Nadia Kean is a coach, a writer, a podcaster and the owner of Strong Athletic.

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Nadia does many things, all of which are related to sports and athletics. Nadia coaches two sports, roller derby and rowing. She also teaches coaches how to coach more effectively and teaches athletes how to better communicate with their coach so that they can enhance their learning and training experience. 

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In 2019 Nadia launched the Strong Athletic Podcast for coaches and athletes in sports. The podcast focuses on many aspects of being in sports. She created the show because she couldn't find the exact resource that she was looking for and that there was a good chance that other people in sports were looking for the same thing, yet it didn't exist. 

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Nadia is currently writing a book on coaching, which is expected to be self-published in 2022.

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In 2013 Nadia founded Strong Athletic after her teammate Cristen Perks put the words, "Strong Athletic Woman" on a t-shirt for her. Why those specific words on the shirt? Nadia used to called her teammates a "fine group of strong athletic women" in protest of being called "girls" by adult males in her sport. Other women found the shirt empowering and so she started the company to help give people a method in which they could speak their mind inside and outside of sports. 

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Nadia played sports throughout her youth but really started to take athletics seriously once she started rowing in high school. She was recruited to row in college and remained in the sport as a coach after she graduated, starting in 2000. Nadia is a USRowing Level 3 Certified Coach. 

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Nadia has been teaching and coaching athletes for nearly twenty years. She believes that most athletes have untapped potential in the sport that they play, but sometimes it goes unrealized due to certain elements, including the athlete's experience with their coach or on their team.

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Nadia especially enjoys helping coaches unlock their inner teacher so that they can help the athletes that they work with realize their potential.

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Many in the roller derby community know her as Smarty Pants due to the 15 years she spent playing the sport. She started out in 2003 playing for TXRD Lonestar Rollergirls. In 2011 she transferred to Texas Rollergirls and stayed with the nationally ranked WFTDA team until 2017. During that time she played with USA Roller Derby serving as a captain for two terms.  

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Nadia is equally successful off the track as a derby coach and consultant. She's coached at Camp Elite, JD and SP Clinics,  Rollercon, Derbyfest, and Euro Derby Con, Derby Stance. She does guest coaching clinics for derby leagues all over the world, many of which are training for WFTDA Divisionals and 

Championships. Nadia is adored for her passion for roller derby and her natural ability to teach others the strategies of our sport. 

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Nadia now spends her time in Vancouver, British Columbia traveling as much as possible, rowing, playing capoeira, trying to find the world's best americano, perfecting her (s)margarita recipes and living the good life married to the world's most amazing human, Carla Smith. 

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