Send us a text

Before Forged Youth became a movement, it started as survival.

In this raw, unfiltered, and deeply human episode, Mariel Anderson, founder, athlete, and mental resilience coach, shares her origin story for the first time without filters.

Growing up as a top-tier volleyball player, Mariel was introduced early to the power of mental training: visualization, emotional regulation, and focus. But at just 15 years old, everything changed when she was assaulted at a tournament, an event that shattered her world, derailed her athletic dreams, and forced her to rebuild her identity from the inside out.

With striking honesty, Mariel talks about the years that followed: the silence, the shame, the struggle to find support, and how those same mindset tools she learned for sport became the lifelines that helped her survive trauma, navigate chronic pain, and ultimately reclaim her purpose.

Now, as the founder of Forged Youth, she’s turning that pain into power, teaching athletes and parents the skills that saved her: how to train the mind, process emotion, and face adversity with courage.

Joined by co-host Jordan Owens, this conversation goes far beyond sport, it’s about the cost of silence, the importance of safe spaces, and the beauty that can emerge when we stop hiding our story and start using it to help others heal.

“I thought mental training was about winning games.
I didn’t realize it would be what saved my life.” – Mariel

⚠️ Trigger Warning: This episode includes discussion of sexual assault, trauma, and recovery. Please listen with care and reach out for professional or community support if needed.

🎧 This is the story that started it all.

💬 Join the Forged Youth parent community → https://www.skool.com/forged-youth-legacy-within-3069/about?ref=dd034a1ae9fd48a7a54c83838cc4c219