For me it's watching people that want to be good work there butts off. It doesnt matter to me what level of sport they are. I don't care if they are a 3 time Olympian, won the Crossfit Games and just finished medical school and is now volunteering in Africa with underprivileged children. They could be a regular person who drives their kids to school in the morning, takes care of the house and comes in the the gym for a class workout and puts their head down and gives it all they've got. I love watching people who dream of something they want to accomplish and will do anything and everything it takes to make it happen. NO EXCUSES.
I've had a few wow moments in the last month watching athletes i coach and i just really want to share it with the Prettystrong world.
First i train this beautiful woman, lets call her Lenna. She is a nationally ranked sand volleyball player, Crossfit regional (hopeful) competitor AND masters Olympic Weightlifter. I should also mention she is a very successful very busy full time business woman. I watch her day after day sick, tired, sometimes burnt out walk in the gym and say "lets go coach." At our gym we have a lot of "specialists" that coach there-She works with each one of us. She will do an hour and a half with our Gymnastics coach, hour lifting with me and finish her day with a metcon and sometimes volleyball practice too. She's a go get-er. She never waits for anyone to make anything happen for her she goes out and takes what she wants. Never once have i heard her say she "can't." Many days i tell HER she needs a day off after us arguing for a few minutes she usually convinces me she's fine and ready to train anyways.
Recently i was coaching her through a workout and we were discussing other athletes in all the sports and how they train and what they do differently. She told me "maybe they're not getting better today but I AM." Lets just say i had to hold back tears i was so proud of how strong and amazing of a woman she is. That night she texted me about her past with volleyball that she started playing late senior year in highschool and wasn't very good. She had dreams to play in college though even though people told her it was too late. Lenna worked all summer that year and played at as many places as she could to learn how to get better. Finally a junior college saw something in her so she played with them and still wasnt very good but kept trying and did her best everyday. Finally she got to play at a 4 year college and made that dream happen. Like i said earlier, today she is nationally ranked. I'm in awe of her on a daily basis and she pushes me in my workouts everyday. To me, she's beyond Prettystrong.
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My next story i literally do cry about on a pretty normal basis. I'll call him by his real name but you have to promise to believe i'm not being biased because he is in fact my boyfriend, Christian Lucero. He is the most relentless athlete i've ever met. He has more energy than that weird energizer bunny. Fear is NOT in his vocabulary and being one of his coaches it scares me pretty often fighting for lifts he probably could let go but fights till the death with every attempt and usually comes out with a win.
Christian is a Crossfit regional competitor and probably the most talented Crossfitter i've ever watched. I've never met an athlete in ANY sport put as much heart and soul into every single lift, muscle up, thruster...anything he's given in any workout. Christian will work a full day coaching every single class from open to close barely have time to eat all day and workout from 8-11pm and wake up at 4am and do it all over without complaining. Nothing is going to stop that boy and he pushes me everyday to be half as strong as he is (mentally AND psychically.) He's only 21 years old and has barely been in the sport a year and he's already close to making the Crossfit Games and that isn't just because of his natural talent.
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There are a lot more athletes i work with and meet through coaching and as an athlete that inspire me that way. These two specifically have been pushing me recently even if they aren't next to me during my workout. I watch how bold and tough they are and know that i am capable of it too. If at the end of the day i dont make my dreams come true but i put every ounce of me into trying and worked half as hard as them i would still feel #prettystrong
I hope this inspires all of you as much as it does for me but even if it doesnt find your star! Find what motivates you even if its just saying your prayers at night and dreaming big.
fearlessly,
Jess
awesome. thanks so much for sharing
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