Episode 32. Carla Williams - Breaking Barriers from DI Athlete to Athletic Director

Carla Williams, the first black female Athletic Director in a Power 5 school. Currently the AD at the University of Virginia, she shares her career journey to the top level of athletic administration. Carla is a force, growing up in a small town and earning a position as the Athletic Director of a Power Five NCAA conference. She played Division I basketball at the University of Georgia, where she became an assistant coach and then became involved in sports administration, working her way up from the bottom. Carla shares with us today her journey through the world of sports, and how her belief in herself led to her success. She urges us to be our own champions, and that if we are willing to work for it, nothing can stop us. Carla also shares her perspective on how collegiate athletes can make what seems like a setback into an opportunity that we can take advantage of and use to better ourselves.

“If you don't believe in yourself, who else will?  If I listened to people that said “You can't do that,” I wouldn't be here. And so, you really have to be a champion for yourself.”  - Carla Williams