Whitney Engen & Casey Nogueira Show Their Moves

The sport of the world, soccer or as most call it football, is a game that is very passionate and respected. Since I was very little, I remember seeing both my Colombian and Czech families get excited for the game.

Slowly I became a fan and always dreamed of doing soccer tricks. My desire to want to play was quickly replaced by one of just being a fan. As much as I would have loved to play soccer growing up, the opportunity never really presented itself. But to this day, I am an fanatic! And when the World Cup comes around, I am completely submerged in the event. Soccer truly brings countries together.

Soccer has even united soccer players Whitney Engen and Casey Nogueira who showed me their moves on and off the field when I came to visit them in Chicago. Their friendship is like no other I have seen in sports. They know everything about each other and can even finish each other’s sentences.

These best friends gave me the inside scoop on their training, their mental and physical preparation, as well as their fondest memories with each other. Turns out these two Chicago Red Star players like to have dance parties in the locker room before games to pump the team up.

They taught me how to 'Pop, Lock, and Drop It' (Whitney's signature move) and how to 'Pancake it' (Casey's signature move). They even suggested I attend one of their pre-game dance parties to show them what I can bring to the dance floor.

This friendship is definitely contagious!

-Gevrina

Gevvy Gets Tackled by the Utah Jynx

The Utah Jynx football team is opening doors for athletes everywhere! Before I got there, I was sort of nervous because I had to go out and buy a mouth guard incase I got tackled. I just could not imagine being tackled by a defensive lineman. So, did I get tackled? You bet!

Back to square one though. When I arrived, Coach Greg helped me suit up before I got out on the field. Once everything was in place, including my mouth guard, pads, and helmet, I went on the field and introduced myself to the semi-professional football team. I even brought my Nike football jersey that had my name on it.

Immediately, I got in line and started to do the warm up and drills. At first, I was struggling just a bit with all of the weight of the pads and helmet, but soon I was zipping through the drills. Angela, one of the defensive linemen, suggested that I should tryout for their team (she thought I would be a good receiver since I was so fast).

The women were so inspirational and motivational. They truly made me feel part of the team. Instead of calling me Gevvy or Gevrina, the coaches decided to nickname me "Nike". After drills, we went straight into a scrimmage and they had me run a play. This is the precise moment that I got tackled. Ouch! Did not expect that. Better yet, the woman who tackled me, Vee, is 39! Making her the oldest woman on the team. Even though we were on opposing teams she became my favorite player.

I interviewed Vee after practice and she told me that she plays for the women on the team and her kids. Her son who plays football in high school is number 23, in honor of his mom's jersey number. Football has kept her looking and feeling young.

As I stood on the sidelines after I was interviewed by KSL, a local news station, I became kind of teary-eyed. I felt so touched by these women who are breaking the stereotypes of what women are told they can and cannot do.

To them, there is no 'CANNOT!' Where there is a will, there is a way. The Utah Jynx football team plays because they love the sport. Remember to love what you do and do what you love!

Your favorite safety,
Gevrina

Gevvy vs Gym: Boot Camp Navy Seal Style

You all I know that when it comes to working out, I’ll be trying out the most challenging or the most butt kicking workouts that are out there for me to try. What can I say? I like a good sweat!

While there were very many tempting activities at the espnW Retreat like massages and facials, I decided to go the more challenging route I guess you would say. And why would I not want to do the Navy Seals Boot Camp at the beach with former Olympians and other professional athletes? Come on now, I couldn’t pass that one up!

Plus I had to show of my skills since I had Warrior Fitness Boot Camp under my belt. We headed over to the beach and started off lying on our backs in the sand. We were all close together and were divided into two lines and each line was in charge of a rope. We had to rest the rope along our bodies and never let it touch the sand. This rope was supposedly our “friend” but by the time I was done doing 300 crunches, it was more my enemy.

The surprising part of it all was regardless of how tired I was, I never gave up. I came to realize that I was just so motivated by the women I was with. We were all there to be each other's support. No one wanted to let anyone down. and we all managed to pull through.

It was honestly incredible! We ran, did crunches, army crawls, sit-ups, you name it we did. I totally understand why sports teams have such a strong bond. You are with a group of either men or women all competing for the same goal. I miss that team spirit I was able to find it at the espnW Retreat.

I want to take this time and give it up for the women around the world who are constantly pushing past their limits and training hard and never give up! And of course to all the women I did the Navy Seal Boot Camp with! You girls Rock!

-Gevrina

Gevvy Goes Under the 'Big Top'

Ladies and Gentlemen, The Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus, present The GREATEST Show on Earth!

It definitely was the greatest show on earth! Let me tell you just what this Nike Field Reporter did. Here are some of the things I did that I recommend for others to put on their bucket list. Oh and mind you, this was my first time at a circus…

One- I rode a small clown bicycle.

Two- I was pulled up into the air by a woman's hair. Hard to believe? Yes, I know. Just check the photos below.

Three- I rode a trapeze ring 25 ft in the air that had a motorcycle on the top, where a man did a handstand. I conquered my fear of heights...scariest ride I've done is the Pirates of Caribbean. So this was HUGE for me.

Four- I stood in between two brothers juggling bowl pins to each other.

Five- I stood on a Russian Bar that was about five feet off the ground.

Everyone was so proud to show off their unique talent and all of their dedication to their craft and their public was very uplifting. All of them incorporate a very disciplined training regiment into their craft. One of the acrobats, mentioned, "I need to love what I do, because it can kill me." They all are well aware of how dangerous their jobs are but they do it because they love it and they love making people smile. I on the other hand was not smiling too much. I was sweating profusely, nervous that one of them was going to mess up and fall or hurt themselves.

These athletes are very artistic and make their craft look so easy. In reality, they are always training even behind the scenes. I learned that lots of times, some of these athletic performers have been born into the circus. Meaning the circus life has been part of their family for generations! Wow! And there I was at my first show ever marveling over how strong, mentally and physically, they all were.

The show is a definite must see. I had never been to a circus before so the feeling was overwhelming. The closest thing to experiencing a circus for me was watching Disney's Dumbo. I totally got the VIP treatment in terms of all the stuff I got to see and do. After the show, each individual act came out and allowed me to be part of their daily routine.

Another cool part about this particular experience was that before the interviews took place their PR mentioned that they all didn't speak English very well, but that most if not all felt more comfortable speaking in a certain language. Guess what most of them spoke? Spanish! Yes, a lot of the interviews were done in Spanish because some of them did not speak English at all. Even the brothers from China spoke Spanish! Good thing I got my bases covered.

All in all, I had a FANTASTIC time at the circus and I loved how I was able to admire a myriad of athletic performances that are viewed in a more artistic light.

From the Greatest Show on Earth,
Gevvy