128 - Allie Riley, PhD, Chief Program Officer, Girls on the Run
Champions of Active Women
Allie Riley earned her PhD in social work with a specialization in positive youth development in social settings from Ohio State University (OSU) and also holds a master’s degree in social work with a concentration in clinical practices with children and youth from OSU, a master’s degree in kinesiology from Purdue University and a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Virginia. With over ten years of experience designing, implementing and evaluating physical activity-based positive youth development programs, Allie oversees the development and delivery of all programming...
info_outline
127 - Sarah Dwyer-Shick, Founder/Director, The Sports Bra Project
Champions of Active Women
Sarah Dwyer-Shick, founder of The Sports Bra Project, is currently an Associate Commissioner for the and trains the Vassar College goalkeepers. Since 2021 she has also contributed content and managed the . A multi-sport athlete in high school and college, Sarah holds a Master’s degree in Sports Management from the University of Denver, an undergraduate degree from Smith College, and certifications from NSCA, United Soccer Coaches, and USSF. With more than 30 years working in soccer, she has been a head or assistant coach at all three NCAA divisions, has worked with...
info_outline
126 - Brandi Mitchell, Founder, San Diego Soccer Women
Champions of Active Women
Brandi Mitchell is the founder of San Diego Soccer Women, an organization that serves to increase opportunities for women to join, continue or return to soccer without the limits of age or gender. Positioned as an advocate for “Play at Every Age,” Brandi is connecting and expanding the global community of recreational female soccer players of every ability level. Growing up in Southern California, where Title IX legislation had already made girls’ sports widely available, Mitchell ran onto the soccer field at age 5 to play alongside her older sister and under the direction...
info_outline
125 - Nicoletta Nerangis, Founder and Executive Director Run4Fun
Champions of Active Women
Nicoletta Nerangis is the founder and Executive Director of Run4Fun with the inspiration of her son, Panagiotis. Nicoletta has completed 12 marathons, including the Boston and NYC Marathon. Nicoletta’s life mission is to spread the powerful and healing impact of physical activity on children’s mental health and sense of empowerment. Nicoletta, a LMSW, is a certified RRCA Coach, holds a BM in Opera Performance from Shenandoah University and an MSW from Fordham University. Nicoletta’s work has spanned over 30 years with young people as a social worker, crisis counselor, teacher and coach,...
info_outline
124 - Shuntella Whitfield, Owner, Fabulously Fit Fitness
Champions of Active Women
In January 2013, following a transformative 72-pound weight loss, Shuntella Whitfield launched Fabulously Fit Fitness—a wellness movement rooted in her belief that fitness should feel empowering, not intimidating. Her journey inspired a mission to help others prioritize self-love and take control of their health, whether they’re focused on losing, gaining, or maintaining weight. By 2014, Shuntella became a Zumba instructor, energizing her community with joyful dance workouts for four years before unveiling her own signature class, Soca Mi Shirt, in November 2018. This vibrant,...
info_outline
123 - Jenni Morgan and Amy Barmore, Co-Directors, Lexington United Volleyball Club
Champions of Active Women
Amy Barmore, Head Volleyball Coach, Transylvania University and Co-Director, Lexington United Volleyball Club Amy is from Louisville, KY and went to Georgetown College where she was a four-year volleyball player and graduated in 2010. After graduation, Amy coached at a few high schools in Lexington and Scott County. She began her collegiate coaching career at Georgetown College in 2012 and left Georgetown College in 2014 when she was hired as an assistant coach at Transylvania. After being the assistant for 4 years, she was named Head Coach at Transylvania and is going into her 8th year in...
info_outline
122 - Dr. Ferrin Peterson, DVM, CVA, Veterinarian and Professional Jockey
Champions of Active Women
Dr. Ferrin Peterson is a multiple stakes-winning jockey, a licensed equine veterinarian, former NCAA Division 1 pole vaulter, humanitarian, and podcast host. Dr. Peterson earned her undergraduate degree from California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo and her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine at University of California Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. She started her career as a jockey in California, then spent several years on the east coast, and has been in Kentucky for four years. In 2025, Dr. Peterson launched “The Boundless Podcast” where she features prominent...
info_outline
121 - Dr. Ami Hampole, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation doctor and Executive Director of Chicago Youth Foundation
Champions of Active Women
Dr. Ami Hampole is a physical medicine and rehabilitation doctor who practices Sports Medicine and Neuro-Musculoskeletal Medicine. She is also a US figure skating triple gold medalist, former 8x Indian senior national figure skating champion, a World figure skating competitor, and a coach. She currently spends her time as the executive director for Chicago Youth Foundation, a Women-lead organization that helps make the highly expensive and non-diverse ice sports more accessible to the community. She is also a mother of three. Dr. Ami grew up in a culture where a sedentary lifestyle was highly...
info_outline
120 - Dr. Heather Adams-Blair and Kylie Fitzgerald, Eastern Kentucky University
Champions of Active Women
Dr. Heather Adams-Blair is a Professor and Graduate Coordinator in the Department of Parks, Recreation, Exercise & Sport Science in the College of Health Science at Eastern Kentucky University. She is in her 25th year at EKU and loves her career! Her passions include youth sport development, the psychology of coaching and exercise, and gender issues in sports. She is a mom to Cadyn, who is a freshman at the University of Tennessee, and Elijah, a sophomore at Lexington Catholic. She loves to move, be active, and play outside. Kylie Fitzgerald is a graduate student at Eastern Kentucky...
info_outline
119 - Dr. Kimberly Clay and Nikki Martens, Play Like a Girl
Champions of Active Women
Dr. Kimberly Clay, PhD, MPH, MSW, Founder and CEO, Play Like a Girl Dr. Kimberly S. Clay is the Founder and CEO of Play Like a Girl, a Nashville-based non-profit organization working to level the playing field for girls by leveraging the skills gained from sport to propel young women into male-dominated careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Since its inception, Play Like a Girl has reached over 25,000 girls and young women across the United States and Canada, as well as in Africa and the Caribbean. Dr. Kim began her career as a public health analyst at the...
info_outlineKhushi Patel is from Corbin, Kentucky and is majoring in Biology with a minor in Psychology on the Pre-dental Track at the University of Kentucky. She is involved in the Pre-Dental Society, Fellowship of Women in Dentistry, General Chemistry learning intern, Diversity Health Program, Dental Research and is a Movement Mentor.
If you enjoy this podcast, please click "subscribe" wherever you listen to episodes and we hope you'll consider leaving us a review.
Follow us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/UKAGHW, Instagram https://www.instagram.com/ukaghw, or Twitter https://twitter.com/ukaghw
If you want to help us sustain the Champions of Active Women podcast, please consider making a donation to the University of Kentucky Active Girls Healthy Women Initiative at https://uky.networkforgood.com/causes/13092-active-women-s-health-initiative-fund.