PODCAST

The Mental Matchup

Presented by Morgan’s Message, The Mental Matchup is a podcast focused on opening up dialogue about athlete mental health. Co-hosts Kat Zempolich and Schuyler DeBree are both former division one athletes who attended Duke University, and are passionate about making sure no one feels alone in their mental health challenges.

health & fitness mental health

All Episodes

Episode 83 - Jenna Mango

The Mental Matchup ·

2023/04/18

In this week’s episode of The Mental Matchup, Kat speaks with Jenna Mango. Jenna is a certified personal trainer, fitness nutrition specialist and the author of the book Choose to R1se. The book focuses on striving to become the best version of yourself and ultimately getting 1% better every day. Throughout the episode, Jenna touches on her experience with bullying, therapy, and dealing with an invisible illness. Her book and the story that she shares with us on the podcast is a great reminder to

Episode 82 - Emily Markley

The Mental Matchup ·

2023/04/10

In today’s episode of The Mental Matchup, Kat connects with Emily Markley. Emily is a player on the Washington College women’s lacrosse team and grew up in Fauquier County, VA. During the episode Emily talks about her recruiting process, the importance of teammates and coaches having candid conversations about mental health, and being a member of the LGBTQ+ community. Emily also shared a beautiful story titled “Those Two Words'' so don’t forget to check that out after listening to this episode on

Episode 81 - Kelsey Thoensen

The Mental Matchup ·

2023/04/04

In this week’s episode of The Mental Matchup, Kat speaks with Kelsey Thoensen. Kelsey is from New Holland, Pennsylvania, and played collegiate lacrosse at Slippery Rock University. During her senior year of school, she was diagnosed with Melanoma and also developed a stress fracture in her hip that prohibited her from playing lacrosse. During the episode, Kelsey shares how each difficult event in her life initially seemed like the worst thing in the world, but how she managed to get through each

Episode 80 - Ky Lane

The Mental Matchup ·

2023/03/28

In this week’s episode of The Mental Matchup, Kat and Schuyler speak with Ky Lane. Ky grew up in Maryland and fell in love with the sport of lacrosse. During the episode, Ky opens up about his intrusive thoughts, the importance of prioritizing your own happiness, and his efforts to get his friends to open up about their feelings. Ky is currently a social media influencer and pursuing his acting career. We are so grateful to have him on the podcast to share his experience and wisdom with our

Episode 79 - Kayla Mitchell

The Mental Matchup ·

2023/03/21

In this week’s episode of The Mental Matchup, Kat is joined by Kayla Mitchell. Kayla grew up in Long Island surrounded by an Italian family that sparked her interest in food. During the episode, Kayla opens up about how her knowledge of food turned into a fear of food and how diet culture impacted her early in high school. She also talks about her experience in a residential eating disorder program and starting intensive outpatient treatment. Kayla is extremely open and honest throughout the episode