What happens when you stop playing the sport that shaped your entire identity?

In this episode, we’re talking about the very real transition from college athlete to “normal life” — and why so many no former athletes struggle with losing structure, purpose, validation, and identity after sports end.

Jen, a retired Division III soccer player turned physical therapist and business owner, shares her experience navigating athlete identity, ACL recovery, burnout, perfectionism, and the mental side of life after college sports. After tearing her ACL three separate times, including once during her senior season of college soccer, she opens up about grief, rehab, resilience, and learning how to channel her competitive mindset into new challenges outside of athletics.

We also dive into:

• The pressure of chasing athletic scholarships and playing college sports
• Choosing Division III athletics over the D1 grind
• Recovering from multiple ACL tears
• The emotional side of sports injuries and rehab
• No former athlete identity and post-college depression
• Burnout, hustle culture, and productivity addiction
• Learning how to rest without guilt
• Transitioning from student-athlete to working professional
• Building confidence outside of sports
• Finding purpose through fitness, movement, and entrepreneurship
• Hiking to Everest Base Camp after ACL surgery

If you’ve ever struggled with life after sports, missed the structure of being an athlete, or wondered why achievement and productivity became tied to your self-worth, this conversation will hit home.

Whether you’re a no former athlete, college athlete, physical therapist, runner, soccer player, or someone figuring out who you are after a major life transition — this episode is for you.