2026 TrueSport Talks

Stephen Borelli is editor of USA TODAY Sports Weekly (formerly Baseball Weekly) and USA TODAY’s sports-related special editions. He has worked as an editor for USA TODAY since 1999. For the past three years, he has written a nationally acclaimed weekly sports parenting column (“Ask Coach Steve”) for USA TODAY. In March 2026, a compilation of the columns (“Coach Steve’s Youth Sports Survival Guide”) was released by Pediment Publishing. He promoted the book this past summer at the Little League World Series. Steve has also gotten involved in the business side of youth sports, covering the United States’ Congress’ interest in private equity’s involvement in our kids’ games.

Steve spent 10 years coaching his two sons’ baseball and basketball teams. He and his wife, Colleen, are now sports parents for two high school baseball players. In 2005, Steve wrote, “How About That! The Life of Mel Allen,” the first biography about the famous sportscaster, which he promoted widely on national media outlets.

Christine Brennan is an award-winning national sports columnist for USA Today, a commentator for CNN, ABC News, PBS NewsHour and National Public Radio, a New York Times best-selling author and a nationally-known speaker. Named one of the country’s top sports columnists by the Associated Press Sports Editors multiple times, she has covered the last 22 Olympic Games, summer and winter.

Brennan was the first woman sports writer at The Miami Herald in 1981 and the first woman to cover the Washington Football Team as a staff writer at The Washington Post in 1985. She was the first president of the Association for Women in Sports Media (AWSM) and started an internship-scholarship program that has supported more than 200 female students over the past two decades. In 2020, Brennan won the prestigious Red Smith Award, presented annually to a person who has made “major contributions to sports journalism.”

Brennan is the author of eight books. Her newest book, On Her Game: Caitlin Clark and the Revolution in Women’s Sports, debuted at No. 2 on the New York Times bestseller list in July 2025. Her 2006 sports memoir, Best Seat in the House, is the only father-daughter memoir written by a sports journalist. Her 1996 national bestseller, Inside Edge, was named one of the top 100 sports books of all-time by Sports Illustrated.

Brennan earned undergraduate and master’s degrees in journalism from Northwestern University. She is a member of the Ohio Women’s Hall of Fame, Northwestern’s Medill School of Journalism Hall of Achievement, Northwestern’s Athletic Hall of Fame and the Washington, D.C., Sports Hall of Fame.

She has received honorary degrees from Marist University, Tiffin (Ohio) University and the University of Toledo. She is a member of Northwestern’s Board of Trustees.

Jessie Diggins is one of the toughest and most inspiring endurance athletes on the planet. A four-time Olympic medalist and the most decorated American cross-country skier in history, she made global headlines at the 2018 Winter Olympics, delivering a breathtaking, come-from-behind victory to win Team USA’s first-ever Olympic gold medal in women’s cross-country skiing.  At 385, she holds the record for the most-ever World Cup competition starts, in which she reached the podium an astounding 90 times!

Known for her extraordinary ability to push deep into ‘The Pain Cave’ in the most grueling moments, Jessie has built a legacy on resilience, grit, and sustained excellence over four Olympic Games spanning 15 years.  A multiple-time World Champion and Overall World Cup winner, she has consistently performed at the highest level in one of the most physically and mentally demanding sports in the world.

But Jessie’s story goes far beyond the podium.

Behind her success is a deeply personal journey of overcoming adversity, including her battle with a life-threatening eating disorder, an experience that shaped her into the powerful advocate for mental health she has become. Today, she speaks openly about vulnerability, self-awareness, and the importance of building strength from within.

Off the snow, Jessie is also a passionate advocate for environmental sustainability, working with organizations like Share Winter and Protect Our Winters to protect access to outdoor sport for future generations.

On stage, Jessie brings the same energy and authenticity that define her racing. With a mix of humor, honesty, and hard-earned wisdom, she connects deeply with audiences, sharing lessons on resilience, teamwork, leadership, and how to perform at your best when it matters most.

Whether she’s describing life inside the “pain cave” or the mindset required to chase big goals, Jessie leaves audiences inspired, energized, and ready to push beyond their own limits.

Dr. Jeffrey Durmer is a systems neuroscientist, neurologist, and sleep medicine physician who has pioneered the integration of sleep science, technology, and telehealth across healthcare and high-performance populations.

Leadership & Innovation
Currently, he is the Chief Medical Officer at Happy Health, an Austin-based medical device and healthcare services company. He has served as Chief Medical Officer for leading sleep technology companies including Absolute Rest, Sleep Image, and Wesper, and co-founded Nox Health and Nox Medical, where he spent 17 years building platform-based population sleep health programs across aerospace, transportation, manufacturing, elite athletics, and healthcare. He co-founded FusionHealth, the first population sleep health platform company in the US, and FusionSleep, an AASM-accredited multidisciplinary program serving tens of thousands of patients that he established after directing the Emory University Sleep Laboratory and Pediatric Sleep Medicine Program.

Research & Clinical Impact
Dr. Durmer serves as co-investigator for the NIH-funded Sleep SMART trial examining sleep apnea treatment for stroke prevention and is a member of the NIH Sleep Disorders Research Advisory Board. His international collaborations helped establish diagnostic and treatment standards for Restless Legs Syndrome in adults and children. He has published extensively in peer-reviewed journals and medical textbooks, and reviews for leading medical journals and the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI).

Elite Performance & Regulatory Advisory
As Sleep Performance Director for the U.S. Olympic Weightlifting team, Dr. Durmer applies sleep science to competitive excellence—a role he has also held with the Atlanta Falcons, Dynamo Swim Club, and NCAA championship teams. He serves as the appointed Sleep Medicine Advisor to the Federal Aviation Administration and consults for the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute on FMCSA-sponsored research projects.

Professional Leadership
Dr. Durmer chairs the Board of Directors for the RLS Foundation and previously chaired the American Academy of Sleep Medicine Foundation Development Council. He founded and served as President of the Georgia Association of Sleep Professionals and completed three terms on the RLS Foundation Medical & Scientific Advisory Board.

Education & Training
Dr. Durmer began his career at the University of Pennsylvania, studying the neurophysiology of sleep and circadian rhythms and the neuroanatomical substrates of consciousness, establishing the scientific foundation for his decades of clinical innovation

Kate Hartman Rosenzweig serves as Chief External Affairs Officer for the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC), where she leads the organization’s integrated external affairs strategy, including communications, media relations, international engagement, government affairs, and global partnerships.

A trusted strategic advisor to the USOPC CEO and executive leadership team, Kate plays a leading role in shaping and protecting the Team USA brand and advancing the organization’s long-term positioning ahead of the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games and beyond. Her work sits at the intersection of sport, culture, business, and public impact — helping elevate Team USA’s influence on the global stage.

Kate oversees communications strategy for some of the most visible and complex moments in Olympic and Paralympic sport, including organizational transformation, athlete advocacy, Games-time operations, crisis management, and stakeholder engagement across domestic and international audiences. She also leads key relationships with the International Olympic Committee (IOC), International Paralympic Committee (IPC), National Governing Bodies, and major public and private sector partners.

Under her leadership, the USOPC has strengthened its reputation and cultural relevance through athlete-centered storytelling, strategic brand positioning, and innovative engagement initiatives designed to grow fandom and deepen connection to the Olympic and Paralympic movement in the United States.

Prior to joining the USOPC, Kate held senior communications and public affairs roles across global sports, healthcare, and consumer brands, including leadership positions at The Coca-Cola Company, Weber Shandwick and Edelman.

Known for her thoughtful leadership style and ability to navigate high-stakes environments, Kate is passionate about building high-performing teams, mentoring emerging leaders, and using sport as a platform for impact and unity. She has been recognized as one of MarComms’ Most Influential professionals, serves on the Board of Directors for The Plank Center for Leadership in Public Relations, and was named a Shannon Scholar by Saint Mary’s College in recognition of her leadership and professional achievement.

Originally from Chicago, Kate holds a B.A. in Business Administration with a minor in Public Relations and Advertising from Saint Mary’s College. She lives in Atlanta with her husband, David, and their two children, Charlotte and JD.

Jack Wallace is a three-time Paralympic Gold Medalist and four-time World Champion in sled hockey. After losing his leg at age 10 in a boating accident, he channeled his athleticism into sled hockey, helping Team USA dominate internationally and earning tournament Best Defenseman honors at both the 2022 and 2026 Paralympic Games.

At the 2026 Milano-Cortina Paralympics, Jack led Team USA’s 6-2 gold-medal victory over Canada by scoring a hat-trick in the gold medal match. Away from the ice, Jack regularly travels the country speaking at middle schools, using his journey to inspire young students.

A versatile dual-sport athlete, he continues to expand his competitive drive on the water, training with the U.S. Paracanoe National Team in a bid to compete at the Los Angeles 2028 Summer Paralympics.