Independent file photo Marshall’s Maysa Gillingham passes the ball during their match against Windom Area on Oct. 7, 2021.

Last month, I had the seventh episode of my podcast “Work Hard, Play Harder” with Kelly and Dillon Loft. This week, I am dropping an episode with Maysa and Wade Gillingham. Maysa just graduated from Marshall High School and was on the volleyball team that won the state tournament last fall. Her dad Wade accompanies her this episode. 

The podcast is called “Work Hard, Play Harder” because that’s how I like to live my life. It is about finding out your why and getting to know you beyond the occupation. The podcast is informative about what you do but also asks fun questions as well. Building connections and being able to be relatable is an important aspect of my podcast as well.

In this podcast episode, Maysa and Wade Gillingham will talk about their why into wanting to be involved with sports, the importance of the sport in their lives, coming from an entire family that either coaches or plays sports including Maysa’s grandfather, who played for the Green Bay Packers in the mid 60s to the mid 70s capturing a Super Bowl as well as some of Maysa’s fondest moments playing volleyball. Maysa also talks about how meaningful it is to play on a championship team, but also how challenging it can be as well. She recalled some memories and was very candid/open about her experiences playing sports in high school and also some favorite venues to play at throughout high school.

Maysa talked about the challenges she had to overcome during her tenure in high school playing sports.

“I’ve always had anxiety before playing the games,” Maysa said. “I’ve also dealt with some injuries as well. I had heart surgery in May because the doctors found out that my heart was beating too fast, also I tore my ATF in my ankle my junior year playing basketball, which was the main reason I stopped playing. It still bothers me to this day.”

Although her Division I days of playing sports are over, Maysa will still play intramurals as she attends Augustana University in the fall while pursuing a degree in pre-med. 

This episode will show personality of Maysa and the support of a dad that has developed a passion for sports and their love for one another. Also building a competitiveness between father and daughter, but also having to deal with issues throughout her playing career as every athlete does. I learn about some more stories of playing on a championship team and being there as an alumni for the Marshall Tigers volleyball team as they try to go for a repeat this upcoming season. Maysa concludes the podcast by saying “Go Tigers” as she will forever be a Marshall Tiger. 

Below is the link to the episode:

— Chris Drummond is a sports reporter for

the Marshall Independent.

Email: cdrummond@marshallindependent.com

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