Forged Youth | Legacy Within
Forged Youth: Legacy Within
What if the conversations you needed most as a teen athlete were finally being had, openly, honestly, and with purpose?
Forged Youth: Legacy Within is the podcast that equips youth athletes (ages 12–24), their parents, and coaches with the mental tools, emotional resilience, and life insight to rise above the noise and grow into strong, intentional human beings.
Each episode features real, raw conversations with professional athletes, CEOs, and cultural leaders sharing what they wish they knew when they were younger. We unpack topics like mental grit, overcoming adversity, identity beyond sport, and building a life of purpose, even when things fall apart.
Hosted by former elite athlete and mental health advocate Mariel Nichole Anderson, this podcast is your companion through the messy middle of chasing big dreams, and becoming someone even bigger in the process.
Because you weren’t born to just survive sport. You were made to be forged by it.
Forged Youth | Legacy Within
Ep. 40 - When It All Falls Apart: Rebuilding Identity In and Around Sport
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What happens when everything you’ve built your identity around suddenly gets taken away?
In this episode, we sit down with Dallas Soonias, a former Team Canada volleyball player turned filmmaker, to unpack the reality of chasing elite performance, breaking down physically and mentally, and rebuilding from the ground up.
Dallas shares how a career-altering injury forced him to confront more than just rehab and pushed him to face the parts of himself he had been avoiding for years. What started as a pursuit to “get back on the court” turned into a deeper journey through mindset, identity, and resilience.
We dive into:
- The difference between being competitive vs. being consumed by it
- How injury became the catalyst for growth, self-awareness, and better performance
- Why being at 70% physically made him a better teammate and player
- The mental skills that separate athletes in high-pressure moments
- How to stay calm, focused, and effective when everything is on the line
- What it really means to add value to a team even when you’re not playing
- And how the lessons from sport translate directly into leadership, creativity, and life after sport
This episode is a powerful reminder that sometimes your biggest setback becomes the exact thing that elevates you if you’re willing to face it.
About Dallas
Dallas is a multi-talented actor who also writes, directs, and produces his own projects. His first short film, Frank Gets the Job Done, was commissioned by ImagineNATIVE Film Festival and TELUS Storyhive. He followed that by writing, directing, and starring in The Saint and the Bear.
In 2024, Dallas directed the western short One Click and the TV series Renegade Fever. With strong ties to the sporting world, he is also proud to be the first male Indigenous athlete to represent Canada in volleyball.
During the 2024 Summer Olympics, Dallas produced and hosted a segment for CBC Olympics, directed the Olympic opening, and worked as an analyst for CBC Sports covering volleyball.
Dallas is Nehiyaw/Anishinaabe, registered with The Chippewas of Nawash, with close ties to his father’s band, Red Pheasant. He grew up off-reserve in Red Deer, Alberta.
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