At Always An Athlete®, we believe that once you’ve lived the grit, teamwork, and transformation of sport — that identity never fades. You are not a former athlete. You are always an athlete. And when we carry that mindset into our work, especially into global spaces, incredible things happen.

As a Program Manager for the Global Sports Mentoring Program (GSMP) — a collaboration between the U.S. Department of State and espnW — I have the unique privilege of helping design and implement a program that doesn’t just empower women in sport around the world… it connects them for life.

Global Impact, Local Heart

GSMP brings together emerging women leaders from across the globe and pairs them with U.S. mentors who are changemakers in sports, business, and community leadership. These women return home with action plans that impact everything from gender equity to community access to sports for girls.

What most people don’t see, though, is the sisterhood that forms. The trust, the storytelling, the vulnerability — it’s not just professional development. It’s a deep, cross-cultural bond. And it’s my honor to help create the space for that bond to grow.

A Book as a Bridge

This year, I had the joy of gifting a copy of my book, Always An Athlete, to participants as a symbol of that shared identity. Though we come from different countries, cultures, and languages — we all know what it feels like to fight, to fail, to lead, and to rise as athletes.

The book became more than just a gift. It became a connector. A reminder that even when the competition ends, the power of who we are endures. Sport gave us our voice — and now we use it to lift others.

From Athlete to Architect: Building Global Sisterhood Through Sport

My role in GSMP isn’t on the stage. It’s behind the curtain — supporting, planning, and building something bigger than all of us. But that identity I forged through sport? It shows up in how I lead, how I work, how I show up for others.

And that’s the message I carry with me, and the one I hope this book carries too:
You are never a former athlete. You are always an athlete. And with that identity comes a responsibility — and a power — to create change.

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