Empowered Team Podcast

Paul Duerden the volleyball player. Kari Schneider the strength coach. Often we define our identity around what we do. For high performance athletes, their entire lives can revolve around their sport and their identity becomes forever bound to it. A win or loss starts to define who they are, and what they view they are worth. Sound crazy? I lived this way for over 17 years, and Kari lived with the damage it caused after I retired. On this episode of the podcast Kari and I go into Identity, and provide our advice on how athletes can strike a healthy balance between what they do and who they are.

Please help us reach athletes, coaches and sport fans around the globe. If you enjoyed the podcast, please subscribe, share and promote on your favourite social media platform. Send your comments and feedback to PD@EmpowerConditioning.com - we'd love to hear from you. Thank you for your support!

Memorial Cup Champion, World Juniors Champion, Stanley Cup Champion. Dave Bolland has tasted success at every level of hockey - but he's also lived the brutal side of the professional experience, dealing with injury and intense media scrutiny. On this episode of the podcast Dave opens up to us about his career and the moments that shaped it from his first days on skates, to winning the Stanley Cup (twice!), and beyond. Settle in for an enlightening talk with Dave Bolland. 

Please help us reach athletes, coaches and sport fans around the globe. If you enjoyed the podcast, please subscribe, share and promote on your favourite social media platform. Send your comments and feedback to PD@EmpowerConditioning.com - we'd love to hear from you. Thank you for your support!

Are you afraid of heights? 5 time National diving champion Celina Toth isn't. Celina competes in the women's 10m diving event and has had some incredible results, despite having to deal with body shaming coming from the most unlikely of places. Listen to and share Celina's story with all of the women in your life - and the men too. Her courage is inspirational and her zest for life is infectious. 

A few words from Celina: "As competitive athletes we strive to be the best of the best and at times this can be a difficult and lonely journey. My journey has definitely not been easy, but what I’ve gained being apart of sport is what I want to share with other sports and future generations of athletes. When competition becomes intense a lot of people forget that we all want the same thing and I’ve learned that you can improve and gain so much more by supporting your teammates and competitors. What I value most from my athletic experience is the support and community I have grown up in. I would not be the person I am today or have accomplished so much without my teammates, competitors, coaches and support staff."

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6' 10" + 240lbs + big hops = a volleyball wrecking machine. Gavin Schmitt has reached legendary status in the world of international volleyball and has been the undisputed star of the sport here in Canada over the last decade. But playing at the highest levels can wreak havoc on the body and no one knows that better than Schmitt, and he has the metal rods in his shins to prove it. Schmitt's story goes deep into the athlete pysche - and the incredible sacrifices he has made for his team and his sport. Settle back and enjoy this revealing talk with Gavin Schmitt.

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Alysha Newman is a track and field athlete specialized in pole vault and she represented Canada at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. She is the reigning 2018 Commonwealth Games champion where she set a new Games record of 4.75 m - but she wants so much more! Alysha shares with us how she found her sport, her drive and what fuels her competitive fire. It's a journey of literal highs to challenging lows encountered enroute to her first Olympic games. 

If you enjoyed this episode, hit subscribe and then please leave us a fantastic review on iTunes or wherever you source your podcasts. Next snap a screenshot and share it on your socials. We appreciate your support! 

Hi Everyone! This is it, the Empowered Athlete Podcast and this episode is all about WHY this podcast exists. Kari and Paul reveal what inspired them to take on this project and preview some of the incredible, upcoming content.

We want to hear from you - please send your feedback to PD@EmpowerConditioning.com and if you like what you're hearing, help keep us going by subscribing and sharing with as many friends as you can.