Purpose After Sports

Mikki O’Neal
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Sports
  • Updated Weekly

Welcome to Purpose After Sports, where we interview athletes to share their post-sport journeys and explore how they’re reinventing what it means to compete.

  1. 3d ago

    The GPS for Recruiting: How Find My Team Guides Athletes

    Barb Smith shares her journey from college athlete to coach and entrepreneur, highlighting the importance of self-awareness, fit, and strategic planning in the college recruiting process. Discover practical advice for athletes and families navigating the complex world of sports recruitment and college selection.

    40 min

  2. May 26

    From Soccer Star to a Purpose-Driven Life: Kendall Kloza's Journey

    Kendall shares her journey from high-level soccer athlete to life after sports, highlighting the importance of identity, faith, and finding new passions. This episode offers insights into overcoming mental and physical challenges, leadership lessons, and embracing growth beyond athletics.

    38 min

  3. May 18

    From College Softball to Coaching: Bella's Journey

    Bella shares her journey from college softball player to coach, highlighting the behind-the-scenes work, the importance of passion, and how athletes can navigate their sports careers and transitions effectively.

    51 min

  4. May 11

    From Football to Funny: Shawn Lee's Journey of Resilience

    Former athlete Shawn Lee shares his journey from football to comedy, highlighting resilience, grit, and the importance of embracing change. Discover how he overcame adversity, shifted his mindset, and found purpose beyond sports.

    57 min

  5. May 4

    Injury, Recovery and Resilience - Grace Telepak's Story

    In this inspiring interview, Grace Telepak shares her journey from college basketball to becoming a strength and conditioning coach, overcoming injury, and embracing her identity beyond sports. Discover her insights on resilience, mentorship, community, and redefining success in fitness and life.

    1h 6m

  6. Jan 23

    From College to Pro to What’s Next: Olivia Nash's Story

    In this episode of Purpose After Sports, Mikki O’Neal sits down with former professional basketball player Olivia Nash to talk honestly about the athlete journey, from early competition to college basketball, playing professionally overseas, and the emotional reality of stepping away from the game. Olivia opens up about her competitive nature, the highs and lows of college athletics, navigating professional contracts in Germany and Finland, and the identity shift that comes when basketball is no longer the center of your life. She shares how injuries, body changes, and unspoken grief impacted her confidence, relationships, and sense of purpose, and how coaching became a meaningful way to stay connected to the sport.

    58 min
  7. Mental Health, Bodybuilding & Identity with Former D1 Softball Athlete Chanel Schweer

    Jan 9

    Mental Health, Bodybuilding & Identity with Former D1 Softball Athlete Chanel Schweer

    Former Division I softball athlete Chanel Schweer joins Purpose After Sports to talk about life after competition, athlete identity, bodybuilding, mental health, and learning to find balance beyond sport. This episode is an honest conversation about pressure, purpose, and evolving as an athlete and a person.

    1h 6m
  8. Resilience in Sports: Zach Cummings' Story

    12/05/2025

    Resilience in Sports: Zach Cummings' Story

    Zach Cummings’ journey is the definition of perseverance. In this episode of the Purpose After Sports Podcast, Mikki O’Neal sits down with former college basketball player and creator Zach Cummings to unpack the real story behind the highlights. Zach opens up about losing his mother to cancer at 12 years old and how basketball became his therapy, the one place he could breathe when life felt too heavy. From injuries and high school setbacks to nearly quitting at 17, Zach shares the turning points that shaped him: finding the right mentor, learning how to self-promote when no one was watching, and rebuilding confidence every time the game — or life — knocked him back. His college path took him through five different schools, forcing him to repeatedly prove himself in new environments and grow through each season of uncertainty. We also dive into his transition after sport, how the athlete identity doesn’t just disappear when the final season ends, and why authenticity, mental health awareness, and goal setting became the foundation for his next chapter in content creation and podcasting.

    57 min
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About

Welcome to Purpose After Sports, where we interview athletes to share their post-sport journeys and explore how they’re reinventing what it means to compete.

Information

  • Creator
    Mikki O’Neal
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    37
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Mikki O’Neal
  • Show Website
    Purpose After Sports