Episode 109: Elissa Kalver - From College Field Hockey Goalie to Stage 4 Cancer Thriver

Elissa Kalver: From College Field Hockey Goalie to Stage 4 Cancer Thriver & Social Entrepreneur As a field hockey goalie at Babson College, Elissa Kalver knew every move she made... mattered. Little did she know then that an athlete mindset built on resilience, perseverance, and the ability to "control the controllables" would one day help her navigate profound loss, entrepreneurship, and a Stage 4 HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer diagnosis just days before her daughter's first birthday. At Babson, Elissa refused to lower either her academic or competitive standards. When a torn ACL and a dislocated shoulder ended her playing career, she immediately sought a replacement for the adrenaline rush of athletic competition. She quickly found it: sales. That same drive has powered every aspect of Elissa's life after college sports: a record-breaking run in financial services, a stint as a gym owner, the loss of her brother, her terminal breast cancer diagnosis and her mission to turn pain into purpose with her nonprofit WeGotThis.org, the first gift registry for cancer patients. Elissa joins Bonnie Bernstein to discuss the athlete's instinct to push through pain, why that mindset can become dangerous when it comes to your health, and how her mission to help others has been such a meaningful part of her cancer journey. Elissa is an author, sought-after speaker, wife and mother thriving with cancer, inspiring others to find joy each day, even amidst challenges. Whether you're an athlete, parent, coach, entrepreneur, or navigating cancer, this conversation explores athlete mindset, resilience, leadership, early detection, and the power of showing up when life doesn't go according to plan. Chapters: ▶ 00:00 Introduction to Elissa Kalver ▶ 01:21 Why Being an Athlete Comes First ▶ 02:51 Growing Up Competitive ▶ 05:07 Becoming a Field Hockey Goalie ▶ 07:04 Playing Three Sports in High School ▶ 10:07 Choosing Babson Over Brown ▶ 12:18 Lessons from Division III Athletics ▶ 15:10 Career-Ending Injury ▶ 17:18 Finding Competition After Sports ▶ 19:02 How Sales Became Her New Sport ▶ 21:15 Becoming a Record-Breaking Saleswoman ▶ 24:02 Financial Advice for NIL Athletes ▶ 25:23 Opening a Boxing Gym ▶ 30:07 Entrepreneurship vs. Corporate America ▶ 31:32 Stage IV Breast Cancer Diagnosis ▶ 34:34 Facing a Terminal Prognosis ▶ 37:26 The Moment Her Husband Found the Lump ▶ 39:33 Losing Her Brother Before Cancer ▶ 42:04 Understanding HER2-Positive Breast Cancer ▶ 45:10 How Sports Prepared Her for Cancer ▶ 46:37 Creating WeGotThis.org ▶ 49:42 The Cancer Essentials No One Tells You About ▶ 53:33 The Most Rewarding Part of Helping Others ▶ 55:17 Finding Purpose Through Adversity ▶ 56:17 Talking to Her Daughter About Cancer ▶ 58:47 Shaving Her Head on Her Own Terms ▶ 01:00:16 The Lasting Impact of Sports Connect with Elissa Kalver, Live Like it Matters and WeGotThis.Org:   / elissakalver     / elissakalver      / @livelikeitmatterspod     / elissakalver     / wegotthisorg   --- The Athlete Effect™: • Subscribe on YouTube:    / @theathleteeffect   • Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/033etu1... • Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... • Listen on iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1353-t... • Listen on Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/872... • Listen on Audacy: https://www.audacy.com/podcast/the-at... • Follow on Instagram:   / the_athlete_effect   • Follow on TikTok:   / theathleteeffect   Bonnie Bernstein: • Follow on Instagram:   / bonniebernstein   • Follow on X: https://x.com/BonnieBernstein • Follow on LinkedIn:   / bonnie-bernstein