Women's Sports Journey: From the D1 Field Hockey Field to Author of Children's Books by Women Sports USA
- WSUSA
- Nov 15, 2025
- 6 min read
Updated: Nov 16, 2025
Growing up in Rhode Island as an identical twin meant I always had a teammate by my side — someone who trained with me, competed with me, dreamed beside me, and pushed me to be my best. Field hockey wasn’t just our sport; it was our shared heartbeat. It shaped our confidence, our character, and ultimately, our futures.
And in a time when women weren’t being recruited in the ways they are today, my twin and I became part of something rare — and extraordinary.
Breaking Barriers With the Help of a Trailblazer
Back then, recruiting for women’s field hockey was nearly nonexistent. However, we were fortunate to have a fierce advocate in Coach Betty Marquis, a Rhode Island pioneer who deeply believed in the talent and potential of young women. Thanks to her guidance and unwavering support, both my sister and I earned field hockey scholarships to the University of Rhode Island — an achievement that set the foundation for the rest of our lives.
We weren’t just athletes who got noticed. We were young women lifted by a mentor who understood what equality in sports should look like — long before the world caught up.
Twin Athlete. Twin Leader.
At URI, my journey competing at the Division I level was marked by the same grit that defined my youth. I became captain of the URI field hockey team, learning to lead with strength, humility, and heart — the same qualities that would later define my life off the turf. Those years shaped us both. They taught ME how to show up, stand strong, and rise again and again.
During my senior year in college, I further challenged myself by entering elite training environments.
I attended Olympic Camp, which began at Brown University and progressed to Smith College B Camp, where some of the most talented athletes in the region trained. These camps were intense, inspiring, and transformative. They stretched me physically and mentally, showing me the level of commitment required to compete with the best.
Those experiences didn’t just make me a stronger athlete — they shaped my resilience, sharpened my discipline, and taught me how to show up with courage no matter the stage.
Every step of that journey — from local Rhode Island fields to Olympic-level training camps — built the foundation for the woman I would become.
A Lifelong Runner With an Athlete’s Heart
My athletic story didn’t end when I graduated from URI or stepped off the field hockey turf. In fact, another chapter of my athletic life was just about to begin.
From the time I was 16 years old into my 40s, I became a dedicated runner — lacing up, hitting the pavement, and finding freedom, clarity, and strength in every mile. I competed in 5Ks, 10Ks, half marathons, and ultimately completed the Newport Marathon — a monumental accomplishment that reinforced everything sports had ever taught me:
Endurance.
Mental toughness.
Commitment.
The ability to keep going when everything in you wants to stop.
Running showed me that you don’t need a crowd, a scoreboard, or a coach to push yourself. Sometimes all you need is a quiet path, a good pair of shoes, and the belief that you can go farther than yesterday.
Those years of running shaped my resilience in ways that carried into every part of my life — my career, my writing, my leadership, and now, my mission to empower girls nationwide.
Pivoting Toward a New Calling: From the Field to Roadrunning to Finance
I majored in Corporate Fitness, loving every minute of it, but knowing deep down that it wouldn’t provide the financial security I needed. So I looked inward, tapping into another strength I had always carried: my love for math.
At 21 years old, I took an accounts payable position in a manufacturing company, working 50–60 hours a week and attending accounting classes at Bryant University at night. It was exhausting — but I had already learned how to push through exhaustion with intention and purpose.
Division I athletics had set the bar. Now I was raising it again.
The Athlete’s Lens in the Workplace
One of the unexpected gifts of my athletic background — from Division I competition to Olympic Camp training to coaching — is the way it has shaped my perspective on people.
When you’ve spent years on the field, learning how to communicate, trust, support, and push one another, you develop instincts that never leave you. You can read energy. You can feel chemistry. You can spot teamwork — and the lack of it — instantly.
So when I entered the professional world, working long hours while studying at night, I quickly realized something:
"Many people had never learned how to play on a team."
They didn’t understand collaboration.
They didn’t understand accountability.
They didn’t understand the importance of lifting others up or working toward a shared goal.
And because they knew nothing about my past as an athlete, my leadership as a captain, my authorship, or my lifelong commitment to empowering girls… they didn’t realize that I could see it right away.
I’ve been trained — for decades — to recognize who plays fair, who plays hard, and who doesn’t know how to play nice at all.
That awareness became one of my greatest strengths in the workplace.
It helped me navigate difficult personalities, lead with clarity, and protect my own integrity.
It reminded me that sports don’t just build athletes — they build professionals who understand the importance of respect, discipline, teamwork, and a sense of purpose.
And those are the qualities I carry into every role, every project, every relationship, and now — into every part of my world.
Becoming an Author: Planting Seeds for the Next Generation
In 2019, another dream took root — one inspired by my childhood, my twin identity, and my lifelong love of sports. I became the author of the Twins Mac & Madi children’s 8-book series, including:
These books were born from my own story — the story of two identical twins discovering confidence, teamwork, courage, and the joy of sports. What started as a personal creative project quickly grew into a mission: to inspire young girls to see themselves as strong, capable, and worthy of any dream.
Even as I continued working behind the scenes in finance, these books allowed me to plant seeds of empowerment. They became love letters to the next generation — reminding girls everywhere that their uniqueness is their superpower and their potential is limitless.
The Athlete Advantage in Every Chapter of Life
Being an athlete shaped every part of my professional story:
Discipline from early-morning practices
Resilience from playing through challenges
Teamwork from trusting those around me
Leadership from captaining a Division I team
Confidence from knowing I could adapt and excel
Those qualities carried me through my accounting career, my business achievements, my authorship, and now my passion project/nonprofit for Women Sports USA.
Why This Journey Still Matters
My story is more than a career path. It’s a testament to what happens when opportunity meets determination.
It honors Coach Betty Marquis, who believed in twin girls from Rhode Island when recruiting wasn’t an option.
It celebrates the lifelong bond of being a twin — navigating athletics, academics, and adulthood together.
It reflects the power of reinvention — from athlete to accountant, from corporate leader to children’s author.
And now, it fuels my purpose: to empower women and girls nationwide through Women Sports USA.
My Message to Every Girl, Every Athlete, Every Dreamer
Your story doesn’t end when the season ends. Your story begins there.
Athletics taught me how to lead, how to grow, how to persist — and those lessons became the foundation of every chapter that followed.
Today, I celebrate the past, honor the people who lifted me, and dedicate myself to creating opportunities for girls who are ready to rise.
Come join us, whether you are a writer, digital creator, athlete, former athlete, coach, referee, or a fan of women's sports. Let's keep the movement going.
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Because when women are given a chance… we don’t just play the game — we change it.
Athlete, Coach, Finance Expert & Author
