This week on No Former Athlete, we sit down with BJ Beckwith — co-host of the Just Women’s Sports: Sports Are Fun podcast — for one of the most honest, refreshing conversations we’ve ever had about identity, pressure, and choosing your own path.

BJ grew up in a D1 household.

A sister who played D1.

A dad in two Hall of Fames.

A family where sports weren’t just a hobby… they were the blueprint.

And then one day, BJ realized something he never expected:

He didn’t want the life everyone assumed he’d chase.

Not the recruiting calls.

Not the pressure.

Not choosing “the right sport” at 14.

Not sacrificing the once-in-a-lifetime moments of high school for playing time.

What followed is a story every no former athlete will feel in their bones — the tug of expectations, the fear of disappointing people, the shock of stepping onto a college campus without the title “student-athlete,” and the messy journey of rebuilding identity on your own terms.

We break down:

• Growing up in a high-performance sports family

• Rejecting the D1 path and choosing your version of success

• Queerness, locker rooms, and redefining belonging

• Learning to compete for joy instead of survival

• Finding community again through running, club teams, and adult rec sports

• The unexpected path that led BJ to become a voice in women’s sports

• Why your athlete identity never leaves — it just evolves

This episode is a reminder that:

You don’t lose your athlete identity when you stop playing.You reclaim it.

If you’ve ever questioned who you are without the jersey… this one is going to land deep.