BEAM BOLDLY with Brooke Gleichowski

What if the real battle in gymnastics is not the skill… but the story you are believing about yourself?

In this episode of Beam Boldly, Brooke sits down with former NCAA head coach Nadalie Walsh to talk about identity, injury, transparency, and why so many athletes are competing while emotionally unwhole.

After tearing her Achilles in college, Nadalie’s path shifted from athlete to coach at just 23 years old. Over the next two and a half decades, she led Division I programs with a philosophy that separated performance from worth and prioritized the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health of every athlete.

Nadalie shares why perfectionism, fear, and comparison often take root after injuries or miscommunication. From fear of re-injury to fear of authority, she breaks down how transparency with yourself and with your coaches is the key to real freedom.

Nadalie also shares how she now works with athletes through The Be Ready Collective and helps them heal from past experiences and rebuild confidence.

If you are an athlete who has ever lost a skill, battled fear after an injury, struggled to communicate with a coach, or tied your identity to your score, this episode will remind you that you were never meant to compete broken. You were meant to compete whole.

Listen if you’re:

• An athlete struggling with fear after an injury
• A gymnast dealing with perfectionism or comparison
• A parent wanting to better understand your athlete’s emotional world
• A coach who wants to create a culture where athletes thrive
• Learning how to carry your faith boldly in competitive environments

Connect:

Guest:

Natalie Website: https://thebereadycollective.com/beready-one-on-one-coaching/

Natalie’s Book: https://www.amazon.com/Enough-Coaches-Creating-Culture-Deserves/dp/B0B3MY169G

Natali’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nadaliewalsh

Host:

Brooke Gleichowski: https://www.instagram.com/brooke.gleichowski Show: https://www.instagram.com/beamboldly Watch: https://www.youtube.com/@beamboldly Listen: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts Join the community: https://connect.beamboldly.com/

Beam Boldly is produced by Hype Boss and PodPlus Studios, powered by Podcast Brilliance. Media inquiries: media@hypeboss.com Submit a guest: https://www.beamboldly.com/guest

💡 About Beam Boldly Hosted by NCAA Division I gymnast Brooke Gleichowski, Beam Boldly empowers young women and athletes to grow in faith, build resilience, and live with confidence. Through real conversations about mental health, mindset, performance, and purpose, Brooke and her guests inspire listeners to shine their light boldly - on the mat and beyond.

What happens when you stop separating your faith from your sport and invite God into every part of it?

In this episode of Beam Boldly, Brooke sits down with former University of Kentucky gymnast Isabella Adams to talk about faith, identity, leadership, and learning to trust God in the middle of competition.

Isabella shares how growing up in a Christian home laid the foundation for her faith, even when she was not fully living it. She reflects on choosing Kentucky through prayer, discovering a deeper relationship with Jesus during her college years, and stepping into leadership through the nonprofit - Fellowship of Christian Athletes - and team Bible studies.

From writing the word trust on her wrist before competing, to choosing worship music as her beam song in packed arenas, Isabella explains how gymnastics became more than a sport. It became a platform to shine her light and share the gospel without ever needing a microphone.

This conversation explores overcoming negative thought patterns, leading with faith on a Division I team, and what it looks like to let God shape both performance and purpose. Isabella also reflects on transitioning out of gymnastics and continuing to live out her faith in everyday life.

If you are an athlete learning how to align faith and sport, navigate pressure, or lead with integrity, this episode will encourage you to trust God more deeply and compete from a place of peace.

LISTEN IF YOU’RE:

• An athlete who wants their sport to be more than just results and rankings
• Trying to figure out how faith fits into competition and pressure
• Curious about using your platform, big or small, to shine your light
• Learning how to lead with faith in a team environment
• In a season where you are being asked to trust God more deeply

CONNECT:

Guest:

Isabella Magnelli Adams IG: https://www.instagram.com/isabellamagnelliadams

Isabella Magnelli Adams Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@isabellamagnelliadams

Host:

Brooke Gleichowski: https://www.instagram.com/brooke.gleichowski

Show: https://www.instagram.com/beamboldly

Watch: https://www.youtube.com/@beamboldly

Listen: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts

Join the community: https://connect.beamboldly.com/

Beam Boldly is produced by Hype Boss and PodPlus Studios, powered by Podcast Brilliance.

Media inquiries: media@hypeboss.com

Submit a guest: https://www.beamboldly.com/guest

💡 About Beam Boldly Hosted by NCAA Division I gymnast Brooke Gleichowski, Beam Boldly empowers young women and athletes to grow in faith, build resilience, and live with confidence. Through real conversations about mental health, mindset, performance, and purpose, Brooke and her guests inspire listeners to shine their light boldly - on the mat and beyond.

How do you move forward in faith after falling, when confidence is shaken and fear takes over?

In this solo episode of Beam Boldly, host Brooke Gleichowski shares a deeply personal story from her experience in college gymnastics, when confidence quickly turned into pressure after falling twice on the balance beam in competition. As fear and negative thoughts began to spiral, Brooke found herself facing a battle that went far beyond gymnastics.

The night before a meet in her hometown, Brooke had a vivid dream about the bible story of David and Goliath, where she saw herself as David facing a giant that represented the mental battles she had been fighting. When she woke up, she turned to bible verse 1 Samuel 17 and was reminded that just as David was equipped to face Goliath, God had already equipped her for the challenge ahead.

Through scripture, prayer, and surrender, Brooke realized the true battle was not the balance beam, but the fear playing out in her mind. As she chose to trust God with the outcome and compete with peace instead of fear, she experienced one of the most meaningful moments of her season.

This episode is an honest testimony of faith over fear, learning to let God fight the battle, and trusting that He goes before us in every challenge we face.

KEY MOMENTS:

• Falling twice on the balance beam and the mental battle that followed

• Fear of losing her place in the lineup and trusting God in uncertainty

• Encountering the story of David and Goliath in 1 Samuel 17

• Learning that the battle is the Lord’s, not hers to fight

• Competing with peace by surrendering control and choosing faith

CONNECT:

Host:

Brooke Gleichowski: https://www.instagram.com/brooke.gleichowski

Show: https://www.instagram.com/beamboldly

Watch: https://www.youtube.com/@beamboldly

Listen: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts Join the community: https://connect.beamboldly.com/

Beam Boldly is produced by Hype Boss and PodPlus Studios, powered by Podcast Brilliance. Media inquiries: media@hypeboss.com Submit a guest: https://www.beamboldly.com/guest

💡 About Beam Boldly Hosted by NCAA Division I gymnast Brooke Gleichowski, Beam Boldly empowers young women and athletes to grow in faith, build resilience, and live with confidence. Through real conversations about mental health, mindset, performance, and purpose, Brooke and her guests inspire listeners to shine their light boldly — on the mat and beyond.