THE VOLLEYTALK PODCAST: Beach Volleyball Conversations with Tasha Mae

Welcome to Part 2!! Check out Part 1 if you haven't yet :)

Today’s conversation is with Alex Haapamäki, founder of “Learn Beach Volleyball Fast,” an initiative dedicated to teaching people to learn beach volleyball in the fastest and most efficient way possible. No matter what level of experience you have in volleyball, Alex has a thousand different types of content on his website and YouTube channel curated to serve you. In this episode, Alex talks about:- 

-        How a professional skateboarder ended up creating one of the most successful beach volleyball channels on the internet

-        How his singing teacher inspired him to coach bvb in unconventional ways (those who have seen his YT videos will know what I mean!)

-        His unique coaching philosophy

-        Why he thinks that injuries can help athletes become even better than before

-        His vision for his future projects on LBVF!

-        And as usual, much much more!

Today’s conversation is with Anhelina Khmil, a 19-year-old beach volleyball player who is now making waves in the beach world. She has won multiple youth European and World Championship titles, Beach Pro Tour Futures event, and she is further accelerating her career by committing to Texas Christian University (TCU) in the Fall of 2022. If you didn’t know, TCU has one of the strongest US programs and is currently ranked 6th in the NCAA. In this episode, Anhelina talks about:-

- How beach volleyball turned from a nightmare to a dream for her

- How her life has changed after the war in Ukraine broke out!

- How she and her partner won a match in the third set despite being 11-2 down!!

- Her journey of committing to TCU and the cultural differences she is experiencing

- Why she wants to try being a defender!

- What she thinks the 2 most essential qualities a beach volleyball player should have

And as usual, much much more!

“You don’t have to overthink it- you just gotta have fun with what you’re doing and enjoy the process!”

[Catch the LIVE replay on Instagram or Youtube to watch behind the scenes!]

Today’s episode will always hold a special place in my heart because it’s my first ever face-to-face interview, and also the fact that we recorded it on Olympic Day- and who else better to represent the value of the Olympic Games besides three-time gold medalist Misty May-Treanor?! I’m truly so lucky to be able to sit down and have a chat with Misty about her journey from the moment she stepped onto a volleyball court, to the accomplished athlete that she is today. In this episode, Misty talks about:-

- How she started beach volleyball and played in her first tournament with her dad, Butch

- Why she thinks she has never had the “perfect” game

- Why the Brazilians were always her toughest opponents

- How her training regimen has shifted throughout multiple years (in season & off season)

- Why every athlete should start a food journal!

- Her mentality when facing injuries (this one is really good!)

- How to develop the ability to be a step or two ahead of your opponents

- The main difference that separated she and Kerri with the other teams

- Why being vulnerable is actually so important in our lives

And as usual, much much more!

This episode with Misty is a very special episode that I will cherish forever. I really hope that you enjoy it and that you’ve learned as much from her as I did!

“The man who loves walking will go further than the man who loves the destination!”

Today's guest of honor is Kerri Walsh Jennings. Most of us know her as a 5-time Olympian who has won 3 golds and 1 bronze, a 3-time World Championships Gold Medalist, countless world tours and AVP events winner, and is considered to be one of the greatest of all times in beach volleyball.  We usually only hear the successful and happy parts of her journey to the top, but many of us don’t know what it took for her to get there- the discipline, hard work, losses, self-doubt, and heartbreaks that she has had to experience to go down in history as a legend.  In this episode, Kerri talks about:-

- How she never had the courage or humility to try beach volleyball in her young adult life!

- How she feels she’s in an “in-between” stage of her life right now

- Why her toughest challenge is overcoming her own self-doubt, and how she has learned to turn that into her superpower

- How she feels that beach volleyball athletes need to stand for themselves more and stop settling for less (very interesting insights!)

- How she trains during different seasons and the various training method she uses to get in shape

- Why she focuses her nutrition plan around protein and hydration

- The story behind her organization p1440, and tips for people who want to build a successful organization

- The difference between being great vs. good

And as usual, much much more!

This episode with Kerri is definitely one that I have to come back and listen to again and again and I’m sure every time I will still learn something new. I really hope that you enjoy it and that you’ve learned as much from her as I did!

“Live your life today as if you would want to live it a 1000 times over!”

Today's guest is Audrius Knasas- beach volleyball player from Lithuania who is currently playing professional indoor volleyball in Austria! A literal “walking quote book”, Audrius dives deep into his personal headspace and shares many experiences that he has had in life through a philosophical lens. In this episode, Audrius talks about:-

- How he first started beach volleyball in Lithuania but is currently playing pro indoor volleyball in Austria

- What being “more than an athlete” means to him

- How he began the process of “searching” and finding ways to cope mentally with the strenuous schedule

- Why “alone time” is so necessary for him

- How playing in Austria has been like for him (this one is really funny!)

- What being an Olympian means to him

- How he would still like to be in the sports scene in different ways even after he is retired

- Why being a “self-learner” is his greatest strength

- How anxiousness actually affects him in many ways, but how he has learned to have a “friendly relationship” with himself

- How volleyball has taught him self-love on and off the court

And as usual, much much more!

Speaking with Aurdrius has opened my eyes and mind to a lot of things that I never gave much thought about before. I really hope that you enjoy it and that you’ve learned as much from him as I did!

“Trust the process, trust the timing of life!”

Today's guest is Daniela Alvarez- a Spaniard who is currently a sophomore at TCU! She recently won silver in the U21 World Championships alongside her partner Sofia Gonzalez. In this episode, Daniela talks about:-

- How it felt like winning silver in the U21 World Championships

- How she made the switch from a very high level of tennis to beach volleyball

- The story of how she ended up studying at TCU

- Who she would love to play against if she had the chance

- How her experience in tennis has helped shaped her mentality for beach volleyball

- How she’s officially starting her partnership with Tania Moreno

- How she fell in love with actuarial science and is majoring in that now

And as usual, much much more!

It was a lot of fun speaking with Daniela. She is really sweet and was happy to share her life story with us. I really hope that you enjoy it and that you’ve learned as much from her as I did!

“Keep that feeling of truth inside you and do what you feel like you want to do!”

Today's guest is Tina Graudina- a proud Latvian superstar who just recently won “Athlete of the Year” in her country! She is the first NCAA athlete to qualify for an Olympic tournament and has had many amazing comebacks and wins under her belt. In this episode, Tina talks about:-

- How she felt when she was receiving the “Athlete of the Year” award in Latvia!

- Did you know that she did high jump before she switched to beach vb?

- How she’s starting her master’s program in Political Science now

- The toughest challenge she has had to face in her career

- How she and her partner, Anastasija Kravcenoka coordinated their training despite her being in USA and Anastasija in Latvia

- Her journey to USC!!

- How she is finally going to be a professional player and her transition towards that

And as usual, much much more!

It was such a pleasure to speak with Tina. She is so down-to-earth and humble, and genuinely sharing from the bottom of her heart. I really hope that you enjoy it and that you’ve learned as much from her as I did!

“Before you say no to something, ask yourself, “Am I gonna regret this in 10 years?”

Today's guest is Damien Schumann, a Tokyo 2021 Olympian, 2018 Commonwealth Games gold medalist and is one of the best beach volleyball players in Australia!! Damien announced his retirement after the Olympics this year. In this episode, Damien talks about:-

- How a chance with a random tourist set the path for him to become one of the best beach volleyball players Australia has ever had

- Reflecting on some of the best memories throughout his journey (Winning gold in Commonwealth 2018, Tokyo 2021 Olympics)

- That super close first Olympic match against the Beach Volley Vikings!

- Why admitting to your partner that you are nervous is a way to deal with anxiety

- What his plans are now after retiring and how he deals with not having to play beach volleyball!

- How he maintains his top game despite being a smaller player in the game

- And how his defense game is so strong

- Why he would tell his younger self to serve more aggressively

And as usual, much much more!

Damien is a super nice and chill guy with lots of beach volleyball wisdom and knowledge to share, and I hope that you’ve learned as much from him as I did!

“Know what you want, set your goals and just go for it!”

Today's guest is Stefan Boermans, super tall Dutchie who is achieving quite a bit of success in his beach volleyball journey now!! In this episode, Stefan talks about:-

- How he just started his volleyball journey only at the age of 19 and beach vb at 22, but is now one of the top players in the world!

- How he deals with injuries

- What winning the Gstaad cowbell means to him!

- Why he would want to play a match against his coach during his prime

- How he gets hyped up during games

- The story of how he and Yorick de Groot teamed up!

- His opinion about playing in the wind

- The secret to his rapid improvement just within one year!

- What he enjoys doing besides beach volleyball

- What his go-to food is everyday

And sooo much more!

Stefan is actually a really chill and cool guy who is willing to share a lot and I have definitely learned a lot about his mentality and understand why he is where he is now. I hope that you’ve learned as much from him as I did!

“Do what you love, love what you do!”

Today's guest is Daria Gusarova!! In this episode, Daria talks about:-

- Why she is a self-proclaimed nerd

- How she started beach volleyball because of her brother

- How she balances being a high school student and a beach volleyball player!

- How she committed to Stanford!!

- Why she likes to eat one chocolate bar before games!

- How she calms herself down during tight situations in game

- Why she thinks responsibility is the most important quality as a beach volleyball player

- How her training routine is like as a student-athlete and why it’s important to take at least 1 day of rest!

And sooo much more!

Daria is just such a sweet person and it’s just so nice to speak and learn from her. I hope that you’ve learned as much from her as I did!

NONETHELESS, I hope that you enjoy this casual chat with Daria, and learn a lot from her!

“Learn to move on- the world is such a nice place! Live your life to the best and always stay positive. ”

Today's guest is Sarah Schulz, up and coming beach volleyball star from Germany!! In this episode, Sarah talks about:-

- How she first started beach volleyball in Germany

- Why her toughest challenge is getting into the gym and gaining muscles!

- What winning the German Championships means to her

- How she ended up partnering with Chantal Laboureur and how that has changed her game

- The one team that she would love to play against (Hint: the Olympic Gold Medalists 😉)

- Her special pre-competition routine to set her mind right for the game

- How she calms herself down during tight situations in game

- Why she thinks moving on is the most important quality as a beach volleyball player

- How she balances her pro beach career AND studying architecture

- Her amazing experience in Africa during a 2-star tournament in Rwanda!

- Why she would tell her younger self to push harder

And sooo much more! Sarah is just such a sweet person and it’s just so nice to speak and learn from her. I hope that you’ve learned as much from her as I did!

*Please note that this is not an actual podcast with fancy equipment, so please forgive the mediocre audio quality and excessive laughing :')

NONETHELESS, I hope that you enjoy this casual chat with Sarah, and learn a lot from her!

“Believe in your dreams, believe in yourself, and get something positive out of every day!”

Today's guest is Katja Stam, beach volleyball star from the Netherlands!! In this episode, Katja talks about:-

- Her debut at the Olympics being one of the youngest teams there with Raisa

- Her instant love towards beach volleyball at the age of 12

- How her partnership with Raisa is actually one of the biggest challenges for them as a team, but how they still manage to pull it off

- Why family is so important to her

- Why perseverance is the most important trait of a beach volleyball player to her

- How she balances her blooming volleyball career with her studies

- How she always stays positive no matter what

- Why Dutch directness is so important and useful on court

- How she evolved from such a shy girl to the star she is now

- And sooo much more!

*Please note that this is not an actual podcast with fancy equipment, so please forgive the mediocre audio quality and excessive laughing :')

NONETHELESS, I hope that you enjoy this casual chat with Katja, and learn a lot from her!

“Just live in the moment and enjoy it because nothing lasts forever and life is short!”

Today's guest is Michala Kvapilová , beach volleyball player from the Czech Republic!! In this episode, Michala talks about:-

- How she first started beach volleyball (even though she swore she would never play volleyball when she was young! 😱)

- How her father is one of her major inspirations

- How splitting up with her partner taught her to be more open-minded

- Her thoughts on the 2 Czech teams that were tested positive for Covid-19 right before the Olympic Games started!

- Why she loves playing against Agatha and Duda!

- How Michala and her partner turn a bad situation to a funny one!

- Why determination is the most important trait of a beach volleyball player to her

- She found her most recent passion-surfing!! 🏄‍♀️

- Why she thinks her extroverted personality has helped her a lot in court and in life

- Why she would tell her younger self to be more calm…

And sooo much more! Michala is just such a fun person to speak to and I dare you to not smile after you listen to this podcast (hint: it’s impossible) I hope that you’ve learned as much from her as I did!

*Please note that this is not an actual podcast with fancy equipment, so please forgive the mediocre audio quality and excessive laughing :')

NONETHELESS, I hope that you enjoy this casual chat with Michala, and learn a lot from her!

“If you try too hard to solve all future problems, you may miss solving the current problems.”

Today's guest is Grant O’Gorman, beach volleyball player from Canada!! In this episode, Grant talks about:-

- How he first started beach volleyball in Canada

- How his curiosity for beach volleyball motivates him to get better every time

- The multiple challenges he has faced in his life- his parents passing at a young age, breaking up with a beach volleyball partner and of course, surviving cancer!

- His insane journey of surviving cancer and back to playing in just 4 months!

- How his mindset towards beach volleyball has changed after getting cancer

- How he is now partnering with the charity “Movember” to change the face of men’s health

- The secret phrase he says to himself to prepare for games

- His “embracing obstacles” mindset during games

- His future plans to play in the AVP and Brazilian tours!

- The mindset and skillset that has brought him the success he has today

- How he once lived in a van!

And sooo much more! Grant is just so chill and cool and someone who embraces adversities in life and turns them into his advantage. I hope you will learn as much as I did from him!

*Please note that this is not an actual podcast with fancy equipment, so please forgive the mediocre audio quality and excessive laughing :')

NONETHELESS, I hope that you enjoy this casual chat with Grant, and learn a lot from him!

“Life is love, and it’s just about getting around to it.”

Today's guest is Alexandra Jupiter, beach volleyball star from France!!! In this episode, Alexandra talks about:-

- How she disciplines herself to make sure she does the things she needs to

- How she actually started beach volleyball when she moved to the US at the age of 14, and she started it together with her mum!

- Why she finds inspiration in the queen Serena Williams- Alexandra talks about body image, self-acceptance, self-love

- The process of how she went from an “individual player” to a “team player”

- How she takes in the surroundings before her game starts to get used to the situation

- Why breathing is the most important thing in tough situations

- What winning the Mediterranean Games meant to herself and her team

- How she’s slowly using social media to grow her influence in beach volleyball in France

- Her favorite places to play in competitions! (Hint: involves Austria, Norway, Japan and Australia 😉)

- Why her ‘poker face’ has helped her a lot in her career

- But also what she wished people knew more about her behind her poker face

- Why she would tell her younger self to “trust more”

And sooo much more! This was really a conversation where Alexandra went deeeep and shared a lot of personal stuff! I really hope it inspires you to think a little differently about your game and life just like it did for me!

*Please note that this is not an actual podcast with fancy equipment, so please forgive the mediocre audio quality and excessive laughing :')

NONETHELESS, I hope that you enjoy this casual chat with Alexandra, and learn a lot from her!

"Just believe in God, believe in your destiny- and good things will come!”

Today's guest is Cherif Younousse Samba, beach volleyball player from Qatar, and they are currently ranked number 2 in the world! In this episode, Cherif talks about:-

- Why he can’t do a bench press but he’s still one of the most lethal spikers in the world!

- Why he moved from US to Qatar

- He never played indoor volleyball before!!

- How he feels not only playing against but beating his childhood heroes (Phil Dalhausser, Alison, Clements/Doppler)

- The secret behind their team’s incredible success in the recent months + the mentality they had to for three finals in a row in Cancun!

- How he purposely creates a scene in the court just to spice things up 🔥 (this is hilarious)

- The little beef he and Adrian Carambula had in Cancun 😂

- His mentality leading up to his second Olympic games

- What his plans are after he retires from beach volleyball

- How he is the only person in his family that does sports, and he has proved to them that he has made it

- Patience, patience, patience is key

- What the only difference is among players in the highest level

And sooo much more! This was one of the funniest, craziest and most exciting talks I have ever done, and I hope that you enjoyed it and learned a great deal from Cherif!

*Please note that this is not an actual podcast with fancy equipment, so please forgive the mediocre audio quality and excessive laughing :')

NONETHELESS, I hope that you enjoy this casual chat with Cherif, and learn a lot from him!

"Laugh more, worry less and just enjoy the journey you’re in!”

Today's guest is Urte Andriukaityte, beach volleyball player from Lithuania!! In this episode, Urte talks about:-

- Why she refers to herself as a “stubborn dreamer”

- How she accidentally started beach volleyball even though she HATED summer!

- How beach volleyball itself and her family is her biggest encouragement and inspiration

- Why she believes warm up without music shouldn’t exist at all!

- How she takes a step back and looks at the bigger picture to calm herself down during tight situations in game

- Her training and daily routine as a Lithuanian beach volleyball player

- Her hopes for the future of her career- becoming an Olympian, making this a full-time career and playing at the highest level!

- How she is staying true to herself while still growing beach volleyball through her social media platform

- Why “stubbornness” is NOT a bad thing to Urte

- The advice she would give to her younger self (a must for anxious people and worriers)

- What surviving 13 car accidents has taught her about life!! (CRAZY!)

And sooo much more! This was a really chill and fun chat with Urte, and I also learned a great deal about Lithuania!

*Please note that this is not an actual podcast with fancy equipment, so please forgive the mediocre audio quality and excessive laughing :')

NONETHELESS, I hope that you enjoy this casual chat with Urte, and learn a lot from her!

"A lot of times, to stay true to your journey, you just gotta make it happen!"

Today's guest is Kingsley Tay, beach volleyball star from Singapore!!! In this episode, Kingsley talks about:-

- His journey from volleyball into beach volleyball

- How Taylor Crabb’s “defence system” just blows his mind

- How he looks for traits in people and applies it to his own life: Take the best, throw the rest!

- His “arousal theory” approach when going into a game! (This is super cool)

- How he has to learn to manage his own expectations of himself and others so as not to create a toxic environment

- His current training routine as a beach volleyball player, student and coach!

- His dream of winning an Olympic medal one day

- How he and his friends started “Revollve Volleyball Academy” to grow the sport in Singapore

- How when he was younger, he was afraid of expressing himself and what that has made him realize

- Why he recommends everyone to read the book “Sacred Hoops” by legendary coach Phil Jackson

- What he would be if he was not a beach volleyball player

And sooo much more! This is probably one of the most fun and funny interviews I have ever had, and I hope you enjoy and laugh along with us as you dig in to Kingsley’s wisdom 💪

*Please note that this is not an actual podcast with fancy equipment, so please forgive the mediocre audio quality and excessive laughing :')

NONETHELESS, I hope that you enjoy this casual chat with Kingsley, and learn a lot from him!

"You gotta make your journey your own, and always be true to yourself!"

Today's guest is Taliqua Clancy, one of the best beach volleyball players ever from Australia!!! In this episode, Taliqua talks about:-

- How she HATED beach volleyball when she first started it

- How since young she always knew she wanted to be an Olympian

- Her special “sarong taboo” (this one is really funny and cool)

- What was going through her mind during the epic finals in Cancun when the ref made the wrong call TWICE

- Her training routine now leading up to the Olympics

- How she and Mariafe developed such a strong bond, and her tips to strengthen your relationship with your partner

- How she is using her platform as the first Aboriginal volleyball player to represent Australia at the Olympics to inspire other Aboriginal communities

- What she thinks her strengths are both as a person and an athlete

- and sooo much more! You definitely won't want to miss this one out! This was a really fun and interesting chat with Taliqua, and I really hope that it will impact you some way or another too.

*Please note that this is not an actual podcast with fancy equipment, so please forgive the mediocre audio quality and excessive laughing :')

NONETHELESS, I hope that you enjoy this casual chat with Taliqua, and learn a lot from her!

"Treat others the way you want to be treated yourself"

Today's guest is Hendrik Mol, none other than the Beach Volley Viking from Norway!!! In this episode, Hendrik talks about:-

- How he was literally born into beach volleyball

- How having his parents as his coach is sometimes a “double-edged sword”

- The painful experience of losing his one chance to compete in the Olympics, but what that has taught him

- Why the Beach Volley Vikings is one of the best sideout teams in the world

- Some of his best memories along his journey

- How it was like studying in ToppVolleyNorge (the only volleyball school in Norway!)

- What he thinks his strengths are both as an athlete and a person, and how that has made him who he is

- His hobbies outside of volleyball (listen to find out how they make their awesome vlogs!)

- and sooo much more! You definitely won't want to miss this one out! This was a really fun and interesting chat with Hendrik, and I really hope that it will impact you some way or another too.

*Please note that this is not an actual podcast with fancy equipment, so please forgive the mediocre audio quality and excessive laughing :')

NONETHELESS, I hope that you enjoy this casual chat with Hendrik, and learn a lot from him!

"Just do good- because whatever good you do comes back to you"

Today's guest is Dhita Juliana, a beach volleyball star from Indonesia!! In this episode, Dhita talks about:-

- How she started as a beach volleyball player upon graduating high school

- How her coach, Agus Salim (who is also a legend) is her inspiration and he is like a father to them

- How she and her partner (Putu) as underdogs managed to beat the Japan team in the quarterfinals during the 2018 Asian Games, and went on to win the Bronze

- How she has such an admirable relationship with her partner (Putu) and how that has helped her overcome her nerves during competitions

- Her training routine

- How she injured herself ONE WEEK before the SEA Games and how she overcame that (this is just inspiring)

- How her champion mindset and patriotism drives her

- Her beach volleyball idol who happens to have the same name as her 😉

- The advice she would give to her younger self

- Her big dream of opening a restaurant for FREE to people

- Her plans after retiring from beach volleyball (this is SUPER COOL)

- and sooo much more! You definitely won't want to miss this one out! This was a really fun and interesting chat with Dhita, and I really hope that it will impact you some way or another too.

*This podcast is recorded in Bahasa

*Please note that this is not an actual podcast with fancy equipment, so please forgive the mediocre audio quality and excessive laughing :')

NONETHELESS, I hope that you enjoy this casual chat with Dhita, and learn a lot from her!

"If all the puzzle pieces fit, you go all in"

Today's guest is AJ Pareja, a beach volleyball player from the Philippines who is also a practising medical doctor!! In this episode, AJ talks about:-

- His transition from being the national indoor Philippines team captain to beach volleyball player

- How he kept “failing” to retire from volleyball

- His 3 main inspirations on this journey (*hint* includes Mark Burik from Better at Beach and Sam Pedlow from Canada 😉)

- How he manages to balance life as an athlete AND a practising medical doctor!

- How the Philippines had their national team tryouts for the very first time (king of the court format), and AJ feels good about it!

- How AJ calms himself down during tight situations in games

- His current training routine while Philippines is in a lockdown

- How AJ learned to develop the skill to say “no” (and how this REALLY helped him)

- His big dream that he wants to achieve in beach volleyball even though he is officially starting at 33!

- The advice he would give to his younger self (this one is really funny and controversial)

- Bonus: Doctor AJ is a Haikyuu fanatic! 😉 (he posts his Haikyuu reaction videos on Youtube!) #itsamortalsinifyouareavolleyballplayeranddontwatchhaikyuu

- and sooo much more! You definitely won't want to miss this one out! This was a really fun and interesting chat with Doctor AJ, and I really hope that it will impact you some way or another too.

*Please note that this is not an actual podcast with fancy equipment, so please forgive the mediocre audio quality and excessive laughing :')

NONETHELESS, I hope that you enjoy this casual chat with AJ, and learn a lot from him!

"Give more love and care for each other more"

“I think I’m someone who likes to find the unknown- across all aspects in life.”

Today's guest is Zachery Schubert, a young Australian beach volleyball star who is making waves not only in beach volleyball, but insect farming too! In this episode, Zachery talks about:-

- His life and experiences as a beach volleyball player

- How the COVID19 has hit Australian Beach Volleyball team in one of the hardest ways possible, and how they are overcoming it

- The really special technique he uses to calm himself down during a tight match (this one is really cool)

- How the close relationship between Australian players has pushed them to the next level

- His insect business- Schubugs!!

- How crickets are one of the best foods for humans and the environment (I was really surprised on this one)

- His hopes for the future of his career

- The advice he would give to his younger self

- How recovery is number 1 for him

and sooo much more! You definitely won't want to miss this one out! This was a really fun and interesting chat with Zachery, and I really hope that it will impact you some way or another too.

*Please note that this is not an actual podcast with fancy equipment, so please forgive the mediocre audio quality and excessive laughing :')

NONETHELESS, I hope that you enjoy this casual chat with Zachery, and learn a lot from him!

"If you have a dream, you gotta work for it"

Today's guest is Natali Flaviani, an Argentinian beach volleyball super mum who is living and training in Poland! In this episode, Natali talks about:-

- How she, an Argentinian player ended up in Poland

-The biggest difference between playing volleyball in Poland and Argentina

- How she balances her life as a mum and an athlete

-How she went from the Argentinian indoor national team to the beach team

- And how that transition was tough for her in the beginning and how she overcame it

- Her lovely and sweet family

- How to be innovative and set small goals step by step

and sooo much more! You definitely won't want to miss this one out! This was quite an interesting chat for me because Natali is just so awesome, and I really hope that it will impact you some way or another too.

*Please note that this is not an actual podcast with fancy equipment, so please forgive the mediocre audio quality and excessive laughing :') Also, please forgive the bad connection at times.

NONETHELESS, I hope that you enjoy this casual chat with Natali, and learn a lot from her!

I was feeling a little down the last week because I hadn’t managed to find a guest, when it hit me that I should just share about a topic myself. I get asked this question quite a lot especially by younger players- how to motivate yourself to train when you don’t feel like it. So I thought it’d be good to address this issue in this short episode 😊

I really hope that this short episode added value to you! Please do give me your feedback as it can help me improve on making it better for you.

Connect with me here:

"Find back your connection to sacred Mother Earth, and listen to life’s synchronicities"

“Once you have discovered your purpose in life, please give it away for free!”

Today's guest is Lesley de Jonge, founder of a non-profit volleyball organization “Let’s Keep the Ball Flying”! In this episode, Lesley talks about:-

- how and why he started Let’s Keep the Ball Flying

- the meaning behind the iconic LKTBF logo

- how being the head coach of the Nepal national team has transformed him

- the different projects of LKTBF and how they are changing the world one project at a time

- how he felt that every experience has been “arranged” for him

- the legacy that he wants to leave behind

- advice for people who want to start a non-profit organization

- how he connects with Mother Nature and finds the synchronicities in life, and how that has helped him to live the best life ever

and sooo much more! You definitely won't want to miss this one out! This was quite an emotional chat for me because I was really touched by Lesley’s passion, and I really hope that it will impact you some way or another too.

*Please note that this is not an actual podcast with fancy equipment, so please forgive the mediocre audio quality and excessive laughing :')

NONETHELESS, I hope that you enjoy this casual chat with Lesley, and learn a lot from him!

"Discover who you are, believe in yourself and enjoy the ride!"

Today's guest is Anna Rantala, an up-and-coming beach volleyball player from Finland! In this episode, Anna talks about:-

- her life and experiences as a beach volleyball player in Finland

- how she first started the sport

- how she calms herself down during tight situations and finding her “reset button”

- her battle with her knee injury and how she managed to find the good in it

- what truly inspires her along her journey till this day

- how cold water swimming is one of her favorite things to do

- how she learns to be graceful with herself and more mindful about life

- how to learn to discover yourself, and more on the book “The Power of Now”

and sooo much more! You definitely won't want to miss this one out!

*Please note that this is not an actual podcast with fancy equipment, so please forgive the mediocre audio quality and excessive laughing :') Also, I’m terribly sorry for the poor connections at times☹

NONETHELESS, I hope that you enjoy this casual chat with Anna, and learn a lot from her!

"Enjoy your life, and find in everyday something positive!"

“I want to call my mum, and say that I’m World Champion!”

Today's guest is Anastasija Kravcenoka, beach volleyball player from Latvia, YouTuber and a 2021 Olympian! In this episode, Anastasija talks about:-

- her life and experiences as a beach volleyball player

- what was going through her mind during the super intense Olympic Qualification Match against Czech Republic (Haiyang, 2019)

-how her preparation for the Olympics is like with her partner, Tina

- what truly inspires her along her journey till this day

- how she learns to find happiness in the small things in life

and sooo much more! You definitely won't want to miss this one out!

*Please note that this is not an actual podcast with fancy equipment, so please forgive the mediocre audio quality and excessive laughing :') Also, I’m terribly sorry for all the background wind noises ☹

NONETHELESS, I hope that you enjoy this casual chat with Anastasija, and learn a lot from her!

"The future is still ours to write, so let’s leave a lasting legacy on tomorrow!"

Today's guest is Issa Batrane, beach volleyball player from the UK, and an Athlete for Planet! In this episode, Issa talks about:-

- his life and experiences as a beach volleyball player

- the trick he uses when he's in a tight situation during competition

- his experiences with his idol, legend beach volleyball player Bruno Schmidt!

- what does being an “Athlete for Planet” mean

- how he continues to inspire the world and younger generation one person at a time :)

and sooo much more! You definitely won't want to miss this one out!

*Please note that this is not an actual podcast with fancy equipment, so please forgive the mediocre audio quality and excessive laughing :')

NONETHELESS, I hope that you enjoy this casual chat with Issa, and learn a lot from him!

Follow Issa on Instagram: