Welcome to Sweat Equity, the podcast about the passion behind the grind. Each episode dives into the lives of athletes, coaches, creators, and entrepreneurs who pour everything they’ve got into the sports you probably don’t know much about, but they can’t live without. From Olympic weightlifting and CrossFit to bodybuilding and calisthenics, this show explores the dedication, sacrifice, and community behind niche sports turned into lifestyles. A true craft of devotion and perseverance. For these dedicated athletes, it’s not just a workout, it’s their life, it’s who they are. And every ounce of success is earned in sweat equity.
Episode 1: Olympic Weightlifting
In this debut episode of Sweat Equity, host Cassie interviews Paul Baer, owner of Team Omnia, a specialized Olympic weightlifting gym in Pembroke Pines, Florida. The conversation delves into how Paul transformed his passion for Olympic weightlifting into a thriving community and business. He discusses the fundamentals of the sport.
Paul shares how his journey began through CrossFit, a gateway that has reintroduced many to Olympic lifting, and highlights the discipline, athleticism, and community needed to grow a niche sport. The episode offers a glimpse into Paul’s preparation for the upcoming USA Weightlifting Nationals with his team. It underscores how passion, persistence, and sweat equity fuel both personal and collective success.
Photo courtesy of Paul Baer, owner of Team Omnia
Episode 2: GRID League. What does it take to create a brand-new sport and make people care about it?
In this episode of Sweat Equity, host Cassie Martinez sits down with Mather Wiswall, commissioner of the United Grid League, to talk about building a coed fitness sport from scratch. Grid is fast, strategic, and designed for today’s short attention spans, but it’s also about something deeper: unity, inclusion, and reshaping the way we experience competition.
Mather opens up about the rise, fall, and revival of Grid, how he walked away from a stable business to pursue this passion, and why he believes this sport can help bridge social divides.
Photo courtesy of Mather Wiswall, commissioner of the United Grid League
Cassandra Martinez is a digital journalism student with a focus on sports. A competitor in Olympic weightlifting at the national level and the lead commentator for the United Grid League, she combines storytelling skills with an athletic background to blend advanced insight with engaging narratives. She hopes to engage a diverse audience that can relate to the average sports media consumer and appeal to the masses on a human-interest level.
Alejandra Fonseca is a junior majoring in digital communications and journalism. After her studies, she wishes to pursue a career in the entertainment field.
Iris Castro is a bilingual multimedia journalist and content producer at Florida International University who strives to connect people across cultures and platforms through storytelling.
Castro works as a social media manager for Telemundo Network News. She helps shape the network’s digital voice and engage with a global audience. Castro has reporting and production experience at a national and international level. She has covered the 2024 elections, the war in Ukraine, the border, and death of Pope Francis.
Castro will graduate from the Lee Caplin School of Journalism & Media with a bachelor’s degree in multimedia production and television in Fall 2026.
Deandra Vaccianna is a junior at Florida International University who hopes to work in the entertainment industry.
She is passionate about the intersections between technology and art that are especially driven by cultural research and creative expression. Vaccianna has worked on multimedia projects focused on storytelling, identity, performance, and digital culture. She has experience producing, writing, and editing for film, music, and web based productions. In the future, she hopes to work in digital marketing and production.
Vaccianna will graduate from the Lee Caplin School of Journalism & Media with a bachelor’s degree in digital communication and media in Summer 2026.
