The 2026 Milano Winter Olympics starts on February 6th, featuring 16 sports disciplines, including Figure Skating. We have here for you a compelling and timely interview: Dr Tracy Espiritu McKay, DO, a team doctor for the U.S. Figure Skating national team.

Dr. Espiritu McKay can candidly share with you:

What injuries and physical stressors elite figure skaters are facing right now heading into the Milano Olympics—and how doctors work to keep athletes competition-ready without overtraining or burnout

How Olympic team doctors make real-time medical decisions during qualifying events, including managing pain, recovery, and return-to-ice protocols under intense pressure; she can draw on her firsthand experiences working rink-side with Team USA athletes

What viewers don’t see on TV: the behind-the-scenes medical preparation that helps skaters peak at the right moment, from travel recovery and injury prevention to mental-physical performance balance

Dr. Espiritu McKay is a team doctor working closely with Olympians who are members of the men’s and women’s, singles and pairs, U.S. Figure Skating national team. She has specifically been treating and working with these athletes during their Pre-Olympics Championships and Qualifying Events, serving in a crucial capacity for the athletes during the build-up to the games. Dr. Espiritu McKay traveled with these athletes to Tilburg, Netherlands for one of the qualifying international competitions – she was there Jan 22nd - Jan 25th, 2026.

"The Vital Women Podcast" is brought to you by MHA of Dutchess County and Produced by CMJW Entertainment.

MHA of Dutchess County: https://mhadutchess.org/

CMJW Entertainment: https://www.cmjwentertainment.com/

This episode is proudly sponsored by: Dr. Renia Barrett-Baas and her business Salt Boutique Labs

https://saltboutiquelabs.com/

• (00:00:00) - What Do You Do As a Physiatrist For Figure Skaters
• (00:05:29) - Treating the US Figure Skating Team
• (00:06:40) - Dancers vs Skaters
• (00:07:39) - How Do You Treat an Accident on the Ice?
• (00:10:54) - Olympic Athletes' Mental Health
• (00:14:09) - How to Prevent Osteoporosis in Skaters?
• (00:15:38) - How do you treat patients differently than, say, a sports surgeon
• (00:16:26) - What is the treatment for shoulder pain? (Injection)
• (00:17:57) - How to recover from injuries as you get older
• (00:19:05) - Connor on His Olympic Moment
• (00:20:20) - Dr. McKay on Becoming a Physician on the Olympic Team

We often think of "wellness" in terms of what we eat and how we move, but what about the element we interact with most? Today, we sit down with Lucia Molina, a Senior Water Analyst and Branch Manager who is on a mission to demystify what’s flowing through our taps. Lucia bridges the gap between complex science and household safety, empowering families, and particularly women, to take control of their home’s most vital resource.

free/watertest.com

ewg.org/tapwater

"The Vital Women Podcast" is brought to you by MHA of Dutchess County and Produced by CMJW Entertainment.

MHA of Dutchess County: https://mhadutchess.org/

CMJW Entertainment: https://www.cmjwentertainment.com/

This episode is proudly sponsored by: Dr. Renia Barrett-Baas and her business Salt Boutique Labs

https://saltboutiquelabs.com/

• (00:00:00) - Water Safety: The Invisible Reality of Tap Water
• (00:07:24) - Contaminants in our drinking water
• (00:10:12) - Public Information about chemicals in our water
• (00:12:59) - Contamination in our water
• (00:15:56) - "I want to learn Arabic!"
• (00:16:48) - How To Clean The Water In Your Home
• (00:17:39) - Resilience in a male dominated world
• (00:19:05) - The role of women in water issues
• (00:20:30) - Water Quality tips for New Yorkers and Florida residents
• (00:25:45) - Chemical contamination in water
• (00:29:49) - Does your system provide alkaline water? Yes
• (00:31:05) - What can women do to bring in healthier water into their home?
• (00:32:31) - Vital Women Podcast

On this week's episode, Ivette O'Sullivan breaks down the meaning of the title "The Vital Women," by giving examples and stories of "vital" and powerful women in her life. Not just that, but Ivette gets vulnerable, opening up about a recent loss in her life and her journey to cope.

"The Vital Women Podcast" is brought to you by MHA of Dutchess County and Produced by CMJW Entertainment.

MHA of Dutchess County: https://mhadutchess.org/

CMJW Entertainment: https://www.cmjwentertainment.com/

This episode is proudly sponsored by: Dr. Renia Barrett-Baas and her business Salt Boutique Labs https://saltboutiquelabs.com/

• (00:00:00) - The Vital Women Podcast
• (00:01:15) - What's The Vital?
• (00:02:19) - What Makes a Vital Woman?
• (00:05:19) - Vital Women: A Week of Recognition
• (00:05:56) - Walking Through Nature When You're Sad
• (00:15:14) - Vital Women Podcast

On this week's episode, Ivette O'Sullivan shares her experience with her women's group Women in Action / Mujeres en Acción as they got together for a women's empowerment retreat.

"The Vital Women Podcast" is brought to you by MHA of Dutchess County and Produced by CMJW Entertainment.

MHA of Dutchess County: https://mhadutchess.org/

CMJW Entertainment: https://www.cmjwentertainment.com/

This episode is proudly sponsored by: Dr. Renia Barrett-Baas and her business Salt Boutique Labs https://saltboutiquelabs.com/

• (00:00:00) - Vital Women Podcast

On this week's episode, Ivette O'Sullivan continues her discussion of the Holiday Hangover and dives into the The Flight Response. We describe "ostriging" and burying our heads in the sand to hide and avoid confrontation. We discuss ways on how to break those habits and recover from that Holiday Hangover.

"The Vital Women Podcast" is brought to you by MHA of Dutchess County and Produced by CMJW Entertainment.

MHA of Dutchess County: https://mhadutchess.org/

CMJW Entertainment: https://www.cmjwentertainment.com/

This episode is proudly sponsored by: Dr. Renia Barrett-Baas and her business Salt Boutique Labs

https://saltboutiquelabs.com/

• (00:00:00) - What Keeps You From Stuck in Debt?
• (00:03:22) - How to Stop Neglecting Debt
• (00:08:58) - How to Deal With Your Financial Debt
• (00:11:48) - How to Reset Your Brain in January
• (00:17:44) - How to Deal with a Financial Problem
• (00:21:44) - Vital Women Podcast

On this week's episode, Ivette O'Sullivan continues her discussion of the Holiday Hangover and dives into the Anxiety Audit. She describes the different reactions our bodies go through when experiencing the start-of-the-year anxiety, while also holding onto the stressors from the previous year.

"The Vital Women Podcast" is brought to you by MHA of Dutchess County and Produced by CMJW Entertainment.

MHA of Dutchess County: https://mhadutchess.org/

CMJW Entertainment: https://www.cmjwentertainment.com/

This episode is proudly sponsored by: Dr. Renia Barrett-Baas and her business Salt Boutique Labs

https://saltboutiquelabs.com/

• (00:00:00) - Anxiety Audit
• (00:00:44) - How to Deal with Financial Stress in January

On this week's episode, Ivette and producer Conor discuss the Holiday Hangover that comes from financial and mental stress.

"The Vital Women Podcast" is brought to you by MHA of Dutchess County and Produced by CMJW Entertainment.

MHA of Dutchess County: https://mhadutchess.org/

CMJW Entertainment: https://www.cmjwentertainment.com/

This episode is proudly sponsored by: Levia Medspa: https://leviamedspa.com/

• (00:00:00) - Happy New Year! The Holiday Hangover
• (00:06:06) - How to manage anxiety about debt and guilt
• (00:08:56) - What Were the Tools You Used During the Holidays?
• (00:12:39) - Happy Holidays!

This week on The Vital Women, I & I speak with Carmen Rosado, SHRM-CP .

HR Professional Producing Results and Demonstrating a Commitment to the Development of Leaders and their Organization

“I am a bilingual human resources professional with over 25+ years of experience in the areas of employee relations, recruiting, compensation and benefits administration, talent management and training and development. Success in analyzing, problem solving and change management issues, resulting in the implementation of streamlined processes and significant cost savings relating to staff development, legal compliance and the management of HR policies and procedures.”

"The Vital Women of Washington Heights Living in Dutchess County" is brought to you by MHA of Dutchess County and Produced by CMJW Entertainment.

MHA of Dutchess County: https://mhadutchess.org/

CMJW Entertainment: https://www.cmjwentertainment.com/

This episode is proudly sponsored by:

Levia Medspa: https://leviamedspa.com/

• (00:00:00) - Vital Women of Washington Heights
• (00:00:56) - Vital Women of Washington Heights
• (00:03:49) - Carmen on Reaching the Top of Her Career
• (00:07:11) - Carmen Charman on Advancing the HR Profession
• (00:12:25) - How to Deal with Profit and Losses in Your Career
• (00:17:19) - Mentors in the Workplace
• (00:21:47) - Latina Woman on Her Drive to Elevate
• (00:28:15) - How Do You Feel Around The Goldbergs?
• (00:33:42) - How to Find the Right People
• (00:35:38) - Don't Stop Developing Yourself
• (00:37:48) - Carmen on the Color Run