On Her Mark

You know her as the newest host and reporter here at NBC Sports Boston: Kayla Burton is on the pod today! Kayla's roots are here in Boston so she was so excited to come back and cover the city of champions. Sports are in her blood; she grew up playing hoops and went on to play 4 years at Lehigh University. Then, she picked up a mic and began her career covering the sports she spent her life playing. Today we dive in to: Follow Kayla on social: @kayb2 and @kay_breezy22 Follow along with Hannah on social: @_hannah.donnelly To watch the episodes: NBC Sports Boston YouTube

Jess McClain's return to running has made people pay attention! First, she placed 4th at the 2024 Olympic Marathon Trials in February. Then, in June, Jess returned to the track to place fourth in the 10,000 meters. Both finishes earned her the title of a double Olympic alternate, so she stayed fit and ready. A week before the Paris Olympic Marathon, Jess hopped on a plane to France to prepare to maybe run the 26.2 miles (spoiler: she didn't!) And most recently, Jess was named the US 10k Road Champ. She does all of this while coaching herself and working a full-time job. Today we dive in to: You can follow along with Jess on social: @jesstonn Follow along with Hannah on social: @_hannah.donnelly To watch the episodes: NBC Sports Boston YouTube

After some major ups and downs last season, skater Amber Glenn celebrated a major victory as 2024 US Champion! While standing at the top of the podium Amber became the first openly queer woman to win do so. She's also made history at the 6th American woman to land the triple axel (woah!) And while celebrating the highs in her career Amber has also been transparent about the lows, sharing her struggles with mental health and advocating and resources. Amber's honest, talent & passionate personality draws in audiences on and off the ice! Today we dive in to: You can follow along with Amber on social: @amberglenniceskater ISU World Figure Skating Championships 2025 are back in Boston in March. NBC10 Boston is the proud local media partner for the event. To learn more and get tickets visit isuworlds2025.com. Follow along with Hannah on social: @_hannah.donnelly To watch the episodes: NBC Sports Boston YouTube

Olympic legend Dara Torres has 12 Olympic medals from 5 Olympic games and one of the longest Olympic careers to date. The swimmer had two 'retirements' and two major comebacks because her passion for the sport was so deep and she was eager to compete. When not in the pool, Dara has dipped her toes in sports broadcasting, motivational speaking, writing and now, coaching. She is the new head coach for the Boston College swimming and diving program and she's eager to find their potential. Today we dive in to: Follow along with Dara Torres on social: @swimdara Follow along with Hannah on social: @_hannah.donnelly To watch the episodes: NBC Sports Boston YouTube

5 World Championship titles, 2 Olympic Gold medals and 3 Olympic appearances wasn't enough for Meghan Musnicki, so she went for a fourth Olympic Games. When asked "why," she responds, "why not?" Meghan is known for her relentless work ethic, desire to learn, and always accept a challenge to compete. At 41 years old, she became the oldest US female rower to compete at an Olympic Games when she raced in Paris. Today we dive in to: Follow along with Meghan on social: @megmus Follow along with Hannah on social: @_hannah.donnelly To watch the episodes: NBC Sports Boston YouTube

Remember the UCLA gymnast who went viral a few years ago for her perfect 10 performances?! The gymnast who performed with pure joy while her teammates danced along with her from the sidelines?! That gymnast is Katelyn Ohashi and she is still spreading joy through the sport in a variety of ways. First, she's on her second "Gold Across America' tour with Simone Biles and other Olympians and elite athletes. She's also sharing her love of the sport through fashion design and poetry, too. Today we dive in to: To learn more about Katelyn's new leo project & her book: katelyn-ohashi.com Follow Katelyn on social: @katelyn_ohashi Follow along with Hannah on social: @_hannah.donnelly To watch the episodes: NBC Sports Boston YouTube

The Minnesota Lynx won game 3 (90-8) in Connecticut to lead the series 2-0. Napheesa Collier and Courtney Williams had great games for the Lynx and are looking to finish it tomorrow. The Connecticut Sun struggled on both ends of the court last night to drop the first home game of the series. Alyssa Thomas summed it up by saying "we didn't come to compete" post game. On the other side, the Las Vegas Aces pulled out the W to avoid elimination against the New York Liberty. The Liberty still lead the series 2-1. Host Hannah Donnelly breaks down all of last night's action. Follow along with Hannah on social: @_hannah.donnelly To watch the episodes: NBC Sports Boston YouTube

The series is split 1-1 now! The Minnesota Lynx earned the win on their home court for game 2 of the semi-finals last night (77-70). Both teams will travel to CT for games 3 and 4 (Friday and Sunday, respectively). On the other side, the New York Liberty eeked out a second win to go up 2-0 against the Las Vegas Aces. No team has ever come back from being down 2 games in the semis, but at the same time, no team has beat a team 6 times in one season. Needless to say, things are heating up in the WNBA! Basketball analyst and CT Sun sideline reporter Terrika Foster-Brasby joins host Hannah Donnelly to break down all the action. To listen to more in-depth basketball chat, check out Terrika's podcast 3 on 3. Follow along with Hannah on social: @_hannah.donnelly To watch the episodes: NBC Sports Boston YouTube

Not only is Meaghan St Marc the founder and co-CEO of Rev'd Indoor Cycling, she is an entrepreneur, motivational speaker, teammate, wife, mom, and all-around cool human. Just recently Meaghan and her team celebrated 10 years of Rev'd with more studio locations than ever, here in MA and across the country after recently franchising the business. Today we dive in to: To follow along with Meaghan and REV'D: @meagstmarc & @revdcycling Follow along with Hannah on social: @_hannah.donnelly To watch the episodes: NBC Sports Boston YouTube

The Minnesota Lynx (No. 2) hosted the Connecticut Sun for Game 1 of the semi-finals and it came down to the final minute. The CT Sun pulled out the win, 73-70. It's going to be a tight 5-game series between the two teams with some of the best defenses in the league. NBC Connecticut Sports Reporter Gabby Lucivero joins host Hannah Donnelly to break down the wins of game 1 and keys for game 2. Follow along with Hannah on social: @_hannah.donnelly To watch the episodes: NBC Sports Boston YouTube

The Connecticut Sun are headed to the 2024 WNBA semi-finals for the sixth year in a row. The Sun defeated the Indiana Fever in a fierce game Wednesday night. Jenna Lemoncelli, sports reporter for the NY Post, joins host Hannah Donnelly to talk about the difference makers in game 2 and the keys for success in the next series against the Minnesota Lynx. ______________________________________ Follow along with Hannah on social: @_hannah.donnelly To watch the episodes: NBC Sports Boston YouTube Follow along with Hannah on social: @_hannah.donnelly To watch the episodes: NBC Sports Boston YouTube

The 2024 WNBA playoffs tipped off Sunday. The Connecticut Sun (No. 3) defeated the Indiana Fever (No.6) on their home court in Uncasville, CT. Regular season play-by-play announcer Brendan Glasheen joins host Hannah Donnelly to break down game 1 takeaways and game 2 keys. ______________________________________ Follow along with Hannah on social: @_hannah.donnelly To watch the episodes: NBC Sports Boston YouTube Follow along with Hannah on social: @_hannah.donnelly To watch the episodes: NBC Sports Boston YouTube

Samantha Peszek wears many hats: she's an Olympic medalist (2008), entrepreneur, gymnastics analyst and broadcaster & founder of Beam Queen Bootcamp. After becoming the youngest member of the USA National Team at 12 she went on to win team silver in Beijing and then compete at UCLA on a full ride. It was there she developed her passion for broadcasting grew. Now, she combines both passions, gymnastics and storytelling, as an analyst and broadcaster for the sport. Today we dive in to: Follow along with Sam on social: @samanthapeszek Learn more about Beam Queen Bootcamp: @beamqueenbootcamp ______________________________________ Follow along with Hannah on social: @_hannah.donnelly To watch the episodes: NBC Sports Boston YouTube Follow along with Hannah on social: @_hannah.donnelly To watch the episodes: NBC Sports Boston YouTube

Professional golfer Alexa Pano is living her dream in her second season on LPGA Tour. The 20-year-old has been working on this since she was a kid, which many of us watched on Netflix's documentary "The Short List." Splitting her time between Florida and Massachusetts, she was happy to recently play at the FM Global Championship at TPC Boston. Today we dive in to: Follow along with Alexa on social: @alexampano ______________________________________ Follow along with Hannah on social: @_hannah.donnelly To watch the episodes: NBC Sports Boston YouTube Follow along with Hannah on social: @_hannah.donnelly To watch the episodes: NBC Sports Boston YouTube

Molly Carlson is one of the best cliff divers in the world! She's seen some of the most iconic spots from 20 meters above the water and wowed crowds with her diving skills on the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series. She is also the proud founder of Brave Gang, a community of over 4 million people who support one another in a self-love journey. Today we dive in to: *CW: Discussion of mental health & disordered eating. Follow along with Molly on social: @mollycarlson1 ______________________________________ Follow along with Hannah on social: @_hannah.donnelly To watch the episodes: NBC Sports Boston YouTube Follow along with Hannah on social: @_hannah.donnelly To watch the episodes: NBC Sports Boston YouTube

It was a summer of a lifetime for World Champion and Olympic Gold Medalist Madison Chock! First a wedding, then honeymoon, then a last-minute trip to Paris to receive her gold medal from the 2022 Beijing Games! Madison and some of Team USA were recently in Norwood, MA for their "Champs Camp" to prepare for the upcoming season. We dive in to: Summer Games Follow along with Madison on: @chockolate02 ______________________________________ Follow along with Hannah on social: @_hannah.donnelly To watch the episodes: NBC Sports Boston YouTube Follow along with Hannah on social: @_hannah.donnelly To watch the episodes: NBC Sports Boston YouTube

2-time Olympian Kristi Kirshe is living her dream after winning a bronze medal with the US Women's Rugby Sevens team in Paris! The Franklin, Mass native has dreamt of being an Olympian since she was a kid, and while it may not look exactly as she thought (on the rugby pitch), it may be even better! Today we dive in to: Watch how Krisit first found rugby at 23 in Boston here. Follow along with Kristi on social: @klkirshe ______________________________________ Follow along with Hannah on social: @_hannah.donnelly To watch the episodes: NBC Sports Boston YouTube Follow along with Hannah on social: @_hannah.donnelly To watch the episodes: NBC Sports Boston YouTube

It's a WNBA first: SOLD OUT game at Boston's TD Garden! The Connecticut Sun are hosting the LA Sparks for the pioneering moment. To celebrate the occasion we had to have CT Sun star Veronica Burton back on the podcast (you can listen to her first episode here!) Veronica grew up in the Boston area, had an incredible career on Northwestern University, was drafted to the Dallas Wings in 2022 where she played for a few years. Just before the 2024 season tip-off she was waved from the team. She stayed locked in and was ready when Connecticut called in June; she made an immediate impact and continues to do so. Today we dive in to: Follow along with Veronica on social: @veronicaab22 ______________________________________ Follow along with Hannah on social: @_hannah.donnelly To watch the episodes: NBC Sports Boston YouTube Follow along with Hannah on social: @_hannah.donnelly To watch the episodes: NBC Sports Boston YouTube

It's the swing between fun and frustration on the tennis court that has Dana Mathewson hooked. Right now she is the country's top-ranked female in wheelchair tennis and is preparing for her third Paralympic appearance in Paris. She's been a pioneer in the sport for several years, cementing that legacy when she became the first American woman to earn a Grand Slam wheelchair title in 2022 at Wimbledon. Today we dive into: Follow along with Dana on social: @dana.mathewson ______________________________________ Follow along with Hannah on social: @_hannah.donnelly To watch the episodes: NBC Sports Boston YouTube Follow along with Hannah on social: @_hannah.donnelly To watch the episodes: NBC Sports Boston YouTube

Paralympian Femita Ayanbeku set the American record for the 100m just months after getting her first running blade (and still holds the record!) Now, eight years later, Femita is again defying the odds and competing at the Paralympic Trials 6 months after giving birth to her daughter. Today we dive into to: Follow along with Femita on social: @femitaayanbeku ______________________________________ Follow along with Hannah on social: @_hannah.donnelly To watch the episodes: NBC Sports Boston YouTube Follow along with Hannah on social: @_hannah.donnelly To watch the episodes: NBC Sports Boston YouTube