This week on The Mental Matchup, we’re joined by Tyler Ingle — a former student-athlete and communications professional whose journey through mental health challenges is as raw as it is impactful.

Tyler opens up about navigating anxiety, depression, and a severe eating disorder, while also processing deeply personal experiences like his father leaving at a young age. These are the kinds of struggles that often go unspoken in athletics and in life—and Tyler is changing that.

Through honesty and reflection, Tyler shares how his experiences shaped not only who he is today, but how he shows up for others. From working across professional sports leagues like the NWSL and USL to supporting athletes at the collegiate level, his mission is clear: to make a positive difference and remind people they’re not alone.

In this episode, we talk about:

• The hidden nature of mental health struggles in athletes

• What it looks like to confront anxiety, depression, and disordered eating

• Processing abandonment and its long-term impact

• Practical strategies Tyler used to move forward

• How vulnerability can become a tool for connection and change

This conversation is a powerful reminder that healing isn’t linear—and that your story, no matter how heavy, can become something that helps someone else keep going.

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This week on The Mental Matchup, Lisa Fiore shares a deeply personal story about how her mental health journey has shaped the way she shows up — as a parent, leader, and advocate.

Lisa opens up about struggling with disordered eating beginning in high school and navigating a path that spanned more than two decades. She reflects on how those experiences changed her relationship with herself and how they now inform the way she talks about mental health with her children and supports others in her community.

Today, Lisa channels her experiences into leadership and service. A former Executive Director of Girls on the Run and current Director of Strategic Partnerships for the Lehigh Valley Association of Independent Colleges, she is passionate about creating supportive environments for young people to grow and thrive.

We talk about healing, resilience, parenting with openness, and the hope that comes from sharing your story.

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This week on The Mental Matchup, we sit down with Laura Ollinger, a Teen & Young Adult Well-Being Coach and Founder of Positively Healthy Coaching. Laura works 1:1 with teens to help them navigate stress, anxiety, and self-doubt while building the tools they need to thrive.

With an extensive background — including being a National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach, Elite Neuroencoding Specialist, and clinically certified in stress and self-regulation through HeartMath — Laura brings both science and strategy to her work with young people.

In this episode, we explore:

• The biggest challenges teens and young adults are facing today

• How stress and anxiety show up — and what to do about it

• The difference between confidence that’s built vs. confidence that’s performed

• Practical tools to help young people regulate emotions and build resilience

• How parents, coaches, and mentors can better support the athletes and teens in their lives

Laura’s approach focuses on developing both mindset and skill set — empowering young people to feel more confident, connected, and clear in who they are and where they’re going.

This conversation is a must-listen for anyone invested in the well-being and development of the next generation.

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Ally Irish is back for Part 2 on The Mental Matchup—and this time, we’re diving deeper into her work in athlete mental health research.

Building off her experience co-founding The Head Game Project, Ally shares insights from a qualitative research study conducted with NCAA Division III athletes, focused on understanding well-being through the lens of the whole person. From identity and time demands to team culture, relationships, and external pressures, this conversation explores the many factors that shape a student-athlete’s experience beyond performance.

We unpack what athletes are really navigating day-to-day—and why shifting the conversation to support the full human behind the athlete is critical for long-term well-being and success.

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This week on The Mental Matchup, we’re joined by former Division II lacrosse player Allison Irish, who co-founded The Head Game Project, a peer-to-peer mental health advocacy group created to support student-athletes and spark more open conversations about well-being.

What started as a senior-year initiative at Saint Anselm College became the foundation for Ally’s career in clinical psychology and athlete mental health. We talk about athlete-led advocacy, shifting sport culture, and how empowering teammates to support one another can transform well-being and performance.

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What if an athlete doesn’t quit because they stop loving their sport — but because they never learned how to handle the pressure?

This week on The Mental Matchup, Coach Bre shares her journey as a former collegiate volleyball player who appeared successful on the outside while quietly struggling with the mental demands of high-level competition. Discovering mental performance training later in her career transformed her relationship with sport and inspired her life’s work.

Now a Certified Mental Performance Coach and Co-Founder of The Elite Competitor, Coach Bre helps athletes, coaches, and parents build practical mental skills so athletes can handle pressure, grow through adversity, and enjoy their sport — before burnout or setbacks hit.

A 4× state champion head volleyball coach, Coach Bre brings 13+ years of experience and a background in education to redefining how mental training shows up in sports.

Find the Coach Her Game Podcast here

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This week, we’re joined by former Division III lacrosse player and mental health counselor Maddie Meadows.

Maddie shares her journey with anxiety — and the pivotal conversation with her mom that led her to begin therapy. Just two years later, during her senior lacrosse season, her mom was diagnosed with Stage IV metastatic breast cancer. Maddie opens up about navigating anticipatory grief while balancing athletics, academics, and life after sport.

Now working in the mental health field, she reflects on the gaps in support at the Division III level and challenges the idea that “mental toughness” should come before mental health.

This episode is a powerful reminder that athletes are human first — and that support systems matter.

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Episode #180: Grief, Identity, and Playing Through Loss with Aubrey Ide

In this episode of The Mental Matchup, Kat chats with Aubrey — a Division I field hockey player at Lehigh University and co-founder of the Live Like Liv Foundation — to talk about what it’s really like to navigate profound loss as a young adult and student-athlete.

After losing her best friend, Liv, to leukemia, Aubrey found herself balancing the demands of Division I athletics while carrying a grief that felt impossible to put into words. In this conversation, she shares how loss reshaped her identity, her relationship with sport, and the way she shows up for others.

Aubrey opens up about:

• What grief looked like behind the scenes of being a “high-functioning” athlete

• The silent pressure student-athletes feel to keep performing while struggling internally

• How vulnerability became a source of strength

• Building the Live Like Liv Foundation to honor her best friend’s legacy

This episode is a reminder that student-athletes are navigating more than practices, games, and exams — they’re navigating life. And sometimes, that life includes unimaginable loss.

Learn more about Live Like Live here

This week on The Mental Matchup, Kat sits down with a true force of nature, Mallory Holloway. Mallory is a Division I runner at Marist University who’s redefining what’s possible while living with cystic fibrosis. From childhood days spent doing three breathing treatments a day to becoming a collegiate athlete, her story is all about resilience, perspective, and the power of hope.

In this conversation, she opens up about growing up with a rare lung disease, the mental health challenges that came with it, and how one life-changing medication gave her the chance to chase her dreams. It’s a story of grit, gratitude, and what it means to keep showing up — breath by breath, mile by mile.

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In this episode, Kat is joined by the team behind The Keep Going Podcast — a show born from the same mission that started Morgan’s Message: to destigmatize mental health in athletics and remind student-athletes that they are never alone.

They share the story of how Morgan’s Message began, how The Keep Going Podcast continues that mission, and the impact of bringing real, raw mental health conversations into the athletic world. From navigating grief and identity to building community through storytelling, this episode is a reminder that sharing your story can inspire others to keep going.

Listen to The Keep Going Podcast to hear more powerful stories from athletes and advocates who are changing the conversation around mental health.

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In this deeply personal solo episode, Kat opens up about losing a close friend to suicide — and how grief reshaped every part of her life. She reflects on what it means to live through unimaginable loss, the ways grief shows up in the body and mind, and how healing isn’t about “getting over it,” but learning to carry it differently.

Kat also shares insights from her own journey and the science behind grief — how it impacts the brain, why it changes us, and what helps along the way. This conversation is raw, real, and a reminder that grief is both deeply human and deeply personal. Whether you’ve experienced loss or are supporting someone who has, this episode offers space, compassion, and hope.

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In this week’s episode of The Mental Matchup, Kat sits down with Erin Devine, a current member of the Rutgers Women’s Lacrosse team, to talk about resilience, identity, and finding yourself beyond the setbacks. After enduring multiple knee injuries, Erin opens up about what it was like to shift into a new role on her team, the mental toll of recovery, and how she learned to listen when she stopped feeling like herself.

Erin shares her journey through vulnerability and strength. From redefining success to learning that healing is not just physical, but emotional too. Her story is a powerful reminder that your worth as an athlete isn’t measured by stats or playing time, but by the courage it takes to keep showing up for yourself and others.

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This week, Kat sits down with Gabby Pelfrey to talk about the pressures of college athletics, the challenges of graduating, and the journey of rediscovering joy after sport. Gabby shares how she found healing in new routines, self-discovery, and building a life beyond competition by offering encouragement to anyone navigating the transition out of athletics.

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This week on The Mental Matchup, Kat sits down with Lisa Isenman, a psychotherapist with the Wake Kendall Group in Washington, DC. Lisa’s career journey is anything but traditional—after decades in communications and education, she returned to school to become a psychotherapist, guided by her belief that “mental health care isn’t a luxury—it’s a necessity.”

In this episode, Lisa shares how curiosity and empathy shape her work with adolescents, adults, couples, and families as they navigate trauma, identity, and life’s toughest transitions. She also dives into her passion for collective action—serving on the board of Champions for Children, where she helps address the children’s mental health crisis in the DMV area, and her role as an executive officer with the International Association for Counselling, working toward global mental health equity.

Together, we explore:

• Lisa’s personal journey into mental health and why she chose to change careers.

• The role of curiosity and empathy in guiding young athletes, students, and families through adversity.

• How Champions for Children and international collaboration are expanding access to care and breaking stigma.

Lisa’s story is a reminder that one person’s decision to lean into passion and purpose can ripple outward to change lives and communities.

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This week on The Mental Matchup, Kat sits down with Paula Widerlite, Co-Founder and Chair of Champions for Children, a nonprofit led by women dedicated to ensuring that every child has the opportunity to thrive. With over 40 years of experience in nonprofit healthcare leadership, including 25 years as Chief Strategy Officer for a major DC-area health system,  Paula brings deep expertise and a personal passion for advancing children’s mental health.

In this episode, Paula shares:

• Leadership & Vision: What Champions for Children’s mission means to her personally, and how she fosters the collective energy of strong women leaders.

• Understanding the Crisis: Why children’s mental health is a growing crisis and how her organization turns awareness into action through grants, events, and collaborations.

• Programs & Community: The story behind “Be a Champion on World Mental Health Day,” plus how their panels and education series expand awareness and reduce stigma.

• Reflections & Looking Ahead: What Paula is most proud of, where she sees the greatest opportunity to expand access, and how listeners can support this critical mission.

Through Champions for Children, Paula has convened partners, advocates, and leaders to shine a light on youth mental health and build solutions that matter. Her story is a powerful reminder that when passion meets purpose, and when women lead boldly, real change is possible.

This week on The Mental Matchup, Kat chats with Kaylin Ricci. Kaylin is a Division I soccer player and fierce advocate for resilience. Just one day after her final season opening game, Kaylin’s world shifted unimaginably with the sudden loss of her mother. Through unimaginable grief, she made the courageous decision to return to the field, playing out her senior season in her mother’s honor. In this episode, Kaylin shares her journey of loss, strength, and what it truly means to keep going when everything feels like it’s falling apart.

In this week's episode, Kat chats with Alec Ingold about identity, creating locker room culture, and leadership. Alec plays professional football for the Miami Dolphins. Alec grew up in Green Bay, Wisconsin, where he was adopted into a close-knit and supportive family. He played college football for the Wisconsin Badgers. In 2019, he signed with the Oakland Raiders as an undrafted free agent, and in 2021 signed with the Miami Dolphins. He is a gifted motivational speaker, and while his accomplishments are remarkable on their own, it’s Alec’s story of overcoming adversity that has inspired thousands. Through his Ingold Family Foundation, Alec works to empower underserved youth through accessible and impactful learning experiences. 

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Hannah Conner is a licensed clinical professional counselor based in Chicago, IL, with a Master of Arts in Counseling and a specialization in Sport and Health Psychology from Adler University. She specializes in supporting athletes, particularly those navigating the transition out of collegiate or elite sports.

In this episode, Hannah joins Kat to explore emotionally unsafe environments in athletics: how to identify them, their impact on mental health, and how athletes can begin to heal.

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This week on The Mental Matchup, we’re joined by Lysander Rehnstrom, a former walk-on at George Mason to Navy Men's Basketball Captain, and U.S. Marine Corps Ground Officer in training. Lysander shares his deeply personal journey with mental health: from growing up under pressure, navigating a life-threatening injury in high school, walking on at George Mason, and ultimately transferring to the Naval Academy.

He opens up about the mental toll of early expectations, the value of vulnerability, and the moments that nearly made him quit the sport he loves. Now a trained Peer Advisor and advocate, Lysander uses his platform to share that athletes are more than their stats — and that asking for help is a sign of strength.

We talk about:

• Mental health challenges in high-performance environments

• Impact of coaching and injury on athlete identity

• The power of peer support in recovery

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In this episode of The Mental Matchup, we’re joined by Alex Heishman, a former DIII women’s lacrosse player, campus liaison for Morgan’s Message, and now a licensed social worker. Alex opens up about her 4+ year journey with Morgan’s Message and her own experience navigating mental health challenges as a student-athlete.

From battling self-criticism and panic attacks to a difficult coaching relationship that made her fall out of love with lacrosse, Alex shares her path to rediscovering joy, purpose, and identity — both on and off the field. Now working as a middle school counselor, she reflects on the importance of vulnerability, mental health advocacy, and the ongoing impact of Morgan’s Message.

Topics covered:

• Mental health and sport performance

• Navigating negative coaching relationships

• Athlete burnout & recovery

• Finding identity post-graduation

• The power of sharing your story

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