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Mum’s The Word
Episode 1

Team USA Sailor Sarah Newberry-Moore and Double Paralympic Gold Medal British Rower Pam Relph introduce themselves and their careers as pro athletes and talk about how a pandemic inspired them to start a podcast about motherhood. They explore the “right time,” “work/life balance” & “having it all”

Hear what they have in store for the show with a fantastic line-up of guests and a vast array of topics they will be covering. Join us if you’re looking for a podcast for aspiring mums, or if you’re looking for some advice and insight from athletes as they take on the challenge of motherhood.

Mum’s the Word
Episode 5

On this episode we begin the first in a regular segment of ‘Ask the Expert’. Sarah and Pam are joined by Dr. Juliet McGrattan, a former GP, health writer, host of the WiSP Sports Active Health podcast, keen runner and mum of three. Juliet helps us understand on a deeper level how female hormones affect the body at different times during a cycle. Sarah talked openly about her diagnosis of suffering from premenstrual dysphoric disorder, a condition which is similar to PMS but much more serious. Athletes and those concerned with their health are extremely focused on other aspects of health and recovery, such as diet, sleep and training, but something that can impact your ability to perform so much is rarely discussed. Juliet emphasized the importance of paying attention to your cycle and seeking advice if your cycle fluctuates or disappears. 

Mum’s the Word
Episode 9

This week on the show, Pam and Sarah are joined by offshore sailor Joan Mulloy, just three weeks after giving birth to her son Xavier. She is the first Irish woman to compete in the La Solitaire race and, prior to getting pregnant, she was planning on competing in the 2020 Vendée Globe,, but 2020 turned out to have other things in store for her.

The Vendée Globe is a solo race around the globe and there have only been seven women in the race since its inception in 1989. This lack of representation left Joan feeling like she had limited role models in the sport, especially in an event as unique and lengthy as the Vendée Globe. Entering the race would mean months at sea, away from family, so Joan sought advice from other female offshore sailors who had paved the way. They recommend that she do what her body told her. So once Joan hit her second trimester she made the decision to scale back her on ocean training, instead opting to stay onshore.

Mum’s the Word
Episode 13

This week’s guest is a new mother, an American record holder and powerlifting national champion—Becci Holcomb is a force to be reckoned with. Shooting to the top of the field in just four years in the sport, Becci took to powerlifting very naturally. She was raised on a farm and has always been naturally strong and powerful. Her father was an Olympic wrestler.  After a friend suggested she try powerlifting, she took an introductory class and was just lifting a PVC plastic pipe. The next day despite her body being sore and tired, she was hooked.  Powerlifting is a sport where you might only compete three times a year, as it takes a long time to build up to a competition and to recover. Becci is the ultimate competitor, normally only hitting personal bests during a competition. 

Mum’s the Word
Episode 17

We welcome Molly Dickens from &Mother as our guest this week. Molly is a PhD stress physiologist, maternal health advocate, co-founder of &Mother, a non-profit organization dedicated to breaking down some of the barriers that keep women from ‘having it all’. Molly co-founded this organization with Alysia Montano, who you might know as one of the leading voices working for equal representation in sport for women and for mothers.  Alysia started the #dreammaternity movement and her oped in the NY Times on her experience as a pregnant athlete dealing with a crumbling sponsorship deal with shoe wear giant, Nike, glaringly exposed the rampant bias and inequality toward women in sport.

&Mother envisions a world where women have the choice to pursue both career and motherhood without penalty or barriers.

Mum’s the Word
Episode 21

An All American USA Triathlete, Sarah, picked up the sport of triathlon after her third child Nelly was born and started racing when Nelly was about 15 months old. The biggest barrier was the bike section of the triathlon. Learning how to clip in to the pedals and how to navigate the bike course felt intimidating—Sarah was initially a very timid cyclist. She was passed by everyone on the bike, and then would spend the majority of the run trying to catch up with people.

A miscarriage while pregnant with twins threw her through a loop and for a while she was not sure whether to keep competing. Sarah shared that it was the hardest thing to ever go through, made worse by the taboo that still surrounds miscarriage. She felt as if her body failed her, and it has been winning and serving her for so long. She needed time for healing, and signed up for lots of races as a way to distract herself. Still wanting to have another baby, Sarah was blessed with a healthy pregnancy and the birth of her daughter, Maeve.

Outside of triathlon and wrangling her four children, Sarah is an author of some National Geographic Kids books. For those experiencing miscarriage or infertility, Sarah shares these words of wisdom; “there is a light at the end of the tunnel, even though you are in the dark right now”.

Mum’s the Word
Episode 2

JJ Fetter, double Olympic Medalist, shared her journey through sport and into motherhood. We discuss the support she received from teammates and family that enabled her to be both a top class athlete and a mom.

JJ and her family lived all over the world when she was competing. In this episode she shared stories about leaving her kids for the first time for training and competitions, and the emotional toll that took on her as an athlete and a mother.

Mum’s the Word
Episode 6

Elana Meyers Taylor embodies the values of the Mum’s the Word podcast. She did not hesitate to get into the tough stuff regarding how she has struck a balance between motherhood and being a US team athlete. In a sport like bobsled where a lot of the training and competing focuses on explosive power, we heard about how Elana, under the coaching of her husband Nicholas Taylor (also a USA bobsled athlete) adapted her training to monitoring her heart rate and keeping her power lifts capped below maximum. Morning sickness sometimes reared its ugly head during training runs so they adapted the program to fit with what Elana was capable of that day.

This powerhouse of an athlete was instrumental in the recent rule changes for female USA Olympic athletes maternity stipend payments and insurance coverage through pregnancy and one year post pregnancy. This is a momentous step in the right direction in the fight for equality between male and female elite athletes.

Mum’s the Word
Episode 10

Sonya Looney is a world champion mountain biker, podcast host, blogger and a mom. This week’s episode is an inspiring look into the depth of knowledge and information that is out there if you are willing to do the work Work is exactly what Sonya did, and she shared some interesting facts and figures.

Sonya discussed the importance of self care, pelvic floor health, calorific intake for breastfeeding moms and a lot of other crucial topics for the active mom or mom-to-be. The world champ trained through her pregnancy and said she had a “built in governor” meaning that she knew she wasn’t over-doing it during her pregnancy because she couldn’t go harder, her body told her when to stop. Returning to her bike, albeit gently, one week postpartum, Sonya encourages all women to listen to their body. If it feels good, keep doing it. If you notice a decline in healing then stop. It’s that simple.

Mum’s the Word
Episode 14

This week’s episode is coming to you on the eve of Veteran’s Day 2020 and we are very honored to share the inspiring story of veteran-patriot-athlete-author-mother Melissa Stockwell. Melissa grew up with big dreams, she knew she wanted to serve her country from an early age and in 2002 she was commissioned into the United States Army as an officer in the Transportation Corps. During a 2004 deployment on a routine convoy, her vehicle was struck by a roadside bomb. Melissa became the first women to lose a limb in active combat and was awarded the Bronze Star and Purple Heart for her Service and Sacrifice.  Her positive mindset was a pillar of strength for her as she went on to represent the USA, in a different uniform, at two Paralympic Games.

Inspiring us and so many on her journey, Melissa didn’t skip a beat when she and her husband decided to start a family. They had a window of time that worked for Melissa’s racing schedule and in true Army fashion, she made it happen.  She has two children who have taught her that being an athlete and a mom is about progress, not perfection. 

Mum’s the Word
Episode 18

This week we are joined by pro athlete and women’s fitness expert Lisa MacDonald. Lisa’s interest in women’s health and fitness started during her own athletic upbringing in equestrian sport. She moved into the fitness industry through the painful all-in-one exercise of kettlebells. Her story of how her body image has adapted and changed through her journey is so inspiring and she is very candid on her social media about the struggles so many women face when it comes to their self image and confidence. Lisa was not sure she wanted to have children when she got pregnant for the first time, and just like other women we have interviewed who felt this way, once she had her son Jax she knew it was the best thing to ever happen to her. So much so that she had another!

Mum’s the Word
Episode 22

Kimmy Fasani has been a pioneer in women’s snowboarding since she became the first female snowboarder to land a double backflip in the park and the powder in 2011. A powerhouse in the sport, her career includes incredible highs and the inevitable lows like a pelvis injury that would make most people hang up their board and retire. After becoming a mom to her son Koa in 2018, Kimmy who is expecting her second child this year, has become a trailblazer and voice for women walking that tightrope between career and family.

Mum’s the Word
Episode 3

Dame Sarah Storey is Great Britain's most decorated female Paralympian with 14 Paralympic gold medals (and counting). Sarah spoke about her experience competing at the top in track and road cycling while starting a family with her husband Barney. Training through both pregnancies and having c-sections for both births, Sarah built a team of support around her that helped her get back in the saddle, winning a world titles just months after giving birth. Sarah made breastfeeding work through training and competition by training around both her children’s schedule and picking her moments to get out on her bike so that she could still be there when her kids needed their mum. Sarah gave insightful and empowering advice for all mothers, not just the athlete ones.

Mum’s the Word
Episode 7

In this week’s episode, Sarah and Pam were joined by two members of Team Scheidigger, the 2019 7th world ranked Canadian women’s curling team. Guests Kristie Moore and Cary-Ann McTaggart make up 2 of the 4 members of the team alongside sisters Casey Scheidigger and Jessie Haughian (who will also be guests in an upcoming episode). All four women on the team are mothers and this episode is a deep dive into the team dynamics in Team Scheidigger that allows them all to commit themselves to their sport and their families. 

Kristie shared her experience of going to the Olympic Games whilst pregnant—only the third women to have ever done it—and the attention she received. Cary-Anne is the newest member to become a mother, giving birth just a few months ago to her son Eddie. Both Kristie and Cary-Anne freely discuss the importance of their support system in enabling them to continue competing. They also offer some top tips for active moms; for example, if you are planning to breast feed, get a good breast pump! Being able to share the feeding for your little one gives you a lot more freedom. 

Mum’s the Word
Episode 11

Not only are the girls of Team Scheidegger some of the best curling players in the world, but all four of the team members are mothers. This is the second of two episodes we have on Team Scheidegger and in this edition we interview the sisters of Team Scheidegger - Casey Scheidegger and Jessie Haughian. 

Sarah, Chris, Casey, and Jessie covered some incredible topics. Jessie and Casey were recently  pregnant at the same time and were able to share a lot of their experiences as moms. They even bubbled up as a sports team and as a family during COVID. 

If you want to know what it’s like to take grandma on the road to help out with the kids, how important it was to find a pelvic floor health specialist for Casey, and what “it takes a village” really means when you’re an athlete this is an episode.

Mum’s the Word
Episode 15

This week’s guest is one that Pam and Sarah have been looking forward to for a while. Jessica Phoenix is a top-ranked Canadian Eventer and member of the Canadian Eventing team, representing Canada at the London 2012 and Rio 2016 Olympic Games as well as three World Equestrian Games and four Pan American Games. 

Jess grew up riding horses, started jumping at the age of ten and has never looked back. She tells us about the time she was preparing to travel to the UK with her horses for some international competitions when she found out she was pregnant for the first time. After gathering some advise from her doctor, she felt confident that she could continue to train right through her pregnancy, and did so with ease. She was keen to share with our listeners that we should not see pregnancy as an illness and so long as you are safe and receive guidance from health professionals, not to be deterred from exercising whilst pregnant. 

Mum’s the Word
Episode 19

On this week’s episode our guest is Kaylin Richardson, a two-time Olympian in Alpine Skiing, four-time National Alpine Champion, and a member of the U.S. Ski Team fo ten years. Kaylin was raised in Minnesota and followed her brothers into ski racing. After she retired from professional racing in 2010 she moved to Utah to focus on free-skiing and backcountry touring when she discovered the magic of the backcountry and went on to win the Free-skiing World Tour’s North American Championship in Snowbird in 2012. After this win she accrued a few sponsors and was invited to take part in a Warren Miller film. She recently wrapped her eighth Warren Miller shoot and is looking forward to the upcoming winter. 

Mum’s the Word
Episode 23

Dr. Kirstin Lauritzen returns this week to discuss the nutritional needs of pregnant women. We begin with pre-pregnancy and prenatal vitamins and supplements, how will pre-pregnancy nutrition change for athletes vs non-athletes, pre pregnancy balancing gut health before you even think about conceiving, and folic acid. Pregnancy needs are divided into different trimesters nutritional needs. How to cope with morning sickness with tips for getting the right nutrition in. Weight gain or weight loss during the 2nd trimester and how cravings tell you what your body needs. Kirstin then takes us through a number of other important considerations when preparing for birth and recovering from breastfeeding and also calorific needs during, and post pregnancy. Lots of valuable information and useful tips for moms to be.

Mum’s the Word
Episode 4

Hosts Sarah Newberry Moore and Pam Relph Jones dive a little deeper into their own journey through sport and into future motherhood. The need for a good support system, from spouse to grandparents and team mates, is a point that’s come up with previous guests, and it’s giving host Sarah a lot to think about and plan for when she hopefully embarks on her journey into motherhood. 

Sarah wants to have a child and continue her sailing career; in her words: 'have it all' and is striving to ensure her support system is in place for when she and her husband start their family. Hearing advice from Pam, other guests on previous episodes, it is clear that a lot of planning needs to happen to ensure smooth sailing. 

Mum’s the Word
Episode 8

On this week's episode we feature another expert guest to dig deep into a subject that's important during pregnancy and beyond - core and pelvic floor health with Celeste Goodson. Celeste started her journey into health as a personal trainer, and after starting her own family quickly realized how neglected women’s core muscles and especially the pelvic floor was post-partum. When trying to get back into running Celeste spoke of feeling heavy and after a trip to the doctor, and a possible surgery on the cards she took control of her core rehabilitation. Your core and pelvic floor have to deal with a lot of strain and stretching during pregnancy, so expecting them to bounce back with no effort is a fallacy that a lot of new mom’s realize once they start struggling. In the words of Celeste, the pelvic floor muscles “work like a hammock and need to respond like a trampoline” so after 40 weeks of carrying an ever increasing-in-weight fetus, it is no wonder that so many women have work to do on their core and pelvic floor post-partum!

Mum’s the Word
Episode 12

On this week’s episode the hosts of WiSP Sports Mum’s the Word meet the host of Sound Bites, Dr Kirsten Lauritzen. The result is an insightful discussion about nutrition and functional medicine as it applies to pregnancy.  Kirstin practices in Oregon and helps us start to understand a little more about the role food can play in removing toxins from the body, as well as the difference in vitamin sources; pre-natal vs. dietary vitamins. 

Morning sickness can make it hard to get calories in or keep them down, so Kirstin recommends eating ginger as a natural anti-nausea and really… anything. If you can find anything that you can stomach and keep down, eat it.  The importance of folic acid in early pregnancy was covered as well as the history behind folic acid fortification in foods.  Fermented foods, pro-biotics, pre-biotics and gut health were explained as being essential to remain in good health, pregnant or not.  So get down to your local farmers market and find yourself a big pot of kimchi!

Mum’s the Word
Episode 16

Olympic gold medallist Laura Wilkinson, ‘The Comeback Queen’, join Pam and Sarah this week to share her inspirational story. Laura competed for the USA at the Sydney, Athens and Beijing Olympic Games, retiring at age 30 to start a family. When the world had watched the best of pro diving, Laura announced her comeback, making a bid for the 2020 (now 2021) Olympics in Tokyo. Since Beijing, Laura has expanded her family, adding four children into the Wilkinson tribe.

Laura’s career highlight was her epic rise to Olympic glory, winning gold in the 10 meter board at the Sydney Olympics, having broken her foot that season and getting her cast off less than three weeks prior to the Olympic trials. The mental training and visualization work was her secret weapon, as she was forced to build up the mental resiliency she would need to climb from eighth in the final to first. So that is exactly what Laura did…and it worked.

We hear about her adoption of two children, her two pregnancies, the ups and downs through her second pregnancy and how her perspective has changed now competing as an athlete with a large, young family.

Mum’s the Word
Episode 20

For the season finale of Mum’s the Word, Sarah Newberry Moore and Pamela Relph Jones look back on what was a jam-packed season with a wonderful selection of inspirational and empowering sportswomen talking about wearing two hats; being an athlete and a mother. It was an emotional journey to get to this point, and Pam and Sarah recall some of their favorite moments from season one. And later in the show we have a surprise in store so we hope you enjoy this final episode of 2020. If you haven't had a chance to leave a review of the podcast yet, please go ahead wherever you listen to the show as this helps others find us. We want to ensure that as many women as possible can get access to these stories of women who lead the way to being successful in parenting as they are in sport.