Rebel Girls

Megalyn Echikunwoke is an actor, writer singer, and dancer. Discovered at a high school theater camp by a Hollywood manager, she got her start in the industry at 14. She has a striking presence with an undeniable talent through her range of portrayals of characters in television, film and the theater. Though she was raised by a widowed, single mother who worked as a registered nurse on the Navajo Reservation in Arizona, she is of Igbo-Nigerian, German, Irish and Scandinavian descent. She is also the granddaughter of an Igbo tribal leader which technically makes her African royalty. Inspired by her...

Once upon a time, there was a girl from Japan with arms so strong she could serve a tennis ball at more than 120 miles per hour. Her name is Naomi Osaka - a powerful professional tennis player who has taken the sport by storm and has become an advocate for mental health. Naomi has been ranked No. 1 by the Women's Tennis Association and is the first Asian player to hold the top ranking in singles.

About the Narrator

Megalyn Echikunwoke is an actor, writer singer and dancer. Discovered at a high school...

Meet Brit Morin, the founder and CEO of Brit + Co, a modern lifestyle and education company. Brit brought us the story of princess, fashion designer and businesswoman Diane Von Furstenberg. In this interview she tells us more about the experience of being an entrepreneur and how you can get started on your OWN business adventure.

Diane Von Furstenberg is a fashion icon who made a huge impact on the way women dress today with her signature wrap dress in the 1970’s. In this episode we explore her life from her early days in Belgium and France to her becoming a real-life princess and then taking the fashion world by storm with a style and sense that is all her own.

About the Narrator

Brit Morin is the founder & CEO of Brit + Co, a modern lifestyle and education company providing classes, content, products and experiences geared towards women wi...

Pearl Thusi narrated our story about former first lady, Michelle Obama. Thusi is a South African actress, model, television host, and radio personality. She plays the title character in Queen Sono, Netflix’s first African original series.

Michelle always aimed high– and inspired others to do the same. When Michelle was a little girl living on the Southside of Chicago, her mother always told her, "If it can be done, you can do it." Actress Pearl Thusi reads her story.

Breanna Stewart just dropped a 30-point, 10-rebound, 5-assist playoff game and is only the FOURTH player EVER to do so. The Liberty took down the top-seeded Lynx. And that's just the beginning of the women’s sports news this week…

🏆 Olivia Miles wins Rookie of the Year with ALL 74 votes!

👋 An emotional farewell to Nneka Ogwumike, the legend who changed the WNBA on AND off the court

⚾ Mo'ne Davis is BACK  12 years after her Little League history, she's a pro baseball CHAMPION

⚽ Ashley Sanchez ties the NWSL single-season goal record & earns a USWNT call-up...

Get to know Cecile Richards, a national leader for women’s right and social and economic justice in this Rebel Girls Interview. Cecile brought us the story of Samantha Power who served as the U.S Ambassador to the United Nations. Here, Cecile tells us about the rebel women who inspired her growing up and why you should never wait to be asked!  [This episode originally aired October 2020.]

Once upon a time, there was a girl who told powerful stories, and helped solve world problems. Her name is Samantha Power. Samantha was born in Ireland and moved to the United States with her mom and brother when she was 9 years old. She was always interested in telling stories and explaining how the world worked so she became a journalist, first in sports and later as a war correspondent. But world events pushed her into a life of service to her adopted country. Samantha worked for President Barack Obama and eventually served as the U.S Ambassador to...

Kelsey Mitchell is the new single-season scoring leader, Angel Reese hit 500 rebounds — a league FIRST — and that's only the beginning! 

This week on the Weekly Sports Show, Pepper's got the scoop on:

🏀 Records everywhere: A'ja Wilson, Olivia Miles, Paige Bueckers & Rhyne Howard all made history 🎟️ The Valkyries sold out 44 STRAIGHT games  and the WNBA just passed 3.4 MILLION fans this season! 🗽 Lisa Leslie's statue "The First Lady" unveiled — capturing the first dunk in WNBA history 🏄‍♀️ 19-year-old Erin Brooks won her THIRD straight surf title — the first to do it in one season since 2008!

Plus, Gotham FC updates, a new...

Meet Maya2960, a social media activist and political commentator, brought us the story of Shirley Chisholm, the first black woman to be elected to the United States Congress. Listen in as Maya shares the ups and downs of using her voice to influence social and political change. [This episode originally aired September 2021.]

Born in New York City in 1924, Shirley Chisholm was the first Black woman elected to the United States Congress, and in 1972, she became the first Black woman from a major political party to run for President. As an outspoken politician, educator, and activist, Chisholm fought for gender and racial equality, better wages for workers, and a more equal and just world. In 2015, she was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama, who echoed the words Chisholm herself said she wanted to be remembered by: “Shirley Chisholm had guts.” [This episode originally aired September 2021.]

<...

BREANNA STEWART JUST. KEEPS. WINNING. 

Four World Cup golds. Three WNBA titles. Three Olympic golds. And she's NEVER lost a game in the NCAA tournament, Olympics, or World Cup?! And that's just the beginning...

🎾 Elena Rybakina wins her first US Open title AND takes the No. 1 ranking!

🏀 Jackie Young is the ONLY player ever to win at every level — high school, NCAA, WNBA, World Cup AND two kinds of Olympic gold

👗 Simone Biles, Jordan Chiles, Suni Lee & the Williams sisters take over New York Fashion Week!

Plus, dogsledder and adventurer B...

This season, we invited our credit readers to interview our storytellers. Today, you'll hear from Justina Machado who narrated the previous episode about Celia Cruz. If you haven't listened to last week's episode, now is a good time to go back and check it out! Machado reveals the way she cultivated her personal style as well as how she finds hope in the current political climate. [This episode originally aired June 2019.]

About Machado:

A talented and versatile actress, Justina Machado continues to endear audiences and earn critical acclaim with each new role...

Once upon a time, a girl learned to sing before she could talk. Her name was Celia. She began singing to her siblings and cousins at bedtime, but a voice like that needed to be shared. Everywhere she went, she sang. She sang when she was in pain and she sang when she felt incredible joy—shouting an exuberant “¡Azúcar!” to her adoring fans. In glittering gowns and extravagant, ruffled ensembles, Celia filled the airwaves with her unique sound. Her talent earned her the name “The Queen of Salsa” as she spread Cuban music throughout the world. [This episode orig...

Jordan Chiles announces her LA 2028 comeback with Michael Jordan, USA Basketball's win streak hits 33, tennis star Alex Eala shines, NWSL history is made, US Open fashion, and a pep talk from bikepacker Tegan Phillips. Play Rebel, Stay Rebel!

She traded in one career for a rolling pin and never looked back. Meet Hetal Vasavada, cookbook author and the creative force behind Milk & Cardamom. In this episode of Get to Know a Rebel, we sit down with Hetal for real talk about baking disasters, finding your path, and what it actually takes to build a career doing what you love.

In this episode:

🍪 Hetal's #1 tip for fixing cookie fails (hint: it involves a kitchen scale!)

⚖️ Why baking is really just science in disguise

🌶️ Her advice for any girl who dreams of becoming...

Once, there was a girl who put a man on the Moon. Her name was Margaret Hamilton. When she was young, girls didn't study computers. But Margaret was curious about space, and she was smart. Really smart. She never thought twice about being the only woman in the room. With her cool-headedness and brilliant programming skills, she was able to avert disaster and maneuver the first successful American moon landing, Apollo 11. [This episode originally launched March 2018.]

Poorna Jagannathan is an actress and the producer of "Nirbhaya" ('Fearless'), the critically-acclaimed play written and directed by...

This is episode 7 of  Stronger than Ever, a show about big dreams, unexpected obstacles and the rise to becoming the strongest version of yourself. 

Before basketball became Faatimah A's profession, it was her escape; giving her control and a path forward while spending her middle school years in a shelter as a young Muslim girl in a post-9/11 world. That journey has made her Stronger than Ever.

Today, she is shaping the next generation of basketball players as a member of the Jamaican National Team, and the founder of the Women’s Premier Basketball Association.

This is episode 5 of Stronger than Ever, a show about big dreams, unexpected obstacles and the rise to becoming the strongest version of yourself. 

Holly Aitchison is one of the best women’s rugby players in the world, starting at fly-half for the England national team. But that’s only part of her story. Throughout her adolescence, she battled acne. That journey reshaped and redefined her confidence, but left her stronger than ever, and starring at the Rugby World Cup and Six Nations for her country. 

Play Rebel ⚡ Stay Rebel

Before Julia Donlin was a beach volleyball All-American and two-time collegiate national champion, she was navigating the effects of multiple concussions suffered while playing indoor volleyball. Her comeback didn’t just take her to a new court, but on a journey to find herself and what’s truly important. A hopeful for LA28, Julia is now stronger than ever. 

Play Rebel ⚡ Stay Rebel

This is episode 6 of  Stronger than Ever, a show about big dreams, unexpected obstacles and the rise to becoming the strongest version of yourself. 

Four-time Olympic medalist Jordan Larson is the most decorated American indoor volleyball player ever. When her professional career was just getting started, her mother received a devastating diagnosis. On her journey to the top of the volleyball world, Jordan also learned how to overcome her grief and balance life and volleyball without her mom. That path made her Stronger than Ever.

Play Rebel ⚡ Stay Rebel

This is episode 2 of Stronger than Ever, a show about big dreams, unexpected obstacles and the rise to becoming the strongest version of yourself.

Ashley Hatch is a forward for the Washington Spirit. She’s an NWSL champion, the 2017 NWSL Rookie of the Year and the 2021 NWSL Golden Boot winner. She’s one of the league’s most prolific goal scorers ever, with 59 career goals.

But her story goes far beyond the stats.

In this interview, Ashley opens up about one of the toughest moments of her career, being the final cut from the 20...

This is episode 4 of Stronger than Ever, a show about big dreams, unexpected obstacles and the rise to becoming the strongest version of yourself. 

On May 9, 2025, Savy King collapsed on the pitch during an NWSL match. When she woke up in the hospital, her first question was if she’d ever play soccer again. 310 days later, after open heart surgery, she was back on the field for Angel City FC.  She returned stronger than ever, on and off pitch. She details how she came back physically, what she learned mentally and her new outlook and perspective on life...

Introducing Stronger than Ever, a show about big dreams, unexpected obstacles and the rise to becoming the strongest version of yourself.

Jordan Chiles is a three-time Olympic medalist, a world champion, and one of Team USA’s most electrifying gymnasts. She closed out her career at UCLA as a 16-time All-American, NCAA Champion, and a New York Times best-selling author, but she’s so much more than that. 

In the debut episode of Stronger than Ever, Jordan opens up about who she is beyond the sport. From prioritizing her mental health to redefining what strength reall...

For this mini-series, we sat down with seven athletes across different sports to not only hear their stories of real resilience, but to give them space to tell those stories in their own way. From coming back from an injury to rising through grief, each athlete found her way back to confidence and self-worth. And in doing that, they showed us what it truly means to be a Rebel Girl, staying true to themselves through everything that life threw at them.

Season One is live on the Rebel Girls podcast and YouTube channel so go check it...

Masai Russell didn't just break the 100m hurdles world record — she became the first woman since 1988 to hold the record AND Olympic gold at the same time! 🏃‍♀️🥇 And the week only gets bigger from there...

This week on the Weekly Sports Show, Pepper's got the scoop on:
🎾 Naomi Osaka's US Open tribute to Allen Iverson — styled by the legendary Law Roach!
🏐 Nebraska volleyball won in front of almost 40,000 fans at the Cowboys' stadium
🎬 The girl who played Serena's movie double in King Richard just made her US Open debut FOR REAL
🏀 The WNBA playoff field is SET + the F...

This season, we invited kids to interview our storytellers. Today, you'll hear from Yuan Yuan Tan who narrated the previous episode about Alicia Alonso. If you haven't yet listened to last week's episode, now is a great time to go back and check it out.

About Yuan Yuan :

Yuan Yuan Tan is a Principal dancer with the famous San Francisco Ballet, celebrating her record-breaking 25th anniversary in this 2020 season. Born in Shanghai, Yuan Yuan began dancing when she was 11 years old and went on to become the youngest principal dancer in the...

Once upon a time, there was a Cuban ballerina who was blind. Her name was Alicia. As a little girl, Alicia was a naturally talented dancer. She spent her days filled with hours and hours of practice. She became one of the best dancers in the world. Then when she was 19, a medical condition caused her to lose her ability to see but that did not stop Alicia. She continued to dance and choreograph. She even started her own dance company which became the National Dance Company of Cuba. [This episode originally aired May 2020.]

...

Kinley Rasmus just pitched SIX shutout innings and struck out 8 and she's only one of TWO girls competing this year! ⚾🔥 

This week on the Weekly Sports Show, Pepper's got the scoop on:

🎾 Serena Williams is BACK at the US Open, teaming up with Carlos Alcaraz in mixed doubles at the US Open

🏆 Coco Gauff wins her second Cincy Women's Open title

🏀 THREE WNBA records fall: Alyssa Thomas, Kelsey Mitchell & Angel Reese are unstoppable

👟 Billie Jean King's legendary 1973 blue shoes are BACK

And so much more!

Plus, Bay FC found...

Rie has always been around food, ever since she was a little girl growing up in her grandma's coffee shop in Japan. As she got older, she tried out different jobs in the industry– from food styling to culinary school to cookbook writing! Listen to hear how it's never too late to follow your dreams.

Meet Refilwe Ledwaba, a helicopter and fixed-wing pilot, a flight instructor, an advocate for women's rights and a Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation goalkeeper who made history by becoming the first black female pilot to fly for the police service in South Africa. [This episode originally aired September 2021].

Once upon a time, there was a girl who soared and swooped through the sky. Her name is Thokozile Muwamba. In 2017, at age 24, Thokozile Muwamba broke barriers by becoming Zambia’s first female fighter pilot. Today, she continues to soar through the sky and is also an outspoken advocate against cyberbullying. [This episode originally aired September 2021].

About the Narrator

Refilwe Ledwaba is a social entrepreneur, an advocate of girl’s education especially Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics (STEAM) education. She spent 10 years in the South African Police Services (SAPS) as a Helicopter Pilo...

Lani Pallister just made swimming HISTORY! Plus: Diana Taurasi's jersey retirement, Sam Kerr's history-making goal & Ilona Maher squatting how much weight?! New eps every Friday with all the news in women's sports. Play Rebel ⚡ Stay Rebel

This season, we invited our credit readers to interview our storytellers. Today, you'll hear from Marcy Vaj who narrated the previous episode about Bebe Vio. If you haven't listened to last week's episode, now is a good time to go back and check it out! Vaj reveals how her violin bow has become her personal weapon, how feminism has changed as she's grown older, and more! [This episode originally aired June 2019.]

About Vaj:

MARCY VAJ is a busy violinist/violist, composer, personnel manager/contractor, and teacher. She has co-produced and orchestrated several...

Once upon a time, there was a girl who wielded a sword. Her name was Beatrice Vio or “Bebe” for short. When Bebe was just 11 years old, she came down with a severe case of meningitis. She survived a quadruple amputation, forcing her to relearn almost everything. But Bebe wanted more than just to walk or brush her teeth—Bebe wanted to fence again. And beyond that, Bebe wanted to win. Using prostheses of her own invention, Bebe fenced all the way to the paralympic games. [This episode originally aired June 2019.]

About the Narrator:

...

Leslie Osborne, former USWNT member and co-founder of Bay FC, sat down with Junior Reporter Darcy to talk about playing in the World Cup, tearing her ACL days after making the 2008 Olympic team, and what 18 months of recovery taught her about life beyond soccer. 

She also talks about the phone call that started Bay FC — and why women's sports in the Bay Area is having a major moment.

Play Rebel and Stay Rebel

Meet actress, activist, and author Diane Guerrero who brought us the story of activist and DREAMer, Lorella Praeli. Diane tells us the story of her own family’s experience with family separation and how we can all have hard conversations about immigration. [This episode originally aired December 2020.]

Born in Peru, Lorella Praeli became an activist at a young age when she stood up to middle school bullies in her small Connecticut town and, in college, came out as an undocumented immigrant. Within a few years, she became known as one of the foremost and fiercest youth advocates working to pass the DREAM Act, which would offer protections for undocumented youth. Though she became an American citizen in 2015, today, Lorella continues to fight for change and build power among immigrants in the U.S. [This episode originally aired December 2020.]

About the Narrator<...

Today, you'll hear from Jameela Jamil who narrated this week's episode about Greta Thunberg. If you haven't listened to this week's episode, now is a good time to go back and check it out. Jameela offers advice on how to avoid bullies and how we can all do our part to protect the planet. Producer Camille also shares 5 great tips on how YOU can get involved with protecting the planet! [This episode originally aired April 2020.]

About Jameela:

Jameela works as an actress, writer, host and advocate. In 2018, Jameela launched a movement and activism p...