College baseball player Marika Lyszczyk made history by becoming the first female catcher to play on an NCAA men’s baseball team, and the first Canadian woman to play US college men’s baseball. Recruited to play NCAA Division 3 men’s baseball as a catcher at Rivier University, Marika has broken gender barriers that others thought were improbable or impossible. She has moved up to NCAA Division 2 and is currently playing for Sonoma State University as a pitcher. Marika continues to break barriers and uses her motivational speaking events to inspire her audiences to do the same.

Determined to follow her dream no matter how difficult it gets, Marika has overcome adversity and learned to adapt along the way by working on her strengths, not taking no for an answer, and forging relationships with others that support and believe in her through her journey. She was a member of the MLB Creator Class of 2022, selected for her social media content which focuses on being a woman in male-dominated sport. T-Mobile tapped Marika to do on-field commentating at the MLB Home-Run Derby at Dodgers Stadium, where she also conducted red carpet interviews. An up-and-coming sports reporter in addition to being a trailblazing player, Marika uses her platform to inspire young women and others to follow their dreams and pursue their goals no matter the obstacles.

Watch the SPORTSNET interview, "How Marika Lyszczyk is paving the way for all young women in sports" >>