9 Years Later, GIVEN Mentor and Mentee Team up to Lead 100 Women: GIVEN Alumna Sam Kelley

Sr. Mary Louise, OCD remembers sitting in the grass of the Catholic University of America lawn during the first GIVEN women’s forum in 2016, as her small group participant Samantha Kelley, described the new call to start a female athlete nonprofit God had given her in the crypt chapel of the National Cathedral just moments earlier. That following year, Sister mentored Samantha as her call began to unfold, and FIERCE Athlete began to take shape.

Samantha remembers Sister’s enthusiasm for her call and the prayer and encouragement she received from Sister not only has her formal mentee for a year but in the small notes she would get from Sister every once in a while over the following 9 years encouraging her and offering her prayers for her. It meant so much to her to have Sisters’ ongoing support as FIERCE grew into the ministry it is today.

So it was only fitting that when Sr. Mary Louise, OCD got moved to Archbishop Carroll Coleman High School in Miami, she reach out to Sam and her FIERCE Team to come to campus and put on a clinic for her female athletes.

Together the two led a clinic for over 100 female athletes from Coleman Carroll this August. The woman were taught about their true identity as daughters of God, the gift of their athleticism, the goodness of their bodies and the beauty of their femininity in sport! Sam even had Sister doing lunges as she worked out the 100 women and taught them principles in order to transform their sport into a way to honor God and offer for others! The clinic ended with Sister Mary Louise playing music as 100 female athletes knelt in prayer before the Lord in Adoration. What the GIVEN women’s forum inspired, now 9 years later has reunited two friends in mission- what a gift from the Father’s loving Providence!

The GIVEN Institute helps women discover God’s love, to illuminate ‘the feminine genius’ that women contribute to families, society, the Church, and the world. Sam is an example of an alumna who is utilizing her gifts to fulfill her personal mission to train athletes physically, mentally, and spiritually and promote true femininity in sport for Christ and His Church.