YUP, THAT'S ME...
I started my competitive gymnastics career when I was 9 years old. Fast forward, and by the age of 22 I was on a full scholarship and was team captain at UC Berkeley (Cal), a top NCAA collegiate program. That was the same year I earned an NCAA Championship title on the Rings. I accumulated several top finishes at USA Championships as well, while vying for a spot on the US National and World Teams.I promise that humble is one of my core values. I mention these accomplishments and accolades for a very specific reason. I certainly didn’t start out winning. For the first 10 years or so of my competitive career, I had this deep rooted belief that I was not good enough, constantly comparing myself to other athletes I knew had more natural talent. Even when I had accomplished significant goals through the years, I vividly remember saying to myself that it’s still such a long way to the top. Rather than celebrating success and progress, no matter how big or small, the fact remained I wasn’t at the top of the pack on the bigger stages, so what was the point? And I let that hold me down mentally.
When I got to Cal, I was by no stretch of the imagination one of the most competitive athletes. I already told you how things ended up, so what changed?
Spoiler alert, it’s something that’s responsible for all my professional success today. Stay tuned…
