119 - Dr. Kimberly Clay and Nikki Martens, Play Like a Girl
Release Date: 05/14/2025
131 - Jenné Blackburn, Lifelong Athlete; Founder of Always An Athlete® and Ball2Bike®
Champions of Active Women
Jenné Blackburn has been at the forefront of innovative strategy and storytelling for more than 15 years, collaborating with brands such as VMware, WeWork, SONY, Location Based Technologies, American Idol/ABC, USA Volleyball, and numerous local, national, and global NGOs. Recently, she launched her latest initiative and book, Always An Athlete, at the espnW Summit in partnership with the Center for Sport, Peace, and Society at the University of Tennessee. The “Always An Athlete” book, is a guide designed to help athletes transition from their sports careers to the next phase of...
info_outline
130 - Emily Manning, U.S. Figure Skating Association Gold Medalist and Figure Skating Coach
Champions of Active Women
Emily Manning is a Figure Skating coach at the Lexington Ice Center with over 9 years of professional coaching experience. She is a triple U.S. Figure Skating Association Gold Medalist in Skating Skills, Adult Skating Skills, and Adult Singles. From figure skating to hockey; her coaching style emphasizes building a strong technical foundation while nurturing each skater’s individual growth - whether training for competition or skating recreationally. She brings her expertise in athletic conditioning to broader audiences as well through her work at Proof Fitness as a group fitness instructor....
info_outline
129 - Karolina Kopyonkina, Program Coordinator, Active Girls Healthy Women
Champions of Active Women
Karolina Kopyonkina is joined the Active Girls Healthy Women team as the Program Coordinator in June 2025. Originally from Ukraine, Karolina moved to Kentucky at the start of high school and earned both her Master of Science in Medical Sciences and her Bachelor’s in Neuroscience from the University of Kentucky. With experience in health research, teaching, and mentoring, she’s passionate about empowering girls to stay active and build confidence. Karolina is a competitive figure skater who took up the sport as an adult, fulfilling a longtime dream. Now she...
info_outline
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_outlineDr. 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 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Early in her career, she saw the gender gap in education and health firsthand while working in underserved communities across the South. This led her to establish Play Like a Girl during her doctoral studies in health education. In 2007, she returned to the classroom—this time, as a tenure-track professor—at the University of Georgia where she taught and conducted research exploring long-term cancer survivorship in women.
Nikki Martens, MS, Program Manager, Play Like a Girl
Nikki is a proud New Orleans native and former high school athlete with a deep passion for women’s sports. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Nutrition and a Master’s in Health Education, bringing a strong foundation in health and wellness to her work. With over five years of experience in the nonprofit sector leading youth development programs, she is dedicated to empowering the next generation. As a committed feminist and advocate for gender equity, she is thrilled to be part of Play Like a Girl, helping young girls reach their full potential and leveling the playing field for girls and women everywhere.
For more information about the Play Like a Girl, please visit: https://iplaylikeagirl.org/ where you can find links to the newsletter and social media channels that were mentioned in this episode.
If you enjoyed 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 LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/active-girls-healthy-women.
Sign up for the Active Girls Healthy Women newsletter here: http://eepurl.com/h6e30b or learn more about our Program here: https://linktr.ee/ukaghw.
If you want to help us sustain the Champions of Active Women podcast, please consider donating to the University of Kentucky Active Girls Healthy Women Program at https://give.uky.edu/campaigns/47165/donations/new?aft=87003cbf2438ea9d126a47dbe0395353