Athletes Beyond the Game
Welcome to Athletes Beyond the Game, the show that helps athletes transition to life beyond sports. Join former Division 1 tennis teammates, Julia Fisch and Sara Kelly Kornienko, as they get real about the challenges of navigating life post athletic retirement. Each episode, hosts Julia and Sara dive into stories from current and former athletes and talk with retired players about their experience transitioning to life after a competitive sports career.
Episodes
Sara is flying solo this week, talking with D1 rower turned pro sailor, Sara Stone. Stone rowed at Dartmouth college, and after taking a job working at the CDC after graduation, she was inspired to learn how to sail after watching an all-women’s sailing team race around the world. During the episode, the two talk about Stone’s career ending rowing injury in college, starting her next career in epidemiology after college working at ...
Julia and Sara sit down with their former teammate, Sofia Perez!! Sofia has had a whirlwind of injuries throughout her career, getting a hip replacement at 24 years old. She goes into details about overcoming injuries, how it impacted her post grad life, and how she leaned into health and wellness to get her through life beyond sports.
This week, Olivia Arizin shares her journey as a college athlete, discussing her experiences with performance anxiety, the importance of mental health in sports, and the support systems that helped her navigate challenges. She emphasizes the significance of having a balanced identity beyond athletics and offers advice for athletes facing similar struggles. She discusses the importance...
This week Julia and Sara are solo! They chat about finding a healthy relationship with their sport post-retirement, struggling with motivation, and a big life update.
In Athletes Beyond the Game this week, Julia and Sara kick off season two with D1 track athletes and twins, Sofia and Izze Calabrese. During the episode, Sofia and Izze get real about the realities of being a female athlete in a sport that focuses on weight. They talk about growing up with a twin in the same sport, body image, overcoming an eating disorder, and finding your new identity after retirement.
To close out season 1, Julia and Sara sit down and go over their top three moments in 2025 and what episodes really resonated with each of them. The flow of this episode is extremely casual. We would love to hear your favorite episodes or moments this season!
Visit our website at athletes...
Sara is flying solo in this week’s episode! She sits down with retired WNBA professional basketball player, Chelsea Poppins. They get into some of Chelsea’s most memorable moments from her career and how she learned to advocate for herself while dealing with injuries throughout her career. Chelsea also talks about her retirement journey, and how she was able to find new passions and an identity outside of athletics that helped her ...
On this week's episode, Julia and Sara sit down with Michele Lowry, former D1 swimmer and D1 college swim coach turned US Ski and Snowboard Team Athlete Professional Development Manager. In her current role, she works with the US team’s athletes on developing themselves off snow and making steps towards preparing for post-athletic careers.
In the episode, Michele recounts how she went from swimming to snowboarding and details ways...
Julia and Sara are joined this week by Miranda Holder. Miranda rowed at Wellesley prior to taking on the head coaching position at Georgetown University. Listen in as Miranda discusses the trials and tribulations of her athletic career, as she diagnosed with a genetic heart condition which forced her to retire at 25.
This week Julia and Sara catch up with 3x Olympic triple jumper, Keturah Orji. They talk about the behind-the-scene experiences of athletes at the Olympics and how to navigate toxic coaching environments. They also get into Orji’s decision to retire early and how to know when it’s time to retire from your sport.
Orji is the first American woman in history to qualify for 3 consecutive Olympic finals in the triple jump, including a...
Julia and Sara are back this week talking with Emma Spence, a former D1 Gymnast at the University of Nebraska, and member of the Canadian National Team. Emma had a decorated career, becoming an alternate at both the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 and the Paris Olympics in 2024.
Listen this week ...
Julia and Sara sit down with Riley Tejcek, former D1 Softball player from George Washington University. During her college years, Riley also decided to join the Marine Corps, on top of being a student and an athlete.
Upon graduating, she joined the Marine Corps and transitioned into Bobsledding where she is a member of the USA National Team. Listen in while we go through Riley's career and her new book!
If you would like to tel...
The duo is chatting this week with the newly Dr. Kiara Scott - a former D1 basketball player from the University of Arkansas, Little Rock. Kiara discusses her dissertation and how she is using it to help student-athletes. We also dive into ways to move your body after graduation and the realities of winning and losing.
Two-time Olympic Rower, Jennifer Casson, joins Julia and Sara to discuss her journey to the Olympics, the realities of being a professional rower, and what life and training is like in-between Olympic games. They also get into Jenny's forced transition out of rowing after the Olympics removed the lightweight duo category, how to combat burnout culture, and how she went from athlete to business owner for her startup bra company, Day...
Popping in your feed to share a trailer we created for ABG!
This week Julia and Sara are solo! They get into the importance of routines after athletics, break down their own morning routines, and discuss how to create realistic routines that can make the transition to life after athletics a little easier.
Check out our new website!!
After a break last week, Julia & Sara sit down with Ciera Howse, former Arizona State Spirit Squad Cheerleader. Fresh off of graduating in May, Ciera touches on the struggles of getting cut her senior year, what motivated her to keep moving forward, and tips for current student-athletes.
Former D1 tennis player and Arizona State University alum, Cali (Jankowski) Marrocco, joins Julia and Sara this week on the pod. They discuss the mental and physical challenges of being sidelined as Cali recounts her almost career ending injury the first semester of freshman year as the #2 recruit in the country. They also discuss body image challenges and the perspective Cali gained from her college tennis experience that helped h...
Julia and Sara sit down with two Arizona State University athletes to discuss what it’s like being a college athlete in the age of NIL, as well as their views on the current House v. NCAA settlement case that may reshape college athletics.
Bri, a soccer player entering her senior year, and ...
This week, Julia and Sara sit down with Meaghan, founder of Sport Sitters, a platform created to provide NIL opportunities for female athletes (current and former).
While this episode is different than our previous ones, we dive into qualities and skills student-athletes possess that are transferrable to life after sports.
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