The Green Music Center hosted Sonoma County’s Women in Conversation on Wednesday, which amplified the experiences of three successful women in professional sports. Olympic gold medalists Kristi Yamaguchi, Brandi Chastain, and Kerri Walsh Jennings shared their personal journeys as female Olympic athletes and discussed the life-lessons they learned.

Women in Conversation is sponsored by the Press Democrat newspaper as a forum for women to share stories that support and motivate female community members. The GMC often provides a venue for Women in Conversation with aims at inspiring conversations between students and the community. To participate in Women in Conversation, head to socowomenevents.com. 

The event included a public pre-show expo from 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. which had several food trucks and wine vendors. The conversation portion of the event started at 7 p.m. and each athlete spoke about their lives and professional careers. After the introductory speeches, the athletes were joined by a female moderator for a Q&A panel.

Olympic figure skater Kristi Yamaguchi, spoke first. She described what each Olympic medal symbolizes to her, “Bronze symbolizes that there are no shortcuts in life. Silver represents that you must face new challenges and set goals. Realize that being uncomfortable is okay. Gold symbolizes to never give up. Trust yourself that you can achieve anything and keep going.” 

Olympic soccer player Brandi Chastain emphasized why speaking at the event was so special for her, “I’m really lucky to be here tonight because my very first college away game began right here at Sonoma State. It was a game that started my college soccer career, and one I will never forget.” 

Chastain expressed that it is crucial to experience failure, “The most important thing is to fall down. Falling down is our greatest opportunity to get up and get stronger. If you play it safe, you aren’t going to get better. Be open to self evaluation, and question if you were the best version of yourself that you could be.” 

Olympic beach volleyball player Kerri Walsh Jennings was scheduled to speak in person at the GMC, but Jennings attended the event remotely due to not fulfilling the GMC’s COVID-19 vaccination and testing requirements. 

As of Sept. 20, 2021, the GMC implemented a new policy that all audience members, staff, and artists must show proof of a COVID-19 vaccination or a negative COVID test for all indoor seating. 

Jennings shared her story and revealed that at one point of her career she lost sight of her own life and family, “Everything made me want the end result of winning, and I soon lost touch of my life. I almost lost my family and my husband because I wasn’t focused on them or the present. I have learned and realized that it’s not about the destination, it’s about the journey. Breathe and be in the present moment.” 

Audience members included a wide range of Sonoma County residents. Local business owners, high schoolers, SSU students, and SSU student athletes were among some of the attendees.

A Napa Valley high schooler and her mother attended the event and mentioned the importance of female athlete recognition. “My daughter plays volleyball at her high school and when I told her about this event she wanted to attend right away. I think it’s crucial that people realize and understand that women are capable and strong enough to be athletes. We are both so excited to be here and listen to the stories of these incredible women,” said the high schooler’s mother.

Courtney Jack, a fourth year early childhood studies student and a member of SSU’s women’s softball team, attended with her fellow teammates. As an athlete, Jack gave her perspective on the event, “The event was awesome. It was a very authentic exchange between the three Olympians and all the individuals in the audience. I am a huge fan of Kerri Walsh Jennings so it was great to hear her words of wisdom and listen to her stories.”

Jack explained why other SSU students should attend events on our campus like Women in Conversation, “I think students at SSU should take these opportunities to come to these events and hear these amazing stories and adventures. Women in Conversation served as a moment to learn from others and have tough conversations about change. There is a lot to gain by witnessing these events.”

Sierra Moffett, an SSU softball player and third year Early Childhood studies major, attended the event and voiced a similar perspective to Jack. Moffett said, “ I came out of this event feeling very inspired and empowered. I loved every part of it and I became more aware of how important it is for women to have a voice. Every person has a story, and the different lessons these women learned opened a larger, meaningful conversation on our campus.”