Ultimate Voices Europe
Ultimate Voices Europe is back!
Ultimate Voices Europe (UVE) is soon launching another season featuring stories from athletes and teams from all around Europe! This season UVE podcast will be focused on women*’s ultimate and covers topics like youth development, coaching, media coverage.
What is UVE?
Ultimate Voices Europe (UVE) is a podcast that was launched by two members of the EUF’s DEI committee, Jakob Dunshirn and Anika Lünsmann in April 2025. The goal was to give voice to the stories and experiences in our sport that don’t always get the spotlight.
Through honest conversation and lived experience, UVE offers a platform for topics in European Ultimate, that are sometimes underrepresented and it surfaces conversations that can shape how we organise, compete, and connect.
Since it’s debut, the podcast has published five episodes, roughly on a monthly cadence, each one centering on gender, identity, culture or belonging in Ultimate across Europe.
Episode Highlights
Episode 1 – Levke Walczak (April 2025)
Topic: Visibility of women-matching athletes; queerness; accessibility & the power of language.
Levke discusses how different points – from gendered divisions to how we speak – shape who feels welcome at tournaments. She also asks important questions about the inclusion of trans people in our sport.
Listen here: UVE Episode 1 - Levke Walczak | Ultimate Voices Europe
Episode 2 – Nasser Mbae Vogel (May 2025)
Topic: 30 years in Ultimate — coaching, community, and facing racism in Europe.
Nasser reflects on decades of playing and coaching, offering some historical context and frank insights about his experiences as a black man in Europe.
Listen here: UVE Episode 2 - Nasser Mbae Vogel | Ultimate Voices Europe
Episode 3 – Maria Castillo (June 2025)
Topic: Culture, hype and visibility in women’s Ultimate.
Maria’s journey – from Mexico to multiple European clubs – highlights how norms, gender expectations, and attitudes toward competitiveness shape who gets seen and heard on the field.
Listen here: UVE Episode 3 - Maria Castillo | Ultimate Voices Europe
Episode 4 – Nils Ostertag (August 2025)
Topic: Life as a gay athlete in ultimate and the commercialization of the sport
Nils opens up about the push-pull between being recognized for athletic skill and living openly as a gay person and about navigating the transforming, more commercial landscape of elite Ultimate.
Listen here: UVE Episode 4 - Nils Ostertag | Ultimate Voices Europe
Episode 5 – Paula Baas (September 2025)
Topic: Experience as a nonbinary athlete; pronouns & inclusion.
Paula brings a deeply personal and practical perspective: how divisions, language, and team dynamics affect nonbinary players — and what clubs and tournaments can do to foster belonging.
Listen here: UVE Episode 5 - Paula Baas | Ultimate Voices Europe
Episode 6 – Isa Monkau (December 2025)
Topic: Dealing with endometriosis and period pain on and off the pitch
Isa Monkau talks about her experience as an athlete dealing with endometriosis and period pain both on and off the pitch. She discusses the issues of getting a correct diagnosis, being taken seriously, and the common challenges faced by female athletes when competing or training with period pain.
Listen here: UVE Episode 6 - Isa Monkau | Ultimate Voices Europe
By sharing real lived experiences, we hope to encourage teams and organisers to rethink routines, reconsider language, and rebuild spaces.
Tune in for UVE!
Ultimate Voices Europe is available for free on all major podcast platforms (Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, YouTube Music, etc.).
If you’d like to propose a guest or topic, or share your own story, you can reach out to uve-podcast@ultimatefederation.eu or send us a message in Instagram @ultimatevoiceseurope.
Connect with European Ultimate!
Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube, and search for the hashtag #EuropeanUltimate.
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