental Health and Physical Activity Research Centre, housed at the University of Toronto, and will be pursuing her doctorate beginning in the fall. She is also a dynamic leader in youth empowerment and social impact initiatives in Toronto and worldwide, and is In fact, the founder of a physical activity tech startup focused on connecting individuals and building communities through movement. The first book in her series, The Mirror Diaries, is out January 11 and available for preorder here.Get the Limited Edition Sweatshirt (for a Limited Time!)Sports Highlights:World Mountain Bike Championships wrapped up. Our main highlight is 🇨🇦 U23 Champion, Isabella Holmgren, who won both the XCC and XCO as defending champion in this event. Great to see Jenny Rissveds win the XCO women’s event, and a Swiss woman, Alessandra Keller, win the XCC in her home country. Jen Jackson, 🇨🇦 rider, was third in the XCC. This weekend is the last world cup stop in Lenzerheide; Swiss rider, Nino Schurter says goodbye to a historic career.Canada got through to the semi-final at the Women’s 15’s World Cup of Rugby, beating out the Australians. They will face New Zealand in the semi-final this weekend.At a USOpen Press Conference with Aryna Sabalenka there was an announcement about a modern day Battle of the Sexes - Sabalenka vs Kyrgios. Not sure how we feel about this, we know the match will be entertaining with these two characters on court together.Sasha will do a big write up about the World Athletics Track and Field Championships. But for now you can follow her action on Instagram and read last week’s newsletter.A few new preorders have dropped on Strong Girl Publishing, don’t miss out!Remember you can follow Molly and Sasha on Social Media including:Molly - @mollyjhurford @stronggirlpublishingSasha - @SGollishRuns @Yellow_Running_ShoesListen, Subscribe, Rate + Review on Substack | Spotify | iTunes | YouTube Get full access to Strong Girl Society at stronggirl.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to Strong Girl Talk, where we dive into the latest in sports science, performance, and well-being—all with a focus on women and girls in sport. This week Sasha and Molly talk about their routines through Sasha’s 5 Tenants for Living a High Performance Life.Reminder: We have preorders open for Power Up: A Young Woman’s Guide to Winning with Sports Nutrition by Stevie Lyn Smith and The Mirror Diaries: Finding Grace plus the accompanying workbook by Vanessa Coulbeck on StrongGirlPublishing.com now!Before we dive in, do us a huge favor and make sure you give the podcast 5 stars and click follow: .📋✅ This week is also about routines, how to form new ones and how to break bad ones. Sasha and Molly talk about their routines, through Sasha’s Tenants for a High Performance life (you heard them talk about back on this episode about sport as a human right).What are the tenets for a high performance life?* Sleep Soundly* Feed The Machine* Get Moving* Be Intentional* Engineer your own ExcellenceWe dive into our habits for each of these using the research from Charles Duhigg’s The Power of Habit - how you need at least 21 days to try something to start to create a new habit. Plus, Shane Parrish’s, The Science of Habit formation and Change.We also talk about what happens when you fall off the new habit forming routine and the use of self-compassion (Don’t forget to check out Vanessa Coulbeck’s new book, Finding Grace, all about self-compassion and make sure you order the workbook that goes with it too!) And of course when it comes to Feeding the Machine Stong Girl Publishing Author Stevie Smith has a great book, Power Up, coming out shortly sharing her wisdom about how to feed your machine!Remember, social media makes us think that everyone else is perfect all the time with their habits, but it’s just not true. As Neal Henderson once said ‘weaponize your strengths’ - so let’s start with what’s working well in your life and then pick one thing you’d like to work on.🎾🏃‍♀️🚵🏻‍♀️🏉Sports Highlights:Before we dive into the professional sports highlights, with cross-country season starting at many schools across Canada, Sasha put together some free resources. Plans for elementary, middle, and high school, plus a weekly video to give you some additional ideas for practice.What a final at the US Open. This year, both the men’s and women’s champions were the defending 2024 Champions. Aryna Sabelenka took top spot to Amanda Anisimova.The Rugby 15’s world championships continue with quarter finals this weekend. Canada is set to take on Australia, who beat out the US for the last quarter final spot, this Saturday. Top seed, England, take on Scotland Sunday afternoon.UCI Mountain Bike World Championships continue in Switzerland. One of our favourite riders of all time, Kate Courtney, won the women’s marathon. After we recorded this episode, the women’s short track took place in Zermatt and there were Canadians on three of four podiums. Congrats to Isabella Holmgren defending her U23 title and Jen Jackson won the bronze in elite women's.Sasha is heading to the World Athletics World Championships in Tokyo, Japan. Competition gets underway on Saturday. Sasha’s first event coverage will be of the women’s marathon. Make sure to follow her on instagram for daily updates.A few new preorders have dropped on Strong Girl Publishing, don’t miss out!Remember you can follow Molly and Sasha on Social Media including:Molly - @mollyjhurford @stronggirlpublishingSasha - @SGollishRuns @Yellow_Running_ShoesListen, Subscribe, Rate + Review on Substack | Spotify | iTunes | YouTube Get full access to Strong Girl Society at stronggirl.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to Strong Girl Talk, where we dive into the latest in sports science, performance, and well-being—all with a focus on women and girls in sport. This week Sasha and Molly are chatting with Skadi Sport Psychology’s Staci Manella about all things back to school, navigating para-athletics and how we can make more space for athletes with disabilities at every level, and so much more!Before we dive in, do us a huge favor and make sure you give the podcast 5 stars and click follow: .We love this from ASICS, The Undropped Kit - “What if we reimagined the school PE kit to make girls feel more comfortable and stop them dropping out of sport?” From different fit, to thinking about period leakage, the girls provided a ton of feedback to ASICS to create this PE kit. Really it should be whatever bottoms girls want and a variety of tops - I mean really, if your bottoms don’t match, does it really matter?! It’s time to think differently about PE gear.This week’s guest is Staci Manella - Who is she? A former U.S. Paralympic Alpine ski racer, now a speaker, academic, and like a former guest, a practitioner at Skadi Sport Psychology - among other things. Staci was born legally blind, which she self describes as providing her with many opportunities, like competing for Team USA at two Paralympic Games. In this conversation, you’ll hear so much of Staci’s positivity, but also her grounded reality, where she shares how having a disability shaped her experiences but never limited her vision of what she is capable of achieving.Sports Highlights:We’re now deep into Week 2 of the US Open, with Flushing Meadows humming as ever. When this episode comes out, it will be finals weekend! Who are you cheering for?The UCI Mountain Bike World Cup in Les Gets wrapped with standout rides from Jenny Rissveds, who had a perfect weekend, which means she won both the short track and the olympic distance—and Canada’s Isabella Holmgren landed on the U23 podium, just after winning Le Tour de L’Avenir Femmes. Alongside this World Cup stop, the World Mountain Bike Championships is also underway in Valais, Switzerland. The short track (Zermatt), the Olympic distance (Crans Montana), and the team relay (Crans Montana) are next week.There was a lot going on in the world of running, from the Diamond League finals in Zurich, to the Sydney Marathon - the newest in the Abbott World Majors - and UTMB, a trail running festival. The TCS Sydney Marathon presented by ASICS was the latest marathon to join the Abbott World Major Marathons, creating a 7th star. The growth of running and marathons is nothing short of amazing. If you look at these elite start lists one thing stands out, the men still get more opportunities than the women. And finally UTMB, “the world's ultimate trail running circuit that allows all runners to experience adventure.”According to RUN this year’s numbers for the UTMB finals in Mont Blanc women represented 30% of entries.If we want to see equitable participation, alongside from the ground up, we need to start from the top-down. Equity starts by giving everyone a chance.Don’t forget to go back and check out last week’s episode, if you missed our tips on navigating back to school.A few new preorders have dropped on Strong Girl Publishing, don’t miss out!Remember you can follow Molly and Sasha on Social Media including:Molly - @mollyjhurford @stronggirlpublishingSasha - @SGollishRuns @Yellow_Running_ShoesListen, Subscribe, Rate + Review on Substack | Spotify | iTunes | YouTube Get full access to Strong Girl Society at stronggirl.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to Strong Girl Talk, where we dive into the latest in sports science, performance, and well-being—all with a focus on women and girls in sport. This week Sasha and Molly are chatting about all things back to school for parents, coaches and athletes.Before we dive in, do us a huge favor and make sure you give the podcast 5 stars and click follow: They’re going back!!Back-to-school season is more than sharpened pencils and new running shoes—it’s a chance to reset. For parents, coaches, and athletes, this transition is about more than just schedules; it’s about building habits that set us up for success in sport and in life. Here are our top five reminders to keep the focus on balance, joy, and growth as we head into a new season.Top 5 Back-to-School Takeaways* Prioritize Routines, Not PerfectionNew seasons bring fresh starts—build consistent routines instead of chasing flawless schedules.* Make Sleep Non-NegotiableSleep is the real performance enhancer for both school and sport. Protect those hours.* Fuel for Focus and PlayEncourage balanced nutrition as part of the day—pack snacks that support both energy and recovery.* Communicate AuthenticallyParents and coaches, check in beyond “how was your day?” Ask better questions to support kids emotionally and socially.* Leave Room for JoySchool and sport can feel structured—make sure there’s still time for fun, unstructured play, and moments that spark joy.This episode is packed with insights for parents, coaches, and athletes—from building routines that last, to keeping sport joyful, to remembering that growth doesn’t only happen on the field or track. Whether you’re heading back to school, into a new season, or just hitting reset, these takeaways are a reminder that the small, consistent choices we make every day shape the athletes—and humans—we become.Shoutout to Skadi Sports Psych for their newsletter featuring our chat with their latest team addition Hannah Silva Breen plus back to school tips. We spoke with Hannah on June 20th, you can check out that episode here.We also mentioned a few of our other previous episodes in this episode including The Secret to Raising Active Kids with Juliet Starrett, Our conversations covering World Athletics Return to Sex Testing, and we’re also reminding you about The Art of the Debrief as we head back into the classroom with our kids.Sports Highlights:The US Open is underway in Flushing Meadows, NYC! Venus Williams made her return to the court at 45 and with very minimal preparation took a set off 11th ranked Karolina Muchova. US Open former star, and Venus’s sister, Serena, posted last week about using a GLP1 for weight loss and it’s sparked some discussion! What are your thoughts on Serena’s choices?UCI Mountain Bike is back after a 6-week break. We’re stoked for to watch this weekend following. Kate Courtney’s win and course record at the Leadville 100mi ‘Race Across the Sky’ and some riders having done the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift. We were wrong and right in the episode, along with a mountain bike world cup, World Mountain Bike Championships also start this weekend. Diamond League action is back. Faith Kipyegon ran the 2nd fastest 3000m of all time at Silesia! Nikki Hiltz won their first 1500m Diamond League. Keely Hodgkinsonstamped her return in the 800m, winning in dominant fashion at Silesia and then again two days later in Lausanne. It’s also the Diamond League finals this weekend. Winners in each event get an invite to the World Championships later this month.We forgot to mention UTMB, the big trail series over in France. We’ll bring some highlights next week but the races have been fab. The Rugby 15’s World Cup is underway in the UK. Canada is in Pool B having won their first game. Canada plays Wales next on Saturday. Pool play goes through the first week in September with quarterfinals starting the second weekend.Remember you can follow Molly and Sasha on Social Media including:Molly - @mollyjhurford @stronggirlpublishingSasha - @SGollishRuns @Yellow_Running_ShoesListen, Subscribe, Rate + Review on Substack | Spotify | iTunes | YouTube Get full access to Strong Girl Society at stronggirl.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to Strong Girl Talk, where we dive into the latest in sports science, performance, and well-being—all with a focus on women and girls in sport. This week Sasha and Molly are talking with Lindsey Richter, founder of Ladies AllRide. Before that, we get into Victoria Mboko’s win at the National Bank Open and chat through the controversial tennis moment that happened when a baby wouldn’t stop crying at a match. We also discuss the not-so-new sex testing policy for the World Athletics Championships, expressing concern over its impact on women athletes (listen to our full episode on it here). We also touch on our top moments from the Tour de France Femmes before getting into our convo with Lindsey, where we discuss the importance of MTB and coaching for women as well as her children's book, Etiquette is a Big Word.Before you listen, do us a huge favor and make sure you give the podcast 5 stars and click follow: Who is Lindsey Richter? Known as a world-renowned leader in the women's mountain bike movement, Lindsey spreads her passion for mountain biking across the globe through innovative and inspirational skills camps supported by Liv Cycling. Lindsey knows firsthand how mountain biking can change lives and she is a true ambassador for the sport!Learn more about Lindsey and Ladies AllRide on Instagram, check out Ladies AllRide, and if you’ve ridden with Lindsey and her team before share with us the amazingness of the whole event!Sports Updates:It’s that time of the summer where there is a bit of a lull before it gets busy again.It’s not often that you get to win a major competition on home soil, but that’s exactly what Victoria Mboko did at the 2025 Women’s National Bank Open in Montreal defeating Naomi Osaka. We loved this on Feisty Media sharing the Canadian Crowd at the Men’s National Bank Open being so excited for Victoria and disrupting the men’s match.In other Tennis news, there’s been criticism over the Sabalenka and Raducanu match where they called out a noisy baby. What are your thoughts? Molly and Sasha offer a fun, hot take in this episode.Do you miss the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift as much as Molly and Sasha? Yes, we cover this once more celebrating Pauline Ferrand Prevot and her great ride across France this summer.And a final sport update, which we’ll once again stand on our soap box to say - “THIS IS NOT BREAKING NEWS - World Athletics (WA) announced that as of September 1st all Federations must submit the results of a SRY gene test for those wishing to participate in the female category. AKA Sex testing. We knew this was coming. On February 10th WA announced their consultation about female eligibility. Buried in this press release on March 25th, WA announced they would ‘ adopt a pre-clearance requirement for all athletes competing in the female category.’ So the July 30th announcement as to how WA would carry this out should be no surprise. You can listen to Molly and Sasha discuss Sex Testing, Sex Screening, and the history on an episode from April 2nd.We’ve got some exciting updates coming for September with the start of the school year with the pod. Share with us what you want us to cover and who you want us to interview.Remember you can follow Molly and Sasha on Social Media including:Molly - @mollyjhurford @stronggirlpublishingSasha - @SGollishRuns @Yellow_Running_ShoesListen, Subscribe, Rate + Review on Substack | Spotify | iTunes | YouTube Get full access to Strong Girl Society at stronggirl.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to Strong Girl Talk, where we dive into the latest in sports science, performance, and well-being—all with a focus on women and girls in sport. This week Sasha and Molly are talking Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift! Plus, we’re replaying the episode recorded earlier in the year with Kate Veronneau.Before we dive in, do us a huge favor and make sure you give the podcast 5 stars and click follow: .Before we dive into chatting all things Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift (TdFFaZ), we had to talk about the ‘breaking news’ - the July 30th Press Release from World Athletics announcing SRY gene testing for all wishing to compete in the female category before the World Athletics Championships. We sarcastically say ‘breaking news’ because we covered the World Athletics consultation and following press releases* on an emergency episode April 2nd - almost 4 months ago! Technically the new eligibility rules comes into effect on September 1st but all national federations (like Athletics Canada and USATF) are required to provide the testing and WA will only provide $100/test. From our research it’s $300-$500USD per test. What a set back!(* You have to scroll through this press release to see the eligibility in female category)For a good giggle, listen to Sasha and Molly talk IUD’s and progress with perimenopause talk at the 6:45 mark!Now, the TdFFaZ, we do a deep dive for all new followers of the event. We’re going to include a lot of notes here so you can cross-reference them as needed.First, up, Molly is on a new pod, Queen Stage. It’s covering all 9-stages of TdFFaZ and will continue with coverage of all the UCI world tour road events. Sasha’s already given it a 5-star review and recommends y’all tune in wherever you listen to podcasts.The Tour de France Hommes (TdFH) began in 1903 with the sole purpose of selling a huge number of newspapers. The newspaper was printed on yellow paper and to advertise the leader wore a ‘yellow’ jersey, sponsored by L’auto! The women had their start in 1955, but it was short lived. The race returned again in 1985 for 5 years and then vanished. Queen Stage episode 1 does a great job at explaining the history. Plus, we definitely recommend the doc, Breakaway Femmes. Maybe we can host a virtual screening!This year’s TdFFaZ is 9 stages, starting in the north-west and heading across France and finishing on the south-east. Queen Stage episode 1 also includes a discussion of all 9 stages. The race this year is 1,165km (724mi) with 17,240m (56,547ft) of climbing. This is the 4th edition since the re-launch in 2022 and also includes a mass participation event, L’Etape du Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift. It’s hosted on the Queenstage of this year (no, not the podcast). A Queenstage is the hardest climbing stage of a multi-day stage race. Hosted on stage 8, the penultimate day riders alike, elites and everyone else, finish on the Col de la Madeleine. It’s going to be the party of the year watching the women finish at the top of the Col.This year’s TdFFaZ has 22 teams, 15 UCI Women's WorldTeams are participating, plus 7 Continental Teams. Each team has 7 riders for a total of 154 riders. For comparison the TdFH have 8 riders per team. We’re curious if 2026 will see 8 women per team on the start line.The TdFFaZ is not just one race, it’s a race with multiple races, where the leader (because they’re not the winner until the end) gets to wear a specific jersey. Let’s take you through that:* The Yellow Jersey is worn by the overall leader, the general classification (GC) Leader. So you take the combo of the 9 stages (or whatever stage you’re on) and whoever has the lowest total time is the GC leader. It can be confusing because there are time bonuses, and if you’ve been watching it’s what separated the race the first few days.* There is the White Jersey, similar to the yellow jersey, but for someone who is under 23 years old.* The Polka dot jersey, which is white with red polka dots. This is for the climbers it’s a points race that occurs over all 9 days. Points are ‘on offer,’ which is the language you hear in the broadcast to say given to or awarded, at the top of each hill and mountain or at the summit finishes. Hill or Mountain category dictate the number of points available. (see below on that classification).* The Green Jersey, similar to the polka dot jersey, is a points race across all 9 days, but it’s for the sprinters. Points will be given out at the finish of every stage and at intermediate sprints.* The stage winner, which really is at it sounds, the person who crosses the finish line first each day. If you think about it as a 9 day stage race, each day is also an individual race, which a rider can win.* The most aggressive rider for the day, which is the person who make the race the most exciting. You’ll usually see them in a ‘break’ - up ahead on the road by themselves or with others - or ‘attacking’ the peloton - the group of riders - throughout the stage.* The team classification, which is the leading team. A team is made up of the top 3 riders of a 7 rider team.ALL Jerseys and winners go up on stage (except the overall team)Then there is the type stages:* Flat (sprinter stages),* Hilly (combo flat with hills but not massive mountains),* Time Trials (not included this year, so we’ll skip)* Mountain StagesNow let’s talk about the points available. First climbing classification and points - Category 4 (easiest - 1 points at the top), Category 3 (2 points to first across, 1 to the second person), Category 2 (with 5, 3, and 2 points on offer, Category 1 (almost the hardest with 10, 8, 6, 7, 5, and 1pt on offer), the HC hors-categorie with meaning beyond category (20, 15, 12, 10, 8, 6, 4, and 2 points available). Remember that Col de Madelin Saturday for the pros and everyone else, well it’s a HC climb! Have fun.Next, the sprinting stages, where the first 15 across the line get points. The following points are on offer: a Flat stage finish 50, 30, 20 points …; a Hilly stage finish - 30, 25, 22 points …; a Mountain stage finish - 20, 17, 15 points…; and Intermediate sprints, which are any sprints between the start and finish line - 20, 17, 15 points…There is also a time cut, meaning you have to finish within a certain percentage of the winner’s time. Every rider must finish within this time cut, and it’s calculated daily based on several factors, which we’ll leave out for now. If a rider fails to make the time cut, is outside the time limit (OTL) they are not allowed to start the next day.Well that’s the highest, level overview possible. You can find show notes from the original episode with Kate Veronneau here.Remember you can follow Molly and Sasha on Social Media including:Molly - @mollyjhurford @stronggirlpublishingSasha - @SGollishRuns @Yellow_Running_ShoesListen, Subscribe, Rate + Review on Substack | Spotify | iTunes | YouTube Get full access to Strong Girl Society at stronggirl.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to Strong Girl Talk, where we dive into the latest in sports science, performance, and well-being—all with a focus on women and girls in sport. This week Sasha and Molly talk with Timia Porter, a cycling advocate who’s riding and racing for change for Black women in the sport. From community rides to systemic shifts, Timia shares how she’s creating space, building joy, and challenging the status quo—one pedal stroke at a time.Before we dive in, do us a huge favor and make sure you give the podcast 5 stars and click follow: .Who is Timia Porter? She’s @TheeCarbonQueen “making a positive impact” as she says in her instagram bio.Listen to this episode to learn more about her journey into cycling, how Crit (or Criterium) racing captured her heart, and why she’s committed to reclaiming space for Black women and girls in the sport. We talk about the realities of breaking into cycling, the importance of community, and how Timia is using the bike not just to race—but to heal.You’ll hear her reflections on navigating ADHD in a high-performance space, the role of belief in coaching and racing, and what it means to show up with purpose. We also dig into the deeper barriers—those often left unspoken—for women and BIPOC athletes, and what it’ll take to make competitive cycling more welcoming.Whether you’re new to the sport or have been riding for years, this one will leave you thinking, laughing, and inspired to roll forward with intention.Before we get into the conversation with Timia, we cover a few key updates in the world of sport including:* Molly’s recent announcement that she’s on of the co-hosts of a new pod, QueenStage, “From Grand Tours to gravel, from strategy breakdowns to culture deep-dives, this is women’s cycling coverage like you’ve never heard it.” We’re stoked for this coverage.* Because the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift (TdFFaZ, as Molly writes in our personal notes!) gets underway Saturday in Vannes. Check out this post from @QueenStage.cc to learn more about all the stages. Both Sasha and Molly are stoked to see Pauline Ferrand Prevot start her first TdFFaZ, as well as cheer for other stars including Demi Vollering, Puck Pieterse, and others. Tell us who you are cheering for!* Molly continues her coverage of the Men’s Tour de France over at Bicycling Mag. She’s a great voice and adds so much to their commentary. The men’s Tour wraps up Sunday, which will make for some long days of TV watching Saturday and Sunday!* Sasha was on the Shakeout Podcast talking about Gender Equity last week. It’s a short but important listen! There were some great instagram posts (1, 2, 3) where you really hear here passion shine through.* And yes, we talk about the latest doping suspension; Women’s World Record Holder, Ruth Chepng’etich has received a provisional suspension for the presence of HCTZ or Hydrochlorothiazide, which is a diuretic. Sasha’s likely going to record a solo episode covering anti-doping, and using this case as an example, as well as thinking about the greater global challenges with doping.* Molly is off to the Rooted Women’s MTB Festival in Beamus Point, NY. From hosting a Strong Girl Publishing event, a TdFFaZ watch party, and just playing bikes, there are lots of ways to connect with her this weekend.Remember you can follow Molly and Sasha on Social Media including:Molly - @mollyjhurford @stronggirlpublishingSasha - @SGollishRuns @Yellow_Running_ShoesListen, Subscribe, Rate + Review on Substack | Spotify | iTunes| YouTube Get full access to Strong Girl Society at stronggirl.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to Strong Girl Talk, where we dive into the latest in sports science, performance, and well-being—all with a focus on women and girls in sport. This week Sasha and Molly speak with She Sends Foundation’s Executive Consultant Vanessa Hauswald.Before we dive in, do us a huge favor and make sure you give the podcast 5 stars and click follow: .Many of you who listen to our podcast, know the magic of riding bikes. The freedom. The friends. The sense of self-discovery. Knowing that magic, Vanessa shares with us her own two-wheeled journey from discovering coaching cycling to avoid school staff meetings to making bikes more accessible to more students.When Vanessa left the English classroom, she took over the NorCal Cycling Executive Director position, learning on the fly and asking for help. From there she went to work with NICA (the National Interscholastic Cycling Association), where she’s still the chair of the board of directors.There are so many important messages in this conversation, from starting to see athletes where there at, remembering to create fun before competition, and the real magic in cycling is creating an environment for everyone to show up authentically to feel seen to spin those pedals.Before we dove into this conversation with Vanessa, we highlighted some sports news including:* Highlighting an article from Forbes that women’s sports coverage needs to mature with its audience. Just Women's Sports CEO Haley Rosen stressed that treating women's sports "with kid gloves and pink and glitter" doesn't build sustainable fandom. (Ahem, call us, ESPN!)* On that note…Western States, where competitors must qualify and yet, there were only 101 women in the 380 spots (almost a 3:1 ratio!). Couple that with the coverage. As Molly eloquently says, what if the race planned the broadcast for the women’s race and fit the men around the women’s coverage instead of always starting with the men’s race and then adding the women’s coverage?* The Giro d’Italia Women and Sasha’s watching everyday (sometimes challenging herself to watch in French!). In thinking about what’s echoed in the Forbes article, we’d love to see the same coverage as the Men’s Tour de France, including the roll out (yes, I even watch that) but coverage of the whole race and not just partway through. Timing is everything and it seems like with the overlap with the men’s tour stage there isn’t enough bandwidth for all the coverage.* Mountain Bike World Cup racing returns this weekend before a big 6-week break. The races are in Andorra and we’re curious to see if there is any effect from the nearby wildfires in Spain and France.Remember you can follow Molly and Sasha on Social Media including:Molly - @mollyjhurford @stronggirlpublishingSasha - @SGollishRuns @Yellow_Running_ShoesListen, Subscribe, Rate + Review on Substack | Spotify | iTunes Get full access to Strong Girl Society at stronggirl.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to Strong Girl Talk, where we dive into the latest in sports science, performance, and well-being—all with a focus on women and girls in sport. This week Sasha and Molly dive into Molly’s day at the ESPNW Conference held last week in Toronto. Molly shares her top takeaways. As a heads up for the summer we’re moving to every-other-week episodes.Before we dive in, do us a huge favor and make sure you give the podcast 5 stars and click follow: .Molly’s Key Takeaways from the ESPNW Summit Canada:What we love about the ESPNW conference is the video replay available for free from previous events. Expect 2025 to be posted soon, for now you can watch 2024 and 2023. You’ll hear in the episode all of Molly’s Takeaways, but below are the top 5:* When women walk into the stadium or the field of play, they walk in confident and proud. Women’s sport has welcomed FASHION. Men’s sport could learn from this, move away from just suits and let players show up as their authentic selves.* Sports—especially women’s sports—are political. This is positive, but also a burden specifically on women.* Women’s sports are finally getting investment–from venture capitalists, if not from governing bodies. Is the future of women’s sport going to come from non-endemic funding?* How research is presented matters: case in point, several speakers mentioned the incredible Rally Report released by Canadian Women in Sport. Why? It’s accurate, yes, but also, it was launched so well. These are the notes we need to be taking as we try to build awareness. Numbers matter, but their presentation matters just as much.* Building the Future. We need to think differently, like designing toilet facilities with equity, instead of equality in mind, what Sasha called ‘Bathroom Math.’🏃‍♀️🤰🏻🎾🚴‍♀️🥏Sports Highlights:🚴‍♀️ There was another UCI Mountain Bike World Cup, this time in Val di Sole, and another Canadian Woman, Nicole Bradbury , atop the U23 XCC podium. We have fun on our bikes here in Canada, and you can see it paying dividends from the playground to the podium.Sasha is in Spain for the WFDF (World Flying Disc Federation) U24 World Championships to watch her stepson play on the Open Team. Ultimate is an incredibly inclusive and accessible sport, but we also talked about the stress and challenges with coaching. As we were reminded by Hannah Silva-Breen last week, one comment can stay with an athlete, and it may not be about body image, it may be something else you say as a coach.We’ve talked a lot about Faith Kipyegon and her sub 4-minute mile attempt - officially called Breaking4: Faith Kipyegon vs. the 4-Minute Mile - from the shoes to the clothes to the pacing. The event was streamed live on both Prime Video and Nike’s YouTube channel at 1:15 p.m. ET on June 26 (as well as on Nike’s Instagram, TikTok and Douyin accounts). She did not break the 4-minute barrier, but she did run almost 1.5 seconds faster than her current world record.We’re applauding the efforts from the Australian Sport Institute (AIS), World-leading recommendations to support mum athletes. For too long female-bodied athletes were just expected to follow in the path of male-bodied athletes, but especially when it comes to pregnancy, and AIS covers this from pre-conception all the way through to postpartum, the path is different. While this does not address the menstrual cycle and those performance difference, this is an incredible step forward. You can read all the parenthood recommendations here. This also follows on the heels of the WTA announcement protecting women’s rankings during fertility treatments.Here in Canada Bill S212 National Strategy for Children and Youth Act. We loved hearing Senator Marnie McBean’s speak to the senate this week advocating for sport and physical activity for all children and youth. Sasha and her team at U of T continue to drive change in this area.Malala Yousafzai has launched an initiative to support women’s sport, called “Recess”, an initiative to champion women’s and girls’ rights through increased participation and investment in sports and physical activity globally. As more and more big names, like Malala, get behind both professional and community sport we think we’re going to see real change in the next five years.As we continue to see the rise in professional sports, we’re drawing attention to XO Gravel. A fully supported women’s team that is not a subset of a men’s team. Thanks to Ruby West and the team for dreaming this up. Think you could be a member of this team? Check it out and submit your application.We’ll be back on July 11th!Remember you can follow Molly and Sasha on Social Media including:Molly - @mollyjhurford @stronggirlpublishingSasha - @SGollishRuns @Yellow_Running_ShoesListen, Subscribe, Rate + Review on Substack | Spotify | iTunes Get full access to Strong Girl Society at stronggirl.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to Strong Girl Talk, where we dive into the latest in sports science, performance, and well-being—all with a focus on women and girls in sport. This week Sasha and Molly talk to Hannah Silva-Breen is an incoming provider at Skadi Sports Psych and part of the team developing Body Confident Sport. This episode is a must listen with so many knowledge nuggets and practical takeaways for athletes, coaches, parents and guardians.Before we dive in, do us a huge favor and make sure you give the podcast 5 stars and click follow: .Other big news we just have to share with all of you. Marley Blonsky is joining the Strong Girl Publishing family! 🚲 Her debut middle-grade novel, The Rag Tag Best Friends Bicycle Club, coming Spring 2026, is a heartwarming celebration of friendship, movement, and finding your place in the pack.Who is Hannah Silva-Breen?Hannah is a provider at Skadi Sports Psych, a PhD Candidate at West Virginia University, a youth basketball coach, and part of the team who developed the Body Confident Sport Program. You may have seen the Body Confident Sport Program or the CoachingHER work. This work was sponsored in part by Dove and Nike and featured during events like the SuperBowl! In this episode Hannah shares with us the collaboration between the Tucker Center for Research on Girls & Women in Sport, Centre for Appearance Research (CAR), as well as Dove and Nike. We discuss her work on body confidence in sports, emphasizing the need for neutral language and supportive coaching practices.On the topic of Body Confidence, in Sasha’s lab a colleague is conducting a study on body image and weight inclusivity. We need help from Canadian sport coaches to participate to evaluate this coach training program. Interested? Follow the link for details! (https://uoft.me/bB2).Sport Highlights:Angel City FC proudly declared itself “Immigrant City Football Club,” distributing 10,000 shirts with the message “Los Angeles is for Everyone” in English and Spanish—raising funds for immigration advocacy and celebrating the diversity that makes LA stronger. You can get your shirt here. But more importantly this is a rallying cry for us all to stand up for what’s right, for what we believe in, recognizing that our differences unite us instead of dividing us.Canadian Swimmer, Summer McIntosh, was on a record breaking tear again last week at the national swim championships. She holds the most number of world records currently!It also has to be karma! Molly dove into the fit of hydration packs wondering why the designs seem to be so male focused. Interestingly enough, RAB is asking women what they need in a vest fit. Tell them what you need in a hydration pack.Over on Sasha’s Instagram, she did a sport science and engineering deep dive into Faith Kipyegon’s sub-4 minute mile attempt coming up on June 26th. No women has broken the 4-minute barrier in the mile; the current world record is 4:07.64, held by Faith Kipyegon. See why Sasha thinks it’s possible with all the technology and planning for Faith to break 4!The UCI announced a new rule to come in effect Jan 1 2026 for handlebars in road races to a minimum of 400mm, ignoring differences in male and female physiology, where for some smaller riders this handlebar width is just too wide. Let’s see if they update their decision.Tell us what knowledge nuggets you took from the conversation with Hannah.Remember you can follow Molly and Sasha on Social Media including:Molly - @mollyjhurford @stronggirlpublishingSasha - @SGollishRuns @Yellow_Running_ShoesListen, Subscribe, Rate + Review on Substack | Spotify | iTunes Get full access to Strong Girl Society at stronggirl.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to Strong Girl Talk, where we dive into the latest in sports science, performance, and well-being—all with a focus on women and girls in sport. This week Sasha and Molly talk about all the takeaways from last week’s Female Athlete Conference.Before we dive in, do us a huge favor and make sure you give the podcast 5 stars and click follow: .Sports-ish Highlights!NY Liberty officially became the highest valued women's sports team in history at $450 million, while a Deloitte report projects that women's global sports revenues will reach $2.35 billion in 2025. That’s a 300% growth in global revenues from women's sports in just three years, according to the report. They also noted that 99% of brand decision-makers saying they have increased investments in women's sports over the past five years (which Molly is dubious about!)The number of women’s sports bars in the US is expected to quadruple this year! The OG, The Sports Bra in Portland is set to open for more locations. Time to buy in? And at the bars, it’s easier to watch women’s sports: co-founded by Whoopi Goldberg, the All Women's Sports Network debuted a 24/7 streaming channel across UK, US, Canada, and Nordic markets on Pluto TV. World Boxing has introduced sex screening for all athletes. Their May 30th statement, which first named a specific individual has been updated, along with an apology for naming this particular athlete. This sex screening differs from World Athletics and requires all athletes, regardless of sex or gender, to comply with this screening.The French Open wrapped up with two hard-fought, electric finals—on both the women’s and men’s sides. The women’s final between Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff was a showcase of power, grit, and world-class tennis. But here’s the thing: the only women’s match scheduled even remotely during prime time was the final. Despite the growing talent, audience interest, and equity conversations post-Paris 2024, the scheduling and coverage still reflect a bias.What a weekend in Leogang for the UCI Women’s Mountain Bike! Puck Pieterse was unstoppable, taking dominant solo wins in both the XCC (Short Track) and XCO (Olympic) events—cementing her return to top form. But the overall XCO standings are still led by New Zealand’s Sammy Maxwell, showcasing the depth and talent across the women’s field this season. Women’s mountain biking continues to thrill—with grit, strategy, and a growing global audience.There is so much track going on. Fastwomen has the best coverage of women’s track and field, including road races. We are into the final weeks before Faith Kipyegon attempts to be the first woman to break the 4-minute barrier in the mile (1609m).5 Takeaways from The Female Athlete Conference:💡 Takeaway #1: Knowledge Translation in ActionCheck out these five authors who are translating research into stories that move us—and move the needle in sport:* Christine Yu who wrote Up to Speed* Katie Steele who wrote The Price She Pays* Letisha Brown who wrote Say Her Name* Maggie Mertens who wrote Better, Farther, Faster* Lauren Fleshman who wrote Good for a Girl* Wednesday night: The conversation was moderated by Frankie de la Cretaz who wrote Hail Mary. Frankie asked awesome questions!💡 Takeaway #2: Sports Bras—From Apparel to EquipmentIt’s time we stop treating sports bras as “extras” and start recognizing them as essential gear. From biomechanical research to athlete testimonies, the message was loud and clear: a well-fitted sports bra is just as important as shoes or uniforms. Comfort, support, and performance go hand in hand—and investing in bras is investing in athletes.💡 Takeaway #3: Sports Psychology & Speaking to AthletesOne of the most impactful tools shared at the conference was the C.O.A.C.H. framework for having meaningful conversations with athletes:* Connect – Offer a warm greeting and show concern through observation.* Open up – Ask open-ended questions and make space for emotion.* Affirm – Validate their emotions and lived experience.* Collaborate – Identify support options and transition together.* Hop Around – These aren’t linear steps—circle back as needed.This approach isn’t just for sport psychologists—it’s for all of us working with athletes to build trust, understanding, and resilience.💡 Takeaway #4: Drop the Cape and Crown — Understanding the Superwoman ComplexThis concept, developed by and for Black women, was a powerful theme at the Female Athlete Conference. The “Superwoman Schema” highlights the pressures Black women face to always be strong, composed, and self-sacrificing:* Obligation to Present Strength – Expected to be unbreakable, even under pressure.* Suppression of Emotions – Vulnerability is hidden to protect that image.* Resistance to Seeking Help – Asking for support can feel like failure.* Motivation to Succeed – Often driven to prove worth despite limited resources.* Obligation to Help Others – Prioritizing others, sometimes at the cost of their own well-being.This takeaway challenged us to rethink support, visibility, and wellness through an intersectional lens💡 Takeaway #5: Rethinking Early Specialization — Especially for TeensWe recorded this episode on the UN’s International Day of Play, a reminder that sport should be rooted in joy and exploration. Timely, too, as Project Play just released new guidelines for parents of 13–17-year-olds.👉 According to Project Play’s latest checklist, too many teens are pushed toward early specialization—a path that’s not only risky but often counterproductive.🎯 Instead, the guidelines advocate for:* Encouraging multisport participation* Prioritizing mental health and rest* Redefining success to include confidence, friendships, and funAs we discussed, kids aren’t just small adults. Developmental differences matter, and so does making space for the full social, emotional, and physical experience of sport. Let’s make sure the path to high performance doesn’t come at the cost of long-term participation—or long-term health.Tell us what knowledge nuggets you took from the conversation about the Female Athlete Conference.Remember you can follow Molly and Sasha on Social Media including:Molly - @mollyjhurford @stronggirlpublishingSasha - @SGollishRuns @Yellow_Running_ShoesListen, Subscribe, Rate + Review on Substack | Spotify | iTunesGrab the Latest Shred Girls Book!In Shred Girls: Lindsay and The Curse of Gemini Lakes, Lindsay, Ali and Jen are heading to a multi-sport camp in the mountains where they’ll ride bikes, swim, canoe and try out all new sports. But something strange is going on at Gemini Lake. It’s almost like the camp is… cursed!Will the Shred Girls save their camp, or will this be the worst summer of their lives?Get the book here:* Amazon.com (ebook and print)* Amazon.com (audiobook)* CANADA: Indigo.ca | Amazon.ca | McNallyRobinson.com* USA: Amazon.com | Bookshop.org | BarnesAndNoble.com | BetterWorldBooks.com* UK: Waterstones Get full access to Strong Girl Society at stronggirl.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to Strong Girl Talk, where we dive into the latest in sports science, performance, and well-being—all with a focus on women and girls in sport. This week Molly chats with Alison Tetrick, cycling legend, and Amy Charity, the Founder of SBT GRVL. Before that, Sasha and Molly chat all things sport.Before we dive in, do us a huge favor and make sure you give the podcast 5 stars and click follow:Ali Tetrick & Amy Charity of SBT GRVLWe chatted about Molly, Ali and Amy’s looooong histories in cycling and how far women’s cycling has come. But in particular, we’re talking about Amy’s SBT GRVL race, emphasizing its values, location, and the impact of inclusivity. The introduction of the Gravel Femmes Team Challenge aims to increase female participation in gravel racing by providing a supportive team environment. The discussion also touches on the importance of visibility and representation for women in cycling.Shred Girls Summer Camp!Big thanks to all the parents, volunteers and of course, IRL Shred Girls who joined us to celebrate Shred Girls Summer Camp at Mansfield Outdoor Centre this weekend! Just a quick thanks to the partners who made this event possible:* Payable Apps: The only way to accept payments in a Google Form—you used it to register for this event!* N89 Trail Series: A fantastic running series in Ontario, definitely check out their races (and check out their Trail Workshop at Devil's Glen in July—I'll be there!)* Hettas: Running shoes actually designed for the unique needs of women* For All Mothers: Helping us put on the mom's walk/run + chat!And of course, the Shred Girls are part of Strong Girl Publishing, where we're making girls visible in sport, turning athletes into bookworms and bookworms into athletes!In Shred Girls: Lindsay and The Curse of Gemini Lakes, Lindsay, Ali and Jen are heading to a multi-sport camp in the mountains where they’ll ride bikes, swim, canoe and try out all new sports. But something strange is going on at Gemini Lake. It’s almost like the camp is… cursed!Will the Shred Girls save their camp, or will this be the worst summer of their lives?Get the book here:* Amazon.com (ebook and print)* Amazon.com (audiobook)* CANADA: Indigo.ca | Amazon.ca | McNallyRobinson.com* USA: Amazon.com | Bookshop.org | BarnesAndNoble.com | BetterWorldBooks.com* UK: WaterstonesSports Highlights🏃‍♀️🏃‍♂️Grand Slam Track was back in action. With a modified schedule (from 3 to 2 days). We saw different athletes try different distances, like Sydney Mclaughlin-Levrone dropping down to the short hurdles🏃‍♀️🥏Exciting news from Athlos: a new team-based women’s track and field league is launching in 2026, with Olympic champions Sha’Carri Richardson, Gabby Thomas, and Tara Davis-Woodhall joining as founding adviser-owners. - Together. Forward. Faster.🎾 The French Open is underway.Most of the women’s matches are airing early in the day, and even at the tournament, the stands are empty. As Ons Jabeur pointed out, none of the major women’s matches have been scheduled for prime time—and a quick glance at the schedule confirms it. It’s frustrating, disappointing, and a missed opportunity. Women athletes deserve to be seen, supported, and celebrated—not sidelined. We can, and must, do better.Sasha’s at the Female Athlete Conference in Boston. Expect some great updates next week when she and Molly sit down to chat.Follow Along:Remember you can follow Molly and Sasha on Social Media including:Molly - @mollyjhurford @stronggirlpublishingSasha - @SGollishRuns @Yellow_Running_ShoesListen, Subscribe, Rate + Review on Substack | Spotify | iTunes Get full access to Strong Girl Society at stronggirl.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to Strong Girl Talk, where we dive into the latest in sports science, performance, and well-being—all with a focus on women and girls in sport. This week Molly and Sasha chat about what psychological safety is—and what it isn’t! Molly just wrote about it for True Sport and Sasha used a lot of this research in her PhD dissertation. We share a bunch of resources below, including Sasha’s weekend of research for this episode.Before we dive in, do us a huge favor and make sure you give the podcast 5 stars and click follow:Key episode topics include: psychological safety, coaching, parenting, sports, play🎉 Shred Girls Book 4 Launch Week!Last chance to sign up for Shred Girls Weekend, May 31 at the Mansfield Outdoor Centre, which is Shred Girls Book 4 Launch at the Mansfield Outdoor Centre. Both Sasha & Molly will be there, alongside other Strong Girl Publishing authors. Additionally, we’ve partnered with For All Mothers for a Mom Forward Event as part of this event; you can sign up for the Mom Forward event here.In Shred Girls: Lindsay and The Curse of Gemini Lakes, Lindsay, Ali and Jen are heading to a multi-sport camp in the mountains where they’ll ride bikes, swim, canoe and try out all new sports. But something strange is going on at Gemini Lake. It’s almost like the camp is… cursed!As tensions rise and weird incidents multiply, the Shred Girls face their biggest challenge yet: Can they put aside their growing conflicts and work together to uncover the truth? With friendship tested and camp chaos mounting, they’ll need all their skills, courage, and teamwork to break the curse before Gemini Lakes is destroyed forever.One summer. Three friends. An impossible challenge.Will the Shred Girls save their camp, or will this be the worst summer of their lives?Get the book here:* Amazon.com (ebook and print)* Amazon.com (audiobook)* CANADA: Indigo.ca | Amazon.ca | McNallyRobinson.com* USA: Amazon.com | Bookshop.org | BarnesAndNoble.com | BetterWorldBooks.com* UK: Waterstones🧠🦺 Psychological Safety - What it is. What it isn’t. And What we just generally get wrong about it.We dive into the work of Harvard researcher Amy C. Edmondson to explore what psychological safety truly means—especially in sport. Edmondson defines psychological safety as “an environment where people feel safe to speak up” without fear of embarrassment, rejection, or punishment. We challenge common myths—like equating safety with comfort or kindness with niceness—and highlight how real psychological safety is built through trust and respect to get to belonging in teams; it’s not just about the individual.It’s not about being nice or always agreeing. It’s about creating a team culture where everyone, athletes, coaches, and officials feel confident to take interpersonal risks, give honest feedback, and show up authentically. Because when we feel like we belong, individual or team sport, we perform at our best.Drawing from Edmondson’s research and real-life examples in sport, we discuss how psychological safety fuels performance, learning, and well-being—and how leaders can model, message, and mentor this kind of environment every day.🚵🏻‍♀️🏃‍♀️🎾 Sports HighlightsWe’re switching things up and moving our sports highlights writing recap to after the main part of our episode. At the third stop for the UCI Mountain Bike XCC in Nove Mesto the Canadian women swept the podium in the U23 Short Track. Twins Ava and Isabella Holmgren went 1-2, and what should impress me the most is Isabella’s road win earlier in the week, but it’s Isabella celebrating Ava across the line. Cyclocross queen Puck Pieterse returned to mountain bike this weekend and won the elite women’s XCC. In the U23 XCO the same Canadian who finished 3rd in the XCC won the race, Ella MacPhee. Go 🇨🇦 and cyclocross (the Holmgren sisters grew up CX racing!)!There is always more track and field! It was great to see the Stafford sisters both run so well this weekend. Gabriela (G) ran 4:03.8in Belgium and Lucia (Little Lu) also ran 4:03.5 at the Rabat Diamond League. SoundRunning’s Trackfest was Saturday night. For the best coverage in Women’s Running definitely recommend following along with Fast Women’s coverage. This weekend is the return of Grandslam Track in its updated 2-day format; say whatever you want the organizers are listening to what the fans want.The French Open is underway in Paris, with the first week and the first rounds wrapping up this weekend. With the men’s final always taking place on Sundays at the majors, is the next step in gender equity for tennis to alternate years of the men’s and women’s wrapping up the tournament? Ons Jabeaur was vocal about her concerns over when women’s tennis is on television, so it might be time for Sasha to go down a rabbit hole of gender equity in tennis!What other sports did you want us to cover?🔬🧐 Background Research to this EpisodeIf you’re interested in learning more, here is the list of podcasts (with links) with Amy C Edmondson that Sasha listened to (in alpha order):* 10% Happier with Dan Harris* A Bit of Optimism with Simon Sinek* Armchair Expert with Dax Sheppard and Monica Padman* Being Well with Forrest Hanson and Dr Rick Hanson* Harvard Business Review (HBR) On Strategy with Alison Beard* Talk about Talk with Dr Andrea Wojnicki* Work Life with Adam Grant* Your Brain at Work with Dr David RockSasha also listened to the The Rich Roll podcast with Stu McMillan - anyone who is an athlete, a parent, or a coach should really listen to this one. And without talking about it, Stu MacMillan creates psychologically safe spaces for the pinnacle of performance.Here is the work we referred to:- What People Get Wrong About Psychological Safety by Amy C Edmonsdson and Michaela J Kerrissey in the Harvard Business Review. - Psychological Safety: The History, Renaissance, and Future of an Interpersonal Construct by Amy C Edmondson and Zhike Lei in the Annual Reviews of Organizational Behaviour.Other books we referred to in the episode - Abundance by Ezra Klein & Derek Thompson - “Scarcity is often a choice. Abundance is a decision.” Instead of protecting sport as it is, Abundance challenges us to imagine what it could be if we invested in it as a public good, not just a private pursuit. What if we expanded what sport could look like? What if we stopped fighting over who gets to play and started building systems where everyone belongs?Clear Thinking by Shane Parrish a practical guide to recognizing and overcoming the mental defaults—emotion, ego, social pressure, and inertia—that cloud our judgment, enabling us to make better decisions and lead more intentional lives.Follow Along:Remember you can follow Molly and Sasha on Social Media including:Molly - @mollyjhurford @stronggirlpublishingSasha - @SGollishRuns @Yellow_Running_ShoesListen, Subscribe, Rate + Review on Substack | Spotify | iTunes Get full access to Strong Girl Society at stronggirl.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to Strong Girl Talk, where we dive into the latest in sports science, performance, and well-being—all with a focus on women and girls in sport. This week Molly and Sasha chat with Juliet Starrett, is a former whitewater rafting world champion, entrepreneur, bestselling co-author of Built to Move, athlete, and podcaster.Before we dive in, do us a huge favor and make sure you give the podcast 5 stars and click follow: Don’t forget to sign up for Shred Girls Weekend, May 31 at the Mansfield Outdoor Centre, which is Shred Girls Book 4 Launch at the Mansfield Outdoor Centre. Both Sasha & Molly will be there, alongside other Strong Girl Publishing authors. Additionally, we’ve partnered with For All Mothers for a Mom Forward Event as part of this event; you can sign up for the Mom Forward event here.Women’s Sports Highlights:The WNBA season is officially underway and we loved this announcement about ‘No Space for Hate’ - “a league-wide initiative to better protect players, preserve the spirit of the game, and affirm the values of our league.” The timing comes as the Caitlin Clark-Angel Reese interaction/foul situation this weekend and racial slurs from fans are under investigation.Track and Field Season is in full swing and it’s hard to keep up with all the meets around the globe. There was another Diamond League last weekend, The Doha Diamond League. This weekend is the Rabat Diamond League, and South African 800m star who won the World Indoor Champs, Prudence Sekgodiso is racing! Grand Slam Track has already modified their next event, going from 3-days down to 2-days.Next weekend UCI Mountain Bike XCC and XCO returns to Nové Město na Moravě. NSL and NWSL continue in North America. And we’re celebrating Isabella Holmgren winning the Durango-Durango Emakumeen Saria; as a multiple cyclocross, mountain bike winner, this is her first professional road win with the Lidl-Trek squad.Juliet Starrett on Parenting, Movement + SO Much MoreSasha and Molly loved chatting with Juliet Starrett of The Ready State, a brand that helps everyday athletes enjoy better movement, agility, and strength — with less pain and more protection against injury. She is a best selling co-author of Built to Move, written with her husband Kelly Starrett. (We also love Juliet and Kelly’s books Becoming a Supple Leopard and Ready to Run.) Juliet and Kelly also co-host The Ready State podcast, which you can find on apple, spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.Get ready for a great conversation with Juliet where we talk about parenting, movement & reimagining youth sport. Here are some the highlights and takeaways from this conversation:* Movement is a Non-NegotiableJuliet shares how her family prioritized movement—not specific sports—by creating wide boundaries and letting her kids explore everything from ballet to water polo. The goal? Help kids fall in love with how they move, not what they do.* Athletes and Creatives All Have BodiesThere’s no such thing as “just an athlete” or “just a creative”—everyone has a body that needs to move. Juliet breaks down this false binary and encourages parents to support physical activity for all kids, regardless of their interests.* Let Kids Dabble—and Then DecideDabbling isn’t quitting. It’s a strategy for longevity. Juliet emphasizes the importance of helping kids try different activities, commit for a season, and then reflect on what fits best.* Start the Day with MovementWhether it’s a walking school bus or simply opening the playgrounds before class, Juliet makes a strong case for why morning movement matters for learning, regulation, and long-term health.* Parents Have Power (and Responsibility)From advocating for later school start times to being intentional about why your child is playing sport, Juliet urges parents to take the lead in creating positive sport experiences—and to repair missteps with honesty and care.Tell us what knowledge nuggets you took from the conversation with Juliet Starrett!Shred Girls Book 4 Drops Tuesday!In Shred Girls: Lindsay and The Curse of Gemini Lakes, Lindsay, Ali and Jen are heading to a multi-sport camp in the mountains where they’ll ride bikes, swim, canoe and try out all new sports. But something strange is going on at Gemini Lake. It’s almost like the camp is… cursed!As tensions rise and weird incidents multiply, the Shred Girls face their biggest challenge yet: Can they put aside their growing conflicts and work together to uncover the truth? With friendship tested and camp chaos mounting, they’ll need all their skills, courage, and teamwork to break the curse before Gemini Lakes is destroyed forever.One summer. Three friends. An impossible challenge.Will the Shred Girls save their camp, or will this be the worst summer of their lives?Remember you can follow Molly and Sasha on Social Media including:Molly - @mollyjhurford @stronggirlpublishingSasha - @SGollishRuns @Yellow_Running_ShoesListen, Subscribe, Rate + Review on Substack | Spotify | iTunes Get full access to Strong Girl Society at stronggirl.substack.com/subscribe

This week we chat about the exercise and performance load, what it is, how to measure it, and why it matters especially for girls and women in sport. Of course, first up we have our sports highlights of the week.Before we dive in, do us a huge favor and make sure you give the podcast 5 stars and click follow: Don’t forget to sign up for Shred Girls Weekend, May 31 at the Mansfield Outdoor Centre, which is Shred Girls Book 4 Launch at the Mansfield Outdoor Centre. Both Sasha & Molly will be there, alongside other Strong Girl Publishing authors. Additionally, we’ve partnered with For All Mothers for a Mom Forward Event as part of this event.🏃‍♀️🚴‍♀️⚽️Alright, here’s a quick sports wrap up:Sasha was travelling so was not up to her usually sports watching - and when you spend 23 hours on a flight from YYZ to SYD, you’re sports watching really is limited.World Athletics hosted the World Relay Championships in Guangzhou, China. 🇨🇦 All five Canadian teams qualified for the World Championships at the World Athletics Relays, with a historic highlight: Canada won the first-ever mixed 4x100m relay—a big moment for speed and for equity in the sport. Spain, not typically known for their relay prowess, also rose to the occasion. With these shorter relays usually dominated by the US and Jamaica, it was great to see different teams in the mix.Also in the world of Athletics, Canada named the first athletes to the World Championships team in the marathon, the 10,000m and race walk. Evan Dunfee just made his 41st World’s Team! What caught our eye is that everyone one of these coaches is a male coach.Demi Vollering dominated La Vuelta Femenina—winning the overall title, climber’s jersey, final stage, and using her platform to speak on mental health. Marianne Vos took the points jersey, Anna van der Breggen earned the super-combative award, and Team SD Worx–Protime won the team classification.FIFA announced Friday, The Women's World Cup will be expanded from 32 to 48 teams, like the men's competition, starting with the 2031 edition. Additionally with this landmark decision, FIFA has approved the creation of an Afghanistan women’s refugee soccer team, comprising Afghan female players who have obtained refugee status abroad. While it’s a one year pilot the women of the team worry it’s both not sustainable and that it does not help the women and girls currently living under the Taliban regime in Afghanistan, which drastically limits what girls and women can do in Afghanistan.More people are watching women’s sport. Sasha and Molly talk about the rise in viewership in the US, which really does demonstrate what’s happening globally.Canada Games Council just released the first bit about their safe sport program in advance of the Canada Summer Games in Newfoundland, Good Vibes Only, promoting respect, inclusion, and positive culture both on and off the field at the Games and beyond. Allison Forsyth, founder of Gen Safe, is prominently featured in the Good Vibes Only video. It’s a rallying call for safer sport in Canada, and something we’ll cover on Strong Girl Talk in the coming weeks.Now let’s get into this week’s topic of training load!This week we chat about exercise and performance load—what it is, how to measure it, and why it matters especially for girls and women in sport. We explore how training stress is impacted by biological factors, life load, and the social pressures young athletes often carry—because optimizing performance isn’t just about doing more, it’s about doing what’s right for you.We break down:🌀 The difference between training hard and training smart📊 How to think about frequency × intensity💬 Why understanding load is key for injury prevention, progress, and long-term participation⚖️ And how to balance stress, recovery, and life outside of sportWe mention various technologies and wearables. Many people use Strava to track their training, but Molly points out the benefits of creating a free Training Peaks account, especially if you’ve got an activity tracker on you or your kid. We did not mention many of the activity trackers, we spoke about Garmin, but there is also COROS. We also mentioned the OURA ring, especially for cycle tracking with body temperature, and WHOOP. Remember we highlight that none of these capture neural muscular fatigue and typically underestimate strength training and circuit workouts.We said we’d leave some prompts to help you reflect and help you help your kids reflect on how they are feeling. Eventually we want to get to how are you feeling, and by thinking about sleep, nutrition, stress (life, workout, really anything), workouts, that you start to be able to understand your body and exercise response. Let’s do this by Sasha’s 5 Pillars for living a high-performance life:Sleep Soundly:About 30 minutes after you get up, assess how you feel - you could also ask your kids while they are eating breakfast, “how did you sleep last night?”Need more probing questions (and to keep your kids off devices) - “Can you remember any of your dreams?” “Did you feel like you woke up during the night?” “When your alarm went off, or when I came to wake you up, did it startle you? Were you still dreaming?Feed The Machine:Another plug for breakfast, and putting on author, Stevie Smith’s hat, please have some protein with breakfast!“What was your favourite thing you ate today?” “When was the last snack or meal you had today?” “What did you eat before practice/the game/the race?”Get Moving:If your kids are not much for moving - “did you walk to/from [insert specific place]?” “What did you get up to during recess?”If your kids are active - “tell me how you felt white you were playing [insert their sport]?” You can ask them questions about “Were you hungry?” “Did you feel like you had enough energy?” “Who did you have fun playing with?”Be Intentional:“What did you notice about your friends at practice, the game today?” You should look around and find something ordinary that brings you joy or is beautiful and ask “Did you notice [insert moment of joy and beauty]?”Engineer Your Own Excellence:“When did you feel your best today?” “What did you felt went well at practice, the game, today?” “You did that really well. Take me through your steps to get there so we can help you repeat it.”What are other questions that help you reflect and critically think about what you’ve done? What are some of the best questions you ask your kids to help them reflect? “Wonder” is great word to use here as you ask questions and help them go deeper.Remember you can follow Molly and Sasha on Social Media including:Molly - @mollyjhurford @stronggirlpublishingSasha - @SGollishRuns @Yellow_Running_ShoesListen, Subscribe, Rate + Review on Substack | Spotify | iTunes Get full access to Strong Girl Society at stronggirl.substack.com/subscribe

We chatted about the fact that sport is a human right in a recent episode but we wanted to highlight why this really matters when we talk about adaptive athletes, so we asked Kelly Brush of the Kelly Brush Foundation to join us for an incredible conversation. The Kelly Brush Foundation (KBF) is dedicated to making active lifestyles a reality for those who have experienced a spinal cord injury. They offer the inspiration to believe and the grants to enable anyone to buy the equipment they need to get out and go. They also have a social platform for adaptive athletes, the Active Project, which includes a tool to help adaptive sports participants find grants to support their ambitions and alleviate funding challenges, a key obstacle for many people, given the cost of adaptive sports equipment and an adaptive sports event calendar with robust listings. Before we dive in, do us a huge favor and make sure you give the podcast 5 stars and click follow:And don’t forget to sign up for Shred Girls Weekend, May 31 and June 1 at the Mansfield Outdoor Centre, which is Shred Girls Book 4 Launch at the Mansfield Outdoor Centre. Both Sasha & Molly will be there, alongside other Strong Girl Publishing authors.The book itself, Shred Girls: Lindsay and the Curse of Gemini Lakes, is also available for preorder here!The Strong Girl Talk Women’s Sport News Roundup:Strong Girl Publishing’s Micha Powell, author of Sprinting Through Setbacks, is en route to to China for World Athletics Relays to run for Team Canada! Allez!The first Grand Tour of the women's season, La Vuelta Feminina, started this week. Lidl-Trek took the first stage, a TTT, but the Visma-Lease a Bike team lost time due to a UCI error during bike check. Still, Marianne Vos sprinted away with a couple hundred meters to go to win the next stage.It was the second weekend of GrandSlam Track - the new U.S.-based series with exciting results and a fresh vibe. This meet is rethinking what track can be. Agnes Ngetich, who just broke the women’s only record in the 10k, won the distance event. Long hurdler, Sydney McMclaughlin-Levrone won both the 400mH and 400m this weekend putting her in the lead of the overall women’s slam.Distance legends Des Linden and Kara Goucher launched their inaugural event, Save the 10,000m a race in response to continued pressure to cut or change long-distance events in major competitions. What is the 10K missing? Storytelling. (Call us.)Ultrarunner Megan Eckert set the new women's 6-day world record with 603 miles, surpassing the previous record of 560.33 miles set by Camille Herron in 2024.48-year-old Ana Laura Fray won Toronto Marathon women's title with a time of 2:50:40, proving that age is no barrier to excellence in distance running.Sasha saw firsthand how Ultimate Frisbee might be the ultimate sport when it comes to connection, joy, community and, funny enough, speed.Finally, a new study found that the majority of high-level athletes surveyed believed the current treatment of DSD athletes who wish to compete in the female category was unfair, athletes medicating to fit eligibility criteria was unethical and sporting federations need to be more inclusive. Listen to our Sex Testing and DSD Policy episode here. Get full access to Strong Girl Society at stronggirl.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to Strong Girl Talk, where we dive into the latest in sports science, performance, and well-being—all with a focus on women and girls in sport. This week we chat about the debrief, the chat after the event, how to approach it with curiosity instead of judgement, and learning to debrief and reflect with yourself. Of course, first up we have our sports highlights of the week.Before we dive in, do us a huge favor and make sure you give the podcast 5 stars and click follow: Don’t forget to sign up for Shred Girls Weekend, May 31 and June 1 at the Mansfield Outdoor Centre, which is Shred Girls Book 4 Launch at the Mansfield Outdoor Centre. Both Sasha & Molly will be there, alongside other Strong Girl Publishing authors.Sports Highlights:Sunday was the last of the Abbott World Major Marathons, the TCS London Marathon. More than 840,000 people applied to participate in the TCS London Marathon, and there are 56,000 bibs available. We loved to see that the marathon earned the highest sustainability rating from the Council for Responsible Sport, Evergreen Status. Looking at other work London Marathon Group does including making events more accessible, funding for equity-owed groups, and their House of Sport, we applaud all the work they do to make events and sport more accessible to all.There were a few women’s only records broken this weekend:* At The TCS London Marathon the Women’s Only Marathon Record (meaning the women raced solo and were not paced by men) was broken by Tigist Assefa (pending World Athletics ratification) running 2:15:50.* On April 26 Adidas hosted the Adizero Road to Records in Herzogenaurach, Germany. Agnes Ngetich broke the women’s only 10k road record running 29:27.* In a women’s only Ironman branded event, Kat Matthews had the fastest time for the swim-bike-run 8:10:34 at The Woodlands in Texas.Other Highlights:Ok, we’re also highlighting Canadian Tamara Jewett who debuted at the Ironman The Woodlands. She finished 6th in her first full Ironman distance. TJ was Sasha’s teammate and one of the reasons Sasha got back into middle distance running.The Afghan Road Cycling Champion, Fariba Hashimi, rode Liège-Bastogne-Liège, one of the 5 UCI Monument races. Thank you to the UCI for drawing attention to the challenges that women face, not just with sport, but with gender equity in Afghanistan. In addition to this monumental moment was Kim Pienaar’s win at this same race, Liège-Bastogne-Liège; she is the first African woman to win a monument, and the first Mauritian to win a monument race.Kelsie Whitmore, pitcher and outfielder, is the first woman to be on a MLB (Major League Baseball) roster.The PWHL expands to Vancouver in 2025-26 and rumour has it an 8th team will be added soon.The Northern Super League, NSL, weekend #2 was underway. This week the NSL posted on Instagram about the injury Amanda West suffered while playing for AFC Toronto - “The Northern Super League is disappointed to learn of the injury sustained by Amanda West while playing for AFC Toronto.” Yes, they went on to say that the league is work to ensure Amanad receives support and treatment, but as this relates to our conversation this week, words matter.The Miriam Webster Dictionary defines disappoint (vb) as “to fail to meet the expectation,” rooted in feelings of frustration. What we think the NSL meant was that they were saddened for Amanda. Let’s think about this with ourselves, with those we work with, and with our kids. Let’s make sure we pick words that do not elicit shame, guilt, or other negative emotions. Let’s use words that let us see each other, recognize challenges, but invite curiosity and compassion.The Art of the Debrief:🧠 How to reflect with yourself👂 How to support your child after competition💬 How coaches can debrief with curiosity and compassion🤝 And how leaders can create space for learning, not just evaluationBecause the best debriefs aren’t just about what went wrong—they’re about what we felt, what we learned, and how we grow.Here are three questions you can ask yourself or others around you, including kids:1) Tell me what you learned today. Tell me how you had fun today.2) What did you find challenging today? What did you see?/Tell me what you saw?3) What can I/can you do differently next time?And to self-compassion, and honouring the work of Strong Girl Publishing author, Vanessa Coulbeck, this is meant to be imperfect, and it’s ok to make mistakes. Give yourself some self-compassion and kindness. Apologize to yourself and, if needed, to those around you.Here are the resources we mentioned:The UK Sport Institute, the presentation that Sasha saw at SPIN, that was all about their debrief and decompression work. This is the Australian Sport Institute’s Games Debrief Process.You can find Amanda Stanec and Richard Way’s book, Protect the Joy, A Positive Collaborative Approach to Youth Sport.We also mentioned work from Adam Grant, Stop Serving the Compliment Sandwich and Brene Brown’s Feedback Checklist. Sasha also mentioned listening to Michael Lewis’ podcast, Against the Rules, and season 2 touches on the art and science of coaching.Additionally, we mentioned Netflix’s show, Bad Influence, which is all about social media and touched on communication. While it’s not about communication there were some important lessons in there for us all to remember, not just with our kids on social media but how we can engage with it in a responsible way.Tell us what would help you debrief with yourself, with your partner, your kids, as a coach, or as a leader. Let us work with you to help you be your best.Remember you can follow Molly and Sasha on Social Media including:Molly - @mollyjhurford @stronggirlpublishingSasha - @SGollishRuns @Yellow_Running_ShoesListen, Subscribe, Rate + Review on Substack | Spotify | iTunes Get full access to Strong Girl Society at stronggirl.substack.com/subscribe

This week on Strong Girl Talk, we're joined by Tina Muir: runner, author of Becoming a Sustainable Runner, and co-founder of Racing for Sustainability. In this Earth Month special, we go far beyond carbon offsets and talk about sustainability in sport, parenting, recovery, and even snack wrappers.Before we dive in, do us a huge favor and make sure you give the podcast 5 stars and click follow: Don’t forget to sign up for Shred Girls Weekend, May 31 and June 1 at the Mansfield Outdoor Centre, which is Shred Girls Book 4 Launch at the Mansfield Outdoor Centre. Both Sasha & Molly will be there, alongside other Strong Girl Publishing authors.The Boston Marathon was Monday, highlighted by Des Linden announcing her retirement; she looked teary on the start line (we love you Des!). Sasha was interviewed by the Lane 9 Project (we’ll let you know when that’s out) but they asked her who she was fangirling for, Des topped the list and then second was the Boston Gender Equity team; there were more elite females than males! Thanks BAA Team. You can find all the Boston results here: mile, 5k, marathon.The Amstel Gold Ladies race was won by Team SD Worx-Protime Mischa Bredewold, Ellen van Dijk was 2nd and Puck Piterse, cyclocross and mountain expert, 3rd.IIHF Women’s World Championships wrapped up in Czechia. The US defeated Canada 4-3 in overtime.League One Volleyball (LOVB), which looks like LOVE, wrapped up, Austin won the championship over Omaha. Volleyball is one of the fastest growing women’s sports in North America.The Northern Super League, NSL, is officially underway. Vancouver won (over Calgary( the first game, and Quinn scored the first NSL goal, a penalty kick. Montreal defeated Toronto. Sasha did an AI-generated images look at the NSL, and if you do not remind the AI software that it’s a women’s league the default is to men. When she did remind it that the ‘NSL is Canada’s women’s soccer league’ it showed women, generally white and posing, reminding us all to pay attention to the bias of AI.As always, we lift up other women changing the conversation in sport. Thanks to Alison Wade of Fast Women for her coverage of women’s running, including Jane Hedegren’s record breaking run. Definitely give the Fast Women Newsletter a subscribe, follow on Instagram, and check out their recently launched podcast, The Fast People Podcast.What does it mean to be a truly sustainable athlete—and a parent raising the next generation of changemakers?This week on Strong Girl Talk, we're joined by Tina Muir: runner, author of Becoming a Sustainable Runner, and co-founder of Racing for Sustainability. In this Earth Month special, we go far beyond carbon offsets and talk about sustainability in sport, parenting, recovery, and even snack wrappers.In this episode:* Why “sustainability” is way more than just eco-friendly* The surprising link between injury recovery and environmental advocacyHow parenting can shift our perspective on waste, workouts, and what's really worth doing* The real deal with greenwashing—especially in sportWhat it means to build community-level change through everyday actions* The surprising impact of trash pickups, reusable snack bags, and why microplastics might be your next big concern.Find more from Tina and her book Becoming a Sustainable Runner: A Guide to Running for Life, Community, and Planet co-authored by Zoë Rom, which is part training guide, part personal reflection, and part manifesto for change. The book explores what it means to be a runner who can sustain not only their body and mind, but also their community and the planet. Through honest storytelling and actionable advice, Tina and Zoë challenge traditional notions of performance and invite readers to run with intention—for themselves, for others, and for the world around them. Get your copy of Becoming a Sustainable Runner, listen to Tina’s Podcast, Running for Real, or check out Tina’s Instagram to see what event Tina will be at next. Make sure you join us for the 2025 Plogging event at the TO Waterfront Marathon. At the end of the episode you hear Tina announce that she’s started a new not for profit, Racing For Sustainability, where you can hire Tina to help with all your even sustainability needs. Remember you can follow Molly and Sasha on Social Media including:Molly - @mollyjhurford @stronggirlpublishingSasha - @SGollishRuns @Yellow_Running_ShoesListen, Subscribe, Rate + Review on Substack | Spotify | iTunes Get full access to Strong Girl Society at stronggirl.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to Strong Girl Talk, where we dive into the latest in sports science, performance, and well-being—all with a focus on women and girls in sport. Each episode, we take a deep dive into the research, the challenges, and the opportunities that impact female athletes. This week Sasha chatted with Katie Rainsberger. Before we dive into the conversation with Katie, Molly and Sasha talk about all things sports updates, including Sea Otter, Paris Roubaix Femmes avec Zwift, and the relaunch of The Girls Forward Foundation.Molly was down at The Sea Otter Classic, “the bike family reunion” “where the world comes together to celebrate cycling. We are sending all our best to Haley Batten, LifeTime Series Sea Otter Gravel Winner and Paris 2024 Silver Medalist in the Cross-Country Olympic Distance, who is racing close to home while her mother undergoes cancer treatment.Sasha had the opportunity to attend the rebrand of Fast and Female, launching as The Girls Forward Foundation (your new GFF!). Watching Gaby and the team was awesome and we are really excited to see the next chapter of this incredible organization. Sasha also announced on her instagram that Girls Forward is an official charity partner of the Yorkville Run, a run that raised almost $1million for charities in 2024. Sasha also sits on the advisory board for the Yorkville Run.Sports Highlights:Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (PFP) from Team Visma | Lease a Bike won Paris-Roubaix Femmes avec Zwift. This was PFP’s first time racing the event and She was out racing for her teammate, Marianne Vos, but with 23k to go PFP saw an opportunity and rode away from the field. In PFP’s post race interview she highlighted her teammates and on Instagram there are several great posts of PFP with her teammate. Because sports are so much better when they are fueled by love and mutual support instead of toxicity and jealousy.In the mountain bike, we’ll start by sharing that Haley Batten is delaying her mountain bike start this year because of a family health diagnosis. She’s racing closer to home and won the LifeTime series Sea Otter Classic 90 mile gravel race; she also won the 70 mile mountain bike race becoming the first athlete to win both! On Friday, Evie Richards won the short track (XCC) breaking PFP’s short track record for most wins! Jenny Rissveds, 2016 Olympic Mountain Bike Champion, won Saturday’s Olympic-Distance (XCO). Samara Maxwell is the overall XCO series leader finishing 2nd to Rissveds; in her post-race interview she normalized having a period and racing.Sasha’s former Oiselle Teammate, now ASICS athlete, 2 time Olympic Champion Valarie Allman broke the American and North American Discus record. Track gets so much coverage so let’s hear it for the field women! We heard a rumour that ATHLOS is considering adding field events this year and Grand Slam has said no! (Thanks Kara and Des for that nugget).Molly mentions that Hilary Knight broke the assists record at the World Ice Hockey Championships. It’s not just the Hilary has the assists record, the US Captain also has the goals scored, and points record! Also listen for Molly celebrate the assists record but not know the hockey terminology - clearly Sasha’s nerdism extends beyond math and science!LA28 announced this week that for the first time there will be more spots available for women to compete compared to men (the number of female athletes is 5,333 and the number of male athletes 5,167). Keeping it positive this week, but Sasha and Molly will dig into some of the challenges next week, stay tuned! (For instance, while there may be more spots for women to compete, there are still more medals available for the men! How rude?!)Finally you’ll get to Sasha’s first solo interview with Katie Rainsberger. Katie shared her journey from winning the first NCAA triple crown at the University of Oregon to overcoming a 10-cm tumor and pursuing a doctorate in Applied Physiology. She discussed her research on relative energy deficiency in sport (RED-S), highlighting the impact of training volume and intensity on female athletes' performance and recovery. Katie's study compared lactate threshold and critical speed tests in male and female athletes, finding significant differences. She also emphasized the need for better funding and education on female athletes' menstrual cycles and energy balance to optimize performance and long-term health.You can learn more about the work Katie is doing at her Voice in Sport research page. You can also support her work by donating to her research (because yes, female sport science is still drastically underfunded and Katie has to raise money for her research). On behalf of Strong Girl Talk, Sasha and Molly made a donation to Katie’s work. This matters because less than 6% of research is done on female athletes!Remember to subscribe wherever you listen to your podcasts, and please leave us a review. Not only does it help us be seen by more listeners, we’re happy to read your comments and talk about the topics most relevant to you.Remember you can follow Molly and Sasha on Social Media including:Molly - @mollyjhurford @stronggirlpublishingSasha - @SGollishRuns @Yellow_Running_ShoesDon’t forget to sign up for Shred Girls Weekend, May 31 and June 1 at the Mansfield Outdoor Centre, which is Shred Girls Book 4 Launch at the Mansfield Outdoor Centre. Both Sasha & Molly will be there, alongside other Strong Girl Publishing authors. Get full access to Strong Girl Society at stronggirl.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to Strong Girl Talk, where we dive into the latest in sports science, performance, and well-being—all with a focus on women and girls in sport. Each episode, we take a deep dive into the research, the challenges, and the opportunities that impact female athletes. This week is all about …Women’s Sports Highlights This Week:Read the Athletic Article, Put the women’s NCAA Tournament championship game on ABC in prime time.Want to learn more about Grand Slam Track? We loved watching this different format and wonder what you think about it.Check out the latest UCI Mountain bike results from Araxa, Brazil. The latest Road Cycling results are here and learn more about what the UCI is doing for women’s cycling.Sport as a Human RightThe Aspen Institute is a global nonprofit organization committed to realizing a free, just, and equitable society. We ignite human potential to build understanding and create new possibilities for a better world. Project Play, develops insights, ideas and opportunities to help stakeholders build healthy communities through sports. Alongside the Centre for Human Rights and Sports, UNICEF and others, Project Play developed The Children’s Bill of Rights in Sports.The UN’s Sustainable Development Goals frameworkThe Norwegian Olympic and Paralympic Committee and Confederation of Sports (NIF) developed The Children’s Rights in Sport: The Provision of Children’s Sports based on the UN Rights of the Child. When 9 in 10 children in Norway play sports I think we can say they are doing something right!We also mentioned True Sport, an approach to values-based sport that is underpinned by seven principles: Go For It, Play Fair, Respect Others, Keep It Fun, Stay Healthy, Include Everyone, and Give Back.So let’s make this practical with you and the young athletes in your life.Performance PillarsIf you go to Sasha’s website, you’ll see her performance pillars - Sleep Soundly, Feed The Machine, Move Your Body, Be Intentional, and Engineer Excellence. We primarily talked about sleep and fuel this week.Sleep:You can take Dr. Amy Bender & the Centre for Sleep and Human Performance’s validated sleep questionnaire for high performance athletes. (Listen to her on Molly’s other podcast here!) Matthew Walker gave this great TEDTalk on Sleep as your Superpower in 2019, and of course there is his book, Why We Sleep - Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams. His updated thoughts ask you to think about Quality, Quantity, Regularity and Timing.Share with us your results, your sleep strengths, and what you’ll work on from this episode!Fuel:Stevie Smith, future Strong Girl Publishing author, consistently shares great information about fueling for you and the young athletes in your life. Other resources for nutrition we love: Canadian Sport Institute Ontario’s Nutrition Hub and The Run Fast Eat Slow Cookbook Series.And finally we left you with I Love to Watch you Play, helping parents and guardians raise healthy, happy, and successful athletes.Remember you can follow Molly and Sasha on Social Media including:Molly - @mollyjhurford @stronggirlpublishingSasha - @SGollishRuns @Yellow_Running_Shoes Get full access to Strong Girl Society at stronggirl.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to Strong Girl Talk, where we dive into the latest in sports science, performance, and well-being—all with a focus on women and girls in sport. This week Molly speaks to Kate Vernneau, the Director of Women’s Strategy with Zwift, indoor training made fun.Pssst… love cycling? Shred Girls: Lindsay and the Curse of Gemini Lakes is available for pre-order now and hits shelves in paperback, audio and ebook form May 27! Before we get into the episode, we chat about the weekly sport highlights. Your weekly women’s sports wrap up includes:* Elise Cranny won the 10,000m at the Sound Running The Ten.* Ayrna Sabalenka won the Miami Open.* Mikaela Shiffin won her 101st World Cup race, her 63rd slalom world cup. Lindsey Vonn, out of retirement this year, was the first person over 40 to podium at a world cup.* Lorena Wiebes won again this weekend, this time Gent-Wevelgem.* March Madness continues and the Final Four gets underway as this episode comes out.Molly and Kate talk about all things cycling, and women’s cycling continues to grow. It’s a good thing Sasha’s not part of this episode given how much she can fangirl over cycling. From the beginnings of both Zwift Academy and The Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, extending to 9 days this summer, which we’re both so excited for (You too?!), this episode covers why it’s so fun to be a women’s sports fan these days.It’s not a moment, it’s a movement. Because Everyone Watches Women’s Sports.Remember you can follow Molly and Sasha on Social Media including:Molly - @mollyjhurford @stronggirlpublishingSasha - @SGollishRuns @Yellow_Running_ShoesStrong Girl Talk is listener-supported. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Strong Girl Society at stronggirl.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to Strong Girl Talk, where we dive into the latest in sports science, performance, and well-being—all with a focus on women and girls in sport. We’re calling this an emergency episode, it’s not our usual Friday episode, but this issue was too important for us not to talk about. This episode focuses on recently announced sex testing for eligibility in the female category to compete at the World Athletics World Championships following a press conference, and then this press release. This was first mentioned as a possibility in a press release on February 10th.Whether you’re an athlete (at any level), parent of an athlete, a coach, or involved in sport in any capacity, this episode is one you need to listen to to understand what’s happening in the world of women’s sport today. We dig into the history of sex testing, the nuances of sex biology, the differences between referencing gender and sex, DSD (difference of sex development) athletes, as well as transgender athletes, how these tests impact all women athletes, the ‘trickle down effect’ that policies have on community sport and sport at young ages, and so much more. As always, we want this discussion to be couched in love, humanity and kindness. The current World Athletics Policies:* World Athletics Eligibility Regulations for the Female Classification (Athletes with Differences of Sexual Development and the Eligibility Regulations for Transgender Athletes. (Note: We expect to see an update in the near future and will update these notes).* Historical Documents: i) The 2011 Hyperandrogenism Policy, ii) The 2018 DSD Policy, iii) Following the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) Case WA (then the IAAF) provided briefing notes, iv) The 2019 DSD Policy and The 2019 Transgender Policy, Here are the federations we referred to:* World Rugby’s Transgender Guidelines - Reference Documents* World Aquatics Policy on Eligibility for the Men’s and Women’s Competition Category* The UCI has a section on their website for Transgender Athletes - Eligibility Rules for Transgender Athletes* Chris Mosier’s TransAthlete Policy List* The IOC Framework on Fairness, Inclusion, and Non-Discrimination on the Basis of Gender Identity and Sex Variation* The WADA Code - Section 23.2.2 - see page 146 for footnote 115 (last line bottom right). There is also this FAQ about Testing for Transgender and Non-binary athletes.* The Australian Rules Football Leagues Gender Inclusion Policies - The Community Guidelines and the Elite Guidelines.These are some of the books referred to in this episode:* Fair Play: How Sports Shape the Gender Debates by Katie Barnes* Sporting Gender: The History, Science, And Stories Of Transgender And Intersex Athletes by Joanna Harper, there is also this shorter piece on Athletic GenderAnd any other resources we mention:* The Gender Unicorn* You Can Play - A Canadian organization helping everyone play* This article Molly wrote on Bicycling.com about Chelsea Wolfe* The Athletics Integrity Unit - this is the list of currently banned athletesOther resources not mentioned:* Sasha co-authored this piece in the summer, Fair and Safe Eligibility Criteria for Women's Sport: The Proposed Testing Regime Is Not Justified, Ethical, or Viable, in response to an editorial from Ross Tucker et al. * Sasha also has a preprint posted, Running Like a Girl: Athletics Performance of Women Whose Eligibility is Subject to World Athletics DSD Regulations, looking at a comparison of women with natural variations in their testosterone to male performances from Paris 202. * Tested A podcast series in advance of the 2024 Olympics - this Scientific America write up of an interview is a good summary* An 2010 Article by Ross Tucker and Colin Murray on the science of sex verification and athletic performance - The science of sex verification and athletic performance in the International Journal of Physiology and Performance* Marcus Mazzucco and Jensen Brehaut’s International Sports Law Journal Article - The use of doping control data to administer sex-based eligibility regulations: an analysis of how the World Anti-Doping Agency and international sport federations violate data protection laws* Biology and Management of Male-Bodied Athletes in Elite Female Sports in Drug Testing and Analysis by David J. Handelsman and Stéphane Bermon.* Sex, drugs and science: the IOC’s and IAAF’s attempts to control fairness in sport in Sport and Society by Jörg Krieger, Lindsay Parks Pieper, & Ian Ritchie.Remember you can follow Molly and Sasha on Social Media including:Molly - @mollyjhurford @stronggirlpublishing Sasha - @SGollishRuns @Yellow_Running_Shoes Get full access to Strong Girl Society at stronggirl.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to Strong Girl Talk, where we dive into the latest in sports science, performance, and well-being—all with a focus on women and girls in sport. Each episode, we take a deep dive into the research, the challenges, and the opportunities that impact female athletes. This week is the last week about Women’s History Month and we dive into removing barriers for girls and women in sport.If you’re in Ontario, join us May 31 and June 1 to launch Shred Girls: Lindsay and the Curse of Gemini Lakes! Info hereWe chatted about the Canadian Women and Sports’ 2024 Rally Report back on the first episode, which is also where you’ll find the links. Same with the ASICS Move Her Mind Report.Kirsty Elliot-Sale (twitter)is a Professor of Female Endocrinology and Exercise Physiology at the Manchester Metropolitan University where she is the Head of Centre of Excellence for Women in Sport. She was featured on The Game Changers, a Fearless Women’s podcast (because yes, of course, we lift up other women), chatting about her career trajectory and her work in the menstrual cycle and how it effects performance (PS - we don’t currently have enough evidence to say whether or not it impacts training, meaning you can set a record anywhere in your cycle!)Bras for Girls was founded by Oiselle in 2017 through a confluence of ideas, needs, and product circumstances. Their work was inspired by the University of Portsmouth’s Research Group in Breast Health (STG totally needs to have someone from their lab on the pod!).The Women’s Sports Foundation was founded by Billie Jean King in 1974, two years after Title IX was established. This infographic is a great summary of the Play to Lead Work that Youth Sports Fuel Women’s Leadership. Sasha really wants to do this work in Canada, so if you’d like to partner on the research please reach out.Do you want to take the Keeping Girls in Sport Programming from Canadian Tire’s Jumpstart? Let us know what you think of it. What resources are missing that we can provide you with.Other great organizations we didn’t get to cover but who are also doing Great work* Women in Sport UK* The Adidas Breaking Barriers Academy* Sole Girls* Fast and Female* Women Win* FeistyRemember you can follow Molly and Sasha on Social Media including:Molly - @mollyjhurford @stronggirlpublishingSasha - @SGollishRuns @Yellow_Running_Shoes Get full access to Strong Girl Society at stronggirl.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to Strong Girl Talk, where we dive into the latest in sports science, performance, and well-being—all with a focus on women and girls in sport. Each episode, we take a deep dive into the research, the challenges, and the opportunities that impact female athletes. This week we sat down to chat with Ellen Noble.Who is Ellen Noble? Ellen is world cyclocross silver medalist, a two-time U23 National Champion, and now known an un-retired professional cyclist living in the Western Massachusetts. In 2018 Ellen was riding the high of a successful cyclocross and mountain bike athlete, but then out of nowhere it was like she could not train anymore. Eventually diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder, Ellen is finding joy on her bike again and looking to make a comeback.Ellen is also known for being vocal at cyclocross races challenging traditional sport stereotypes. Known for “bunny hopping the patriarchy”—a fight for equality in cycling, Ellen’s quest for equity in cycling took on a life of its own. In this episode you’ll hear us chat with Ellen the importance of social movements, alongside the boardroom decisions.The UCI, The Union Cycliste Internationale is international federation, the world governing body of cycling. The UCI believes that “Cycling is an open and accessible sport that is committed to the values of gender equity, diversity and inclusion,” as you can read at their website on diversity and inclusion. The UCI completed the EDGE (Economic Dividends for Gender Equality) Certification, a course dedicated to creating and leading standard for workplace equity and inclusion with a gender equity focus and intersectional approach. This helped the UCI, create Gender Equality Charter.Sasha and Molly have a great time chatting with Ellen. And you definitely hear Sasha fan girl over Ellen, while Ellen and Molly caught up like the old friends that they are. Ellen drops an idea for a fun sideshow to Strong Girl Talk, Fan Girl Fridays. Let us know what you think of this idea… and who you would feature next!Remember you can follow Molly and Sasha on Social Media including:Molly - @mollyjhurford @stronggirlpublishingSasha - @SGollishRuns @Yellow_Running_Shoes Get full access to Strong Girl Society at stronggirl.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to Strong Girl Talk, where we dive into the latest in sports science, performance, and well-being—all with a focus on women and girls in sport. Each episode, we take a deep dive into the research, the challenges, and the opportunities that impact female athletes. This week is book club week and Sasha interviews Molly about her book, Running As Fast as We Can. Just a heads up that this episode covers topics that may be triggering for some including eating disorders, sexual harassment and assault, and gender-based violence.Released in 2024, Running as Fast as We Can is Molly’s 5th book. It’s all about navigating high school, female friendships, discovering a love for running, and navigating challenges. Molly says it best “High school is an uphill battle… especially if you run cross-country. Juniors Krista and Elle might have been best friends once. Not anymore. But they do have one thing in common: A distaste for school sports, and need for an athletic extracurricular on their college resumes. When they both show up to the first cross-country practice of the season, it’s a surprise to both of them.”You can pick up your copy of Running As Fast as We Can at Strong Girl Publishing (or in e-book format), Amazon, Indigo, or ask your local bookstore to bring it in. There’s also some great swag and other authors available at Strong Girl Publishing.Want to start your own book club? Strong Girl Publishing has your back.Before we dive into Molly’s book and hear Sasha fan girl, we shared what we were reading.Molly had just finished Steve Magness’s Win the Inside Game (Sasha too!). Molly had also just finished Gabrielle Korn’s The Shutouts. In addition to the Win the Inside Game, Sasha was finishing up Mel Robbin’s The Let Them Theory - and for all the athletes out there, Sasha will bring you something about Let It, not trying to manage the weather but being prepared for it! And for a little fiction, Sasha had just started the Deborah Harkness All Souls Series Book 2. And yes, we had a little fun talking about modern day witches.We also cover some challenging topics include eating disorders, sexual harassment and assault, and gender-based violence. Below are some resources if you or someone you know might be struggling. Plus, we include some resources on how to be an upstander and recognize things before they veer into a negative space.We have to give out a shoutout to one of our favourite registered dieticians, upcoming Strong Girl Author, and awesome human, Stevie Lyn. Stevie’s goal is to help you ‘simplifying eating to fuel your health and performance goals.’ Her book, Power Up - A Young Woman’s Guide to Winning with Sports Nutrition is set to release this fall. We promise to keep you updated. Other great resources include; i) The Lane 9 Project - Connecting athletes with women's health & sport clinicians and coaches, ii) National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA), iii) ANAD (National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders) - Resources for Athletes and Coaches, iv) Body Sense - Navigating body image, relationships with food, and disordered eating with young athletes can be intimidating for coaches and caregivers, v) The National Eating Disorder Information Centre (NEDIC), and vi) Body Confident Sport. And if you prefer social media, you can grab their handles from all these sites!Did you know that 1/10 women aged 15-24 have been sexually assaulted, 6/10 experienced unwanted sexual behaviours in public, and 3/10 were emotionally, financially, or psychologically abused by a partner? It’s Not Just, is the Canadian Government’s resources and campaign to help bring an end to gender-based violence.Gender-based violence, sexual harassment, and sexual assault as UNESCO says “It is rooted in structural inequalities and discrimination; it is rooted in toxic social norms; and it is rooted in harmful masculinities — harmful to women, harmful to men, and costly for all of society.” UNESCO put together this toolkit, Towards a Safer Playing Field. As part of the Coaching Association of Canada’s Support Through Sport Series is a module called Gender-Based Violence, where participants learn to both recognize forms of gender-based violence and identify strategies to use to prevent gender-based violence in your sport environment. Canadian Women and Sport partnered with E-Alliance to understand the relationship between gender equity and Gender-Based Violence (GBV) in sport. Together they created an Infographic - Using Gender Equity to Combat Gender-Based Violence in Sport.In Canada, if you need to report, including self-report, an incidence of sexual harassment, sexual assault or violence, you can connect with Abuse Free Sport.This anonymous, confidential, independent service allows people to share and validate their concerns, obtain guidance on required next steps, and get referrals to other resources for follow-up.Access the helpline toll-free from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. (E.T.), seven days a week by telephone, text, live chat, or email in both official languages.* Visit: abuse-free-sport.ca* Email: [email protected]* Call or text: 1-888-83SPORT (1-888-837-7678)In the United States, if you need to report, including self-report, an incidence of sexual harassment, sexual assault or violence, you can connect with US Centre for Safe Sport - Report here if you have experienced abuse or misconduct—or if you have reasonable suspicion of abuse or misconduct. From their site you can report online or you can call from 8am to 4pm MST 1-833-5US-SAFE (1-833-587-7233).We know there is a wealth of information out there on eating disorders in sport and for sexual harassment, abuse, and gender-based violence. Please share with us resources that you share and promote.Remember you can follow Molly and Sasha on Social Media including:Molly - @mollyjhurford @stronggirlpublishingSasha - @SGollishRuns @Yellow_Running_Shoes Get full access to Strong Girl Society at stronggirl.substack.com/subscribe

Get full access to Strong Girl Society at stronggirl.substack.com/subscribe

Micha is a world-class Canadian Olympic sprinter specializing in the 400-meter. She’s a 2022 Commonwealth Games gold medalist and the author of the memoir-slash-workbook titled Sprinting Through Setbacks: An Olympian’s Guide to Overcoming Self-Doubt and Imposter Syndrome.From the research:We chatted again with Micha about role models. Check out our first show notes about role models. Don’t worry readers, we’re also including more, such as this article in Sex Roles from Claire Midgley et al, (who incidentally has a co-author I used to run with Gabriella DeBues-Stafford!), She Needs to See it to be it: The Importance of Same-Gender Athletic Role Models. This one is open-source, meaning it’s free for you to read.As a strong Black woman in her community, we wanted to amplify the voices of Black athletes and authors, similar to sport Black authors are under-represented in academia. In 2019 Elana Simpkins published a dissertation, Black Women in Sport Leadership: An Exploration of the Sport Intersectional Model of Power (SIMP). If you look on the mid-left side under ‘view/open’ you’ll see a file that takes you to the full dissertation (which is effectively a book written about a topic but just has an academic name!).We also talked about comparison, and there is so much emerging research on comparison, so here’s a few we think will help everyone. In Frontiers of Public Health, Lin et al wrote The impact of social media addiction on the negative emotions of adolescent athletes: the mediating role of physical appearance comparisons and sleep. In Social Media and Society, Jennifer Lewallen and Elizabeth Behm-Morawitz wrote Pinterest or Thinterest?: Social Comparison and Body Image on Social Media. In Frontiers in Psychology, authors Ouyang et al wrote The Influence of Sports Participation on Body Image, Self-Efficacy, and Self-Esteem in College Students.Alongside the research, we wanted to include some work from the Coaching Association of Canada (CAC), including their Quality Coaching Toolkit. The CAC “educates and certifies coaches, and celebrates their achievements at all levels of sport. Through its coach education, research, and advocacy programs, the CAC unites partners and stakeholders in its commitment to raise the skills and stature of coaches, and ultimately to expand their reach and influence.” Ultimately it’s a hub of resources for new to veteran coaches.More about coaching and leadership - Michelle Caron wrote Next Level Coaching - Building an Effective Leadership style for SIRC (the Sport Information Resource Centre we mentioned back in Episode 1). Learning more about transformational leadership in coaching, this article from Canadian academic leader Jean Côté and colleagues, Youth sport coaches' perceptions of participating in the Transformational Coaching Workshop – A qualitative evaluation. Transformational leadership (otherwise known as the “four I’s) includes idealized influence, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation, and individual consideration as a way to lead. And using positive psychology tools in coach, from Stefanie Richter et al in Frontiers in Psychology, Positive Psychological Coaching Tools and Techniques: A Systematic Review and Classification.Remember you can follow Molly and Sasha on Social Media including:Micha Powell - @michajadapowellMolly - @mollyjhurford and @stronggirlpublishing Sasha - @SGollishRuns and @Yellow_Running_Shoes Get full access to Strong Girl Society at stronggirl.substack.com/subscribe

This year’s International Women’s Day theme include, the United Nations - For ALL women and girls: Rights. Equality. Empowerment - and International Women’s Day - Collectively for #IWD2025 we can all #AccelerateAction.To download your copy of Canadian Women and Sports Rally Report, check out their resources.In 2024 ASICS released the Move Her Mind Study, where the researched affirmed that the more women move, the better we feel. Sasha was part of leading one of the focus groups for the work and she was an ambassador in the launch of the report. Reach out to Sasha if you have any questions about this work or you want her to come speak to you, your club or organization about helping to keep more women moving.Learn more about Fast and Female and their REAL (Relatable, Empowering, Active Leaders) Role Models (RRMs). And since both Molly and Sasha are RRMs feel free to reach out to us to ask any questions.Research Bites:SIRC (The Sport Information Resource Centre) is Canada’s leading and most trusted partner in advancing sport through knowledge and evidence. SIRC is dedicated to engaging with organizations and individuals involved in the development of sport, recreation, and physical education in Canada and globally. Our mission is to enhance the capacity of our shared community to foster growth and pursue excellence. They have a wealth of information, including Why do girls need athletic role models?In the Journal Women in Sport and Physical Activity Journal, Kelly et al’s A Review of the Impact of Sporting Role Model-Led Interventions on Physical Activity and Sport Participation of Female YouthIn the Journal of Psychology of Sport & Exercise Sabiston et al’s What’s a coach to do? Exploring coaches’ perspectives of body image in girls sport (full text available!)You can learn more about Allison Forsyth and her work with Gen Safe, where she and her team are dedicated to championing safe sport.Remember you can follow Molly and Sasha on Social Media including:Molly - @mollyjhurford @stronggirlpublishingSasha - @SGollishRuns @Yellow_Running_Shoes Get full access to Strong Girl Society at stronggirl.substack.com/subscribe

Whether you’re a strong girl yourself or are raising one, this show is for you!Welcome to Strong Girl Talk! You’re the first to hear about our exciting new podcast—three full episodes will be dropping on International Women’s Day (yay!) so check your inbox then. For now, here’s what you can expect: Author & Strong Girl Publishing founder Molly Hurford and Dr. Sasha Gollish, Executive Director of Yellow Running Shoes, have teamed up to bring you Strong Girl Talk, a new show will cover the latest in sports science with a focus on women and girls, as well as trending topics around gender equity in sports.Strong Girl Talk from Strong Girl Publishing, hosted by Molly Hurford and Sasha Gollish, has the potential to become a valuable resource for women and girls in sports, offering a unique blend of personal experiences, expert knowledge, and cutting-edge research.Molly Hurford is a renowned writer, podcaster, and athlete with extensive experience in cycling, running, and nutrition. She has a passion for getting women and girls excited about outdoor adventures and sports.Dr. Sasha Gollish is an elite runner, researcher and engineer with a deep commitment to gender equity in sports. As a sport scientist, she explores the intersection of physiology, performance, and inclusion, particularly in relation to women and girls in athletics. An advocate for evidence-based approaches to training, competition, and well-being, she has been open about her experiences with perimenopause and its effects on performance.Strong Girl Talk will continue with weekly releases every Friday. Listeners can subscribe via Spotify and Apple Podcasts or subscribe to the free or premium feeds (subscribe to Premium for full show notes!) on Substack to ensure they don't miss a single show. Get full access to Strong Girl Society at stronggirl.substack.com/subscribe