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Speaker 1: The way that you were created is so unique and

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Speaker 1: beautiful and there are so many strengths to who you are.

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Speaker 1: And to remind yourself and this is something I tell myself,

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Speaker 1: you have greatness inside of you.

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Speaker 2: Hey, everybody, EMILYA Badi here. You are listening to Hurdle,

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Speaker 2: a wellness focused podcast where I connect with everyone from

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Speaker 2: your favorite athletes to top experts and industry CEOs about

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Speaker 2: their highest hies, toughest moments, and everything in between. We

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Speaker 2: all go through hurdles in life, and my goal through

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Speaker 2: these discussions is to empower you to better navigate yours

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Speaker 2: and move with intention so that you can stride towards

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Speaker 2: your own big potential and of course have some fun

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Speaker 2: along the way. For this week's episode, at number two

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Speaker 2: hundred and thirty nine, I am chatting with Jordan Thompson.

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Speaker 2: She is a pro volleyball player and an Olympic gold medalist.

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Speaker 2: And if there's one thing I can say right off

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Speaker 2: the bat, it's that Jordan is she is wise, well

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Speaker 2: beyond her years. So many of the things that she

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Speaker 2: was saying. As I was sitting here listening to her,

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Speaker 2: I was just like shaking my head and thinking, Wow,

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Speaker 2: her strong growth mindset. She attributes to her time playing

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Speaker 2: with the US woman's national volleyball team, and today she

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Speaker 2: tells us how she got there, how she landed herself

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Speaker 2: a spot on the team after working her way up

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Speaker 2: in the sport, playing at Cincinnati and now overseas for

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Speaker 2: a team that she has been dreaming of playing on

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Speaker 2: for some time now. Jordan talks to us about how

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Speaker 2: pro volleyball works similar to basketball, why so many of

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Speaker 2: the best players from the United States go up broad

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Speaker 2: to play and gain experience. She also chats about one

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Speaker 2: of her big hurdle moments, navigating an injury that had

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Speaker 2: her reevaluating what it meant to be a team player.

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Speaker 2: Jordan and I also chat about what it's like for

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Speaker 2: her to be one of the few black women in

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Speaker 2: her sport and her hopes for the sport moving forward,

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Speaker 2: plus the high value she puts on the relationship that

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Speaker 2: she has with her teammates, and how lucky she feels

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Speaker 2: to have some of the best of the best as

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Speaker 2: her mentors, including Jordan Larsen, who have had on the show.

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Speaker 2: I'm going to link her episode in the show notes.

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Speaker 2: Super happy that we were able to find the time

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Speaker 2: to have this convo. A huge thanks to the good

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Speaker 2: folks at under Armour for connecting us. And on that note,

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Speaker 2: if there is someone you want to hear from on

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Speaker 2: the show, I am all ears. Feel free to shoot

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Speaker 2: us a dm over at Hurdle Podcast or email me

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Speaker 2: over at Hello at Hurdle dot us. But not least

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Speaker 2: I'm putting a call out I would love your listener

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Speaker 2: questions for an upcoming listener Questions episode. So whatever you got,

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Speaker 2: it can be about sports, it can be about life, health, work, career, whatever.

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Speaker 2: The link to leave me one is in the show notes.

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Speaker 2: And with that, let's get to it. Let's get to

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Speaker 2: hurdling today. I am sitting down with Jordan Thompson. She's

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Speaker 2: a pro volleyball player. She's also an Olympic gold medalist.

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Speaker 2: How are you doing today?

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Speaker 3: I'm great? How are you?

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Speaker 2: I'm great, I'm We kind of rapped about this a

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Speaker 2: little bit before this formally started, but honestly, I'm just

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Speaker 2: a little bit jealous that you are sitting in Italy

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Speaker 2: and I am sitting in Brooklyn.

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Speaker 3: Yeah.

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Speaker 1: No, it's a great place to be, it's a great

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Speaker 1: place to work. Definitely park from home, but it's fun.

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Speaker 2: A little bit are from home. So right now you

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Speaker 2: are over in Italy playing with a series A one team.

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Speaker 2: Talk to us a little bit about what that's like

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Speaker 2: for you.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, it's really exciting. Italy has one of the strongest

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Speaker 1: leagues in the world for volleyball, and so I'm playing

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Speaker 1: with a team called Vero volley Milan, formerly known as

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Speaker 1: Baro Valimonza, and so this is a team that I've

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Speaker 1: been trying to get on for a few years now,

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Speaker 1: and so I'm just really excited to be here. And

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Speaker 1: it's been really cool, just a lot of strong competition,

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Speaker 1: and it's exciting because I feel like things are kind

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Speaker 1: of falling into place for me in terms of my

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Speaker 1: career and just feeling like I'm finally building again.

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Speaker 3: So I'm really excited to be here.

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Speaker 2: And when you say trying to get on for a

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Speaker 2: few years now, what does that look like.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, so it's kind of interesting.

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Speaker 1: There are when you think about like the volleyball world,

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Speaker 1: there are differ different leagues in different countries all around

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Speaker 1: the world, and there are specific countries that have stronger leagues,

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Speaker 1: and then within those leagues there are stronger teams and

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Speaker 1: so as an opposite, which is my position. You have

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Speaker 1: like one starter, one starting opposite on each team, and

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Speaker 1: so there aren't many really big jobs out there that

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Speaker 1: are on a really high level team where you are

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Speaker 1: going to make good money and it's going to be

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Speaker 1: like a really great situation, and so I knew that

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Speaker 1: this was a club where it had all of those things.

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Speaker 1: I was going to be playing high level volleyball, have

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Speaker 1: a great coach, just a great living situation, and be

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Speaker 1: able to play in a really strong league. And so

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Speaker 1: this was somewhere that I've been wanting to come to

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Speaker 1: for a while now. And it's sort of difficult because

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Speaker 1: the job just hadn't really opened up in the way

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Speaker 1: that I kind of needed it to, and then I

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Speaker 1: had signed other contracts to play other places, so we

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Speaker 1: were just kind of missing each other for a while.

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Speaker 2: Right like ships in the night. So being there, now,

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Speaker 2: how does it feel.

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Speaker 3: It's awesome.

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Speaker 1: It's I don't even know how to describe it, honestly,

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Speaker 1: because I had kind of a few rough seasons overseas

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Speaker 1: and I was like, listen, if this is how professional

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Speaker 1: volleyball is, I cannot do this as a career, Like

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Speaker 1: maybe I'm just not cut out for it, Like maybe

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Speaker 1: maybe I'm not tough enough to do this job.

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Speaker 3: I don't know, and coming.

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Speaker 1: Here and realizing that this experience is a possible, Like

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Speaker 1: it's possible to have this kind of experience and have

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Speaker 1: such a positive one and kind of get my love

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Speaker 1: for the game back and really bond with my teammates

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Speaker 1: and have fun playing to have this experience, it's I've

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Speaker 1: been just feeling really thankful and blessed because for a

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Speaker 1: while there I was just a little bit nervous, like, Okay,

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Speaker 1: maybe maybe this like isn't the career for me, Like

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Speaker 1: you know, I want to play national team, and that's

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Speaker 1: a huge reason why I'm over here playing professionally, but

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Speaker 1: is it worth it? And so coming here it's like, Okay, yes,

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Speaker 1: you're doing the right thing. This is worth it, and

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Speaker 1: I'm going to have a fun time doing it.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, your whole like energy shifted when you started talking

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Speaker 2: about how it feels to play there now after as

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Speaker 2: you said, having a few tough seasons. How would it

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Speaker 2: feel for you if we explored what those tough seasons

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Speaker 2: consisted of.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, it might be a little triggering, no, but

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Speaker 1: I'm definitely.

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Speaker 2: Open to it, open to it. So talk to us

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Speaker 2: about the tough seasons. Talk to us about how those

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Speaker 2: were different than what you're experiencing now in this new chapter.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, I think a huge differences.

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Speaker 1: I mean, one, I'm healthy here, and so I think

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Speaker 1: that's really helpful, having different support staff at different clubs

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Speaker 1: and going into places not knowing what that's going to

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Speaker 1: look like, what kind of physio you'll have, and you know,

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Speaker 1: if the club will give you the time you need

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Speaker 1: to recover from injuries and stuff like that, it can

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Speaker 1: be really daunting. And so I was in a situation

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Speaker 1: where I went into a season with an injury and

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Speaker 1: I just wasn't able to get the time I needed

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Speaker 1: to heal. And so, you know, you play this game

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Speaker 1: of like I have to. You know, you want to

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Speaker 1: work hard for the team, you want to be there

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Speaker 1: for the girls, but at the same time, you're looking

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Speaker 1: at yourself like I'm pushing myself to a point where

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Speaker 1: I might be jeopardizing my career and my long term health.

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Speaker 1: And so trying to play that balancing game can be

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Speaker 1: really difficult. And so I think it was just a

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Speaker 1: lot of different things kind of thrown at me at

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Speaker 1: one time. But like I said, again, I'm just really

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Speaker 1: thankful to be having a positive experience.

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Speaker 2: Now, Yeah, it's so understandable the feelings that you articulated

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Speaker 2: that it can be frustrating and definitely triggering to think

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Speaker 2: about a time when you were putting your own personal

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Speaker 2: health and well being into jeopardy in favor of the team.

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Speaker 2: With volleyball being a team sport, what have you learned

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Speaker 2: about perhaps the necessity to really listen to what's happening

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Speaker 2: with you so that you can show up for all

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Speaker 2: these other people that you care about.

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Speaker 1: I think I've learned that, like, if I'm not showing

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Speaker 1: up for myself and I'm not the best version of me,

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Speaker 1: whether that's like one day I'm at my one hundred

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Speaker 1: percent or maybe the best version of me is me

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Speaker 1: at my sixty percent. If I'm not there and listening

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Speaker 1: to my body and what I need and showing up

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Speaker 1: for myself, then I'm ultimately not being there for my

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Speaker 1: teammates and showing up for them in the way that

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Speaker 1: they deserve. And so sometimes I'm definitely a people pleaser,

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Speaker 1: so I'll kind of not want to think about like, Okay, well,

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Speaker 1: you know, maybe I need just like a day off,

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Speaker 1: or maybe I need time to just reset and recover

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Speaker 1: whatever it may be. And I'm like, Okay, well what

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Speaker 1: about the team, and maybe it's not fair to them

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Speaker 1: or blah blah blah. And it's like, you know, if

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Speaker 1: we all individually take care of ourselves and pour into

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Speaker 1: ourselves so we can show up and be the best

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Speaker 1: for our team, like, that's when you have the strongest

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Speaker 1: group of women to play this sport. And so I

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Speaker 1: think it can sometimes be hard because you want to

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Speaker 1: just constantly pour into the team, poor into the team,

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Speaker 1: and you have to remember, like you're part of that team,

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Speaker 1: so remember to pour into yourself.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, And really it's the whole concept of like putting

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Speaker 2: your own oxygen mask on before you can help someone

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Speaker 2: else around you. In practice, sometimes though, that's harder to

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Speaker 2: do than we may be able to dole out that

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Speaker 2: advice to somebody else. Right, Like when you're looking at

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Speaker 2: a teammate and you see that she's so burnt out

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Speaker 2: and you're like, dude, you need to take some time. Yeah,

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Speaker 2: you might be going through the exact same thing, and

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Speaker 2: it's like, do I need to take that time?

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Speaker 3: Right? Right?

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Speaker 1: I think it's hard, and like I said, you just

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Speaker 1: want to Sometimes you feel guilty for that, but just

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Speaker 1: reminding yourself that at the end of the day, by

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Speaker 1: you being good for yourself, you're being good for your teammates.

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Speaker 1: I think you have to go back to that so

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Speaker 1: you don't get consumed with the guilt. If that's something

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Speaker 1: that you're struggling with.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, for sure. Well we kind of dove right

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Speaker 2: into this. But the fun fact that I love about

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Speaker 2: you is that when you started playing sports, you actually

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Speaker 2: started with basketball. Do you remember the choice on pivoting

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Speaker 2: from basketball to volleyball way back in middle school?

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Speaker 1: Yeah, I just I remember my dad played basketball professionally

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Speaker 1: for a long time for the Harlem Globe Chatters, so

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Speaker 1: that was really cool. And so yeah, for for me

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Speaker 1: growing up, it was kind of just natural, like, well,

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Speaker 1: I just play basketball until I kind of find something

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Speaker 1: I like. And I remember my parents telling my brother

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Speaker 1: and I like, you're not going to be like f ups.

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Speaker 1: You're gonna be like contributing members of society, and so

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Speaker 1: you need to play a sport, be involved in something,

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Speaker 1: go to college, get an education. And I'm like, okay, like, yeah,

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Speaker 1: I'm gonna do what I swear. I just wanted to,

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Speaker 1: like please my parents and do what they had asked.

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Speaker 1: And so played basketball for a long time and then

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Speaker 1: it was just too much of a contact sport for me,

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Speaker 1: Like the amount of times I would start hyperventilating because

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Speaker 1: I was crying from getting hit.

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Speaker 3: Was just like I need to find something different.

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Speaker 1: And I had a friend in middle school who was

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Speaker 1: trying out for the volleyball team, and so I was like, Okay,

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Speaker 1: well I'll just try it.

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Speaker 3: Like I know absolutely nothing about the sport.

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Speaker 1: Like I got to the tryout, they had to teach

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Speaker 1: me like how to put my hands together to pass

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Speaker 1: the ball, and but I just remember like having so

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Speaker 1: much fun learning a new sport and getting to play

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Speaker 1: a different kind of team sport, and so I think

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Speaker 1: I just like fell in love with it right away.

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Speaker 1: And I told my dad, you know, I don't think

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Speaker 1: I want to keep playing basketball. I think I want

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Speaker 1: to really like see what I can do with volleyball.

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Speaker 1: And he he didn't care at all. He just wanted

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Speaker 1: me to have fun playing a sport and just enjoy it.

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Speaker 2: Was that one of those scenarios that you were telling

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Speaker 2: yourself a certain story, kind of hesitant to give him

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Speaker 2: the details, like tell him like this is what I

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Speaker 2: want to do.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, because I guess like in my head, I was thinking, Okay,

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Speaker 1: I have to play a sport. I'll play basketball, and

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Speaker 1: I'll make my dad proud. I'll just go to college

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Speaker 1: with a scholarship and then I'll just play the WNBA.

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Speaker 3: And I'm like, at no point was I.

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Speaker 1: Ever good enough playing the WNBA or like on that trajectory.

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Speaker 1: But I was nervous because I didn't want to disappoint him.

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Speaker 1: But at the end of the day, he just reassured me, like,

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Speaker 1: you don't need to play basketball. I just want you

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Speaker 1: to have fun and play a sport.

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Speaker 2: So, yeah, so you get into playing volleyball. I also

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Speaker 2: feel like it's important to note here you're six or four,

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Speaker 2: Is that right? Yes, so you already knew from the

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Speaker 2: get go that you were going to be destined to

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Speaker 2: do something where height could help you to your advantage.

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Speaker 3: Yes, definitely.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, this is something from a girl who stands tall

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Speaker 2: at five four, so I can see how that could

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Speaker 2: be good for you. So you get into volleyball and

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Speaker 2: you and you like what you're experiencing, and do you

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Speaker 2: know pretty shortly in that you want to take this

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Speaker 2: farther than just playing in high school.

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Speaker 1: I think I knew maybe after like a year of

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Speaker 1: playing that I was like, Okay, maybe I could try

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Speaker 1: to get a scholarship to college and see what that

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Speaker 1: looks like. And sure enough, my freshman year, I had

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Speaker 1: a school looking at me. And I remember my high

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Speaker 1: school coach said, because I was going to go on

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Speaker 1: a visit, she was like, do not commit to this school,

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Speaker 1: Like you are going to have different offers, Like, do

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Speaker 1: not verbally commit to them. Just wait it out, Like

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Speaker 1: I know it's exciting, but like, go there, have an

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Speaker 1: open mind, just do not.

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Speaker 3: Commit to them.

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Speaker 1: I'm like, okay, cool, got it. I go there and

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Speaker 1: I come back. I'm like, I verbally committed.

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Speaker 3: And I told her.

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Speaker 1: I was like, I just don't think that, like another

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Speaker 1: opportunity is going to come my way.

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Speaker 3: This seems like a really good one. You know, I

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Speaker 3: can have.

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Speaker 1: A full ride scholarship, and that's really all I'm like

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Speaker 1: needing this for. Like, of course I want to play

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Speaker 1: volleyball in college, and that seems like so much fun.

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Speaker 3: But the ultimate goal was my parents said I need

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Speaker 3: to go to college.

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Speaker 1: They can't afford to pay for that, so I need

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Speaker 1: a scholarship, and so I remember my coach was just like, Okay, well.

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Speaker 2: I tried, did other offers end up coming in?

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Speaker 1: Yeah, so other schools would you know, send letters or emails?

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Speaker 1: And there ended up being a coaching change at the

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Speaker 1: school that I was committed to, and so I ended

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Speaker 1: up decommitting and sort of trying to figure out like, Okay,

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Speaker 1: maybe that wasn't like where I was supposed to end up,

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Speaker 1: and just trying to figure out where I was going

300
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Speaker 1: to go. And it was just interesting because I would

301
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Speaker 1: have some I guess, like bigger volleyball schools maybe reaching

302
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Speaker 1: out and showing interest, and I couldn't decide really like

303
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Speaker 1: what I wanted. I was really just unsure and I

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00:16:13,880 --> 00:16:15,920
Speaker 1: didn't want to make the wrong decision, and I ended

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00:16:16,000 --> 00:16:18,000
Speaker 1: up I was talking to my best friend in high

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Speaker 1: school and she was committed to Cincinnati, and she was like, well,

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Speaker 1: why don't.

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Speaker 3: You just come on a visit and like, but do

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Speaker 3: you think they would want me?

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Speaker 1: Like, I don't even know if I'm good enough to

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Speaker 1: like play there, And so she reached out to the

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Speaker 1: coach and the.

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Speaker 3: Coach was like, yeah, of course, like we'd love to

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Speaker 3: have her on a visit.

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Speaker 1: And I just remember driving into the city, like I

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Speaker 1: just landed at the airport. We're driving in, not even

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Speaker 1: on campus yet, and just the feeling that I had

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Speaker 1: driving in, I was like, why does this feel like

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Speaker 1: a second home already? Like I haven't even seen anything yet.

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Speaker 1: And then talking with the coaching staff and meeting the team,

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Speaker 1: I was like, Okay, yeah, this is for sure where

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Speaker 1: I'm supposed to be.

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Speaker 2: Talk to me about what it was like for you

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Speaker 2: to balance sport and school, knowing that, as you said,

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Speaker 2: your parents really valued you getting an education.

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Speaker 3: It was actually easier than I thought it was going

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Speaker 3: to be.

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Speaker 2: Okay.

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Speaker 1: It's interesting because I remember in high school all of

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Speaker 1: our teachers telling us like, well, you can't this isn't

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Speaker 1: going to slide in college, like they're not going to

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Speaker 1: let this happen in college, and just being really kind

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Speaker 1: of tough on us and really trying to repair us

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Speaker 1: for college and what it was going to be like.

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Speaker 1: And I remember getting there and I'm like, oh, I

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Speaker 1: have like one or two classes a day and then

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00:17:31,920 --> 00:17:33,440
Speaker 1: I have the rest of the day to like go

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Speaker 1: to practice and do my homework and study tables and everything.

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00:17:37,600 --> 00:17:42,200
Speaker 1: And playing a sport in college and having that structure

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00:17:43,920 --> 00:17:46,160
Speaker 1: at least at Cincinnati, they made it hard for you

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Speaker 1: to fail because there were so many different people checking

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Speaker 1: in with you. You had your eight hours of study

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Speaker 1: tables every week that you had to do and you

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Speaker 1: had to schedule those, and you had to meet with

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Speaker 1: your academic advisor, and your coach would check in with you,

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Speaker 1: and your teammates would talk to you about class and

347
00:18:03,880 --> 00:18:06,520
Speaker 1: stuff like that. So for me, I felt like there

348
00:18:06,520 --> 00:18:10,080
Speaker 1: were so many different structures in place so that it

349
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Speaker 1: was I felt really supported and also knowing that, like,

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Speaker 1: all my teammates are doing the same thing, so I

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Speaker 1: don't want to feel like the odd one out and I'm.

352
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Speaker 3: Like, oh, this is just too hard. I can't do it.

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Speaker 1: I was like, okay, I got a stand tap of

354
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Speaker 1: things and really lock in because I also want to.

355
00:18:28,400 --> 00:18:33,000
Speaker 3: Make sure that I can make volleyball a priority as well. Yeah.

356
00:18:33,200 --> 00:18:35,720
Speaker 2: Yeah, so you're making it a priority. You're in the

357
00:18:35,760 --> 00:18:41,600
Speaker 2: thick of things and you struggle with a pretty devastating injury.

358
00:18:41,640 --> 00:18:45,359
Speaker 2: Talk to me about what it was like to damage

359
00:18:45,359 --> 00:18:46,000
Speaker 2: your UCL.

360
00:18:46,400 --> 00:18:51,440
Speaker 3: So that was just a really bizarre injury. I was playing.

361
00:18:51,560 --> 00:18:54,639
Speaker 1: It was in the summer before season, before preseason started,

362
00:18:54,680 --> 00:18:58,119
Speaker 1: and we were just playing an open gym and we

363
00:18:58,160 --> 00:19:01,040
Speaker 1: were playing defense and there was a ball hit and

364
00:19:01,080 --> 00:19:02,960
Speaker 1: it was sort of coming in between me and a

365
00:19:03,000 --> 00:19:05,639
Speaker 1: different teammate and she crossed in front of me and

366
00:19:05,680 --> 00:19:08,399
Speaker 1: I reached out to try to play the ball, and

367
00:19:08,440 --> 00:19:10,800
Speaker 1: I basically ended up punching her in the back and

368
00:19:11,040 --> 00:19:15,280
Speaker 1: hyper extending my elbow and completely tearing my UCL. And

369
00:19:15,800 --> 00:19:18,240
Speaker 1: I didn't realize it at the time. I just knew like, oh,

370
00:19:18,280 --> 00:19:20,280
Speaker 1: that really hurt. I'm going to go get it checked

371
00:19:20,280 --> 00:19:24,880
Speaker 1: out after practice, And a few weeks later, it still

372
00:19:24,920 --> 00:19:27,240
Speaker 1: wasn't feeling better, and so they're like, okay, we should

373
00:19:27,240 --> 00:19:29,480
Speaker 1: probably like take you to get an MRI make sure

374
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Speaker 1: everything's okay. And I remember I had talked with this

375
00:19:34,200 --> 00:19:37,600
Speaker 1: doctor so many times before and knew him pretty well,

376
00:19:37,600 --> 00:19:39,640
Speaker 1: and he's like, yeah, why don't you come back into

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00:19:39,640 --> 00:19:42,679
Speaker 1: my office. I'm like, that's weird, Like why can't you

378
00:19:42,720 --> 00:19:45,920
Speaker 1: talk to me here in the in the room. And

379
00:19:46,080 --> 00:19:48,680
Speaker 1: so my coach and I go back there and he's like, yeah,

380
00:19:48,720 --> 00:19:50,200
Speaker 1: so you tore your UCL.

381
00:19:50,320 --> 00:19:52,040
Speaker 3: You're going to need surgery and you're going to be

382
00:19:52,040 --> 00:19:52,600
Speaker 3: out for a year.

383
00:19:53,320 --> 00:19:57,359
Speaker 1: So just like stared at my coach and I and

384
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Speaker 1: I was like immediately devastated. I felt like my life

385
00:20:01,040 --> 00:20:03,600
Speaker 1: was over. I always said that my biggest fear was

386
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Speaker 1: getting injured. And I was just really thankful to like

387
00:20:08,880 --> 00:20:11,119
Speaker 1: have my coach there in that moment to support me

388
00:20:11,440 --> 00:20:12,480
Speaker 1: and just.

389
00:20:12,520 --> 00:20:14,400
Speaker 3: Kind of like be my mom.

390
00:20:15,560 --> 00:20:18,320
Speaker 1: And so she was like, you know, it's gonna be okay,

391
00:20:18,640 --> 00:20:22,200
Speaker 1: We're going to figure this out. Super comforting, and then

392
00:20:22,920 --> 00:20:25,439
Speaker 1: we ended up going and grabbing coffee and she's like,

393
00:20:26,080 --> 00:20:28,080
Speaker 1: you know, if you think about it, this could you

394
00:20:28,080 --> 00:20:29,960
Speaker 1: know we can make this a positive, Like it will

395
00:20:30,000 --> 00:20:32,120
Speaker 1: be okay. I know it's tough, but you'll have more

396
00:20:32,119 --> 00:20:35,040
Speaker 1: time here to continue getting stronger and learning and growing

397
00:20:35,520 --> 00:20:40,280
Speaker 1: and stuff like that. And so I ended up I

398
00:20:40,320 --> 00:20:42,399
Speaker 1: was really nervous because I didn't know how it would

399
00:20:42,400 --> 00:20:45,119
Speaker 1: come out on the other side. Like I didn't know

400
00:20:45,160 --> 00:20:48,480
Speaker 1: if I would still be like a good volleyball player.

401
00:20:48,640 --> 00:20:50,720
Speaker 1: I didn't know how my elbow is going to respond.

402
00:20:50,840 --> 00:20:54,680
Speaker 1: But I just remember, like I just made the decision,

403
00:20:54,720 --> 00:20:57,480
Speaker 1: like I'm gonna come back stronger, like I I'm not

404
00:20:57,560 --> 00:20:58,439
Speaker 1: gonna let this.

405
00:20:59,400 --> 00:21:00,560
Speaker 3: Be a huge set back.

406
00:21:00,600 --> 00:21:04,199
Speaker 1: And so I was watching a ton of film, you know,

407
00:21:04,680 --> 00:21:07,360
Speaker 1: watching my team play, trying to encourage them as best

408
00:21:07,359 --> 00:21:12,520
Speaker 1: as I could. Going home, watching film, watching other teams overseas,

409
00:21:12,520 --> 00:21:15,639
Speaker 1: play watching people in my position, just thinking like, Okay,

410
00:21:16,080 --> 00:21:18,400
Speaker 1: if I can't play the game, how can I continue

411
00:21:18,440 --> 00:21:21,399
Speaker 1: to like soak it in and see things better and

412
00:21:21,560 --> 00:21:24,480
Speaker 1: just use this as a time to grow. And so

413
00:21:25,520 --> 00:21:27,840
Speaker 1: I definitely for a while, for the first few months,

414
00:21:27,880 --> 00:21:28,720
Speaker 1: had kind.

415
00:21:28,560 --> 00:21:29,000
Speaker 3: Of like a.

416
00:21:31,119 --> 00:21:34,479
Speaker 1: Just like sad mindset. But I think that's normal, like

417
00:21:34,640 --> 00:21:37,840
Speaker 1: you're devastated you have an injury. But once I kind

418
00:21:37,880 --> 00:21:40,280
Speaker 1: of made that decision of like, Okay, there's nothing I

419
00:21:40,320 --> 00:21:43,080
Speaker 1: can do about this, like about the situation I'm in,

420
00:21:43,760 --> 00:21:46,760
Speaker 1: but I can kind of turn this into a positive

421
00:21:46,960 --> 00:21:50,920
Speaker 1: and use this time to the best of my ability.

422
00:21:50,960 --> 00:21:53,359
Speaker 1: And I think just really focused on that and it

423
00:21:53,400 --> 00:21:55,600
Speaker 1: was really helpful just coming out on the other side.

424
00:21:56,280 --> 00:22:00,399
Speaker 2: Yeah. Wow, what an impressive mindset to take on as especially.

425
00:22:00,440 --> 00:22:02,520
Speaker 2: I mean, you've mentioned an injury a couple of times here,

426
00:22:02,600 --> 00:22:05,280
Speaker 2: I know, the one that we just referenced clearly super

427
00:22:05,680 --> 00:22:09,639
Speaker 2: devastating for you. For someone who's navigating their own injuries

428
00:22:09,760 --> 00:22:13,480
Speaker 2: or maybe even just a setback in general, what did

429
00:22:13,520 --> 00:22:17,120
Speaker 2: those experience teach you that you could share with them.

430
00:22:19,000 --> 00:22:19,720
Speaker 3: I think.

431
00:22:21,840 --> 00:22:25,800
Speaker 1: It's really difficult whether you're dealing with a physical injury

432
00:22:25,920 --> 00:22:29,600
Speaker 1: or something. Maybe it's mental health or just some kind

433
00:22:29,640 --> 00:22:32,720
Speaker 1: of life struggle. I'm not someone who really I don't

434
00:22:32,720 --> 00:22:34,360
Speaker 1: want to be super overly.

435
00:22:34,040 --> 00:22:35,160
Speaker 3: Positive about everything.

436
00:22:35,200 --> 00:22:38,159
Speaker 1: I like to be very realistic and like, Okay, this sucks,

437
00:22:38,560 --> 00:22:40,840
Speaker 1: but how can I make it better? And how can

438
00:22:40,880 --> 00:22:44,720
Speaker 1: I if there's not a positive create one. So I

439
00:22:44,760 --> 00:22:49,359
Speaker 1: think allowing yourself the time to grieve if that's something

440
00:22:49,359 --> 00:22:52,600
Speaker 1: that needs to happen, and be upset and feel those emotions.

441
00:22:53,280 --> 00:22:57,159
Speaker 1: But then once you've kind of worked through that process, Okay,

442
00:22:57,560 --> 00:22:59,960
Speaker 1: what's the next step forward from here? And how can

443
00:23:00,119 --> 00:23:03,879
Speaker 1: I just continue to move forward in a positive way.

444
00:23:04,480 --> 00:23:06,919
Speaker 1: I think that's the biggest thing, because I don't know,

445
00:23:06,960 --> 00:23:10,480
Speaker 1: it's just it's really difficult when you whatever situation you're in,

446
00:23:10,560 --> 00:23:15,840
Speaker 1: to just be in a crappy situation and feel like, Okay, well,

447
00:23:16,320 --> 00:23:19,080
Speaker 1: how do I move forward from this? And I think

448
00:23:19,280 --> 00:23:21,679
Speaker 1: having a support system is huge in that, and so

449
00:23:23,000 --> 00:23:25,199
Speaker 1: I really leaned on my friends and my family and

450
00:23:25,240 --> 00:23:28,560
Speaker 1: my coaching staff to kind of help me in those

451
00:23:28,600 --> 00:23:31,760
Speaker 1: moments where I felt like, Okay, I'm trying to move

452
00:23:31,800 --> 00:23:33,560
Speaker 1: forward in a positive way, but I'm just having one

453
00:23:33,600 --> 00:23:36,000
Speaker 1: of those days where I'm feeling really discouraged because maybe

454
00:23:36,040 --> 00:23:39,280
Speaker 1: I'm having a setback in my rehab and so I

455
00:23:39,359 --> 00:23:41,560
Speaker 1: kind of need you to help encourage me right now.

456
00:23:42,400 --> 00:23:44,560
Speaker 1: But I think having a support system is huge.

457
00:23:45,320 --> 00:23:49,440
Speaker 2: Yeah, and so much awareness on your part to recognize

458
00:23:49,480 --> 00:23:51,320
Speaker 2: that it can be both right, like, it can be

459
00:23:51,359 --> 00:23:53,840
Speaker 2: a hard time, and you also have the opportunity to

460
00:23:53,920 --> 00:23:56,359
Speaker 2: lean on others to get to where you want to

461
00:23:56,400 --> 00:23:59,520
Speaker 2: be and also recognizing where you want to be. I

462
00:23:59,520 --> 00:24:04,080
Speaker 2: think that can be really truly just so difficult. So again,

463
00:24:04,119 --> 00:24:09,639
Speaker 2: that awareness is so impressive. And to hear you talk

464
00:24:09,760 --> 00:24:14,639
Speaker 2: about that value in leaning on others, I would be

465
00:24:14,800 --> 00:24:19,360
Speaker 2: curious to hear what that's like for you now, playing

466
00:24:19,640 --> 00:24:23,280
Speaker 2: so far away from your friends and family, how do

467
00:24:23,359 --> 00:24:27,560
Speaker 2: you pick yourself up on those hard days being across

468
00:24:27,600 --> 00:24:28,359
Speaker 2: the pond in Italy.

469
00:24:29,440 --> 00:24:33,760
Speaker 1: Yeah, I'm still clinging to my teammates and my family.

470
00:24:33,960 --> 00:24:36,600
Speaker 1: I actually just am now kind of getting out of

471
00:24:36,600 --> 00:24:39,600
Speaker 1: a rough patch. I wasn't feeling very well and I

472
00:24:39,680 --> 00:24:41,719
Speaker 1: was kind of like sick, didn't have a lot of energy,

473
00:24:42,040 --> 00:24:44,480
Speaker 1: not playing good volleyball, and I'm like, what is going on?

474
00:24:44,560 --> 00:24:47,800
Speaker 3: It just seemed like so many things were not going.

475
00:24:47,600 --> 00:24:49,960
Speaker 1: Right, and I a few weeks ago, sat down with

476
00:24:50,000 --> 00:24:53,320
Speaker 1: two of my teammates and one of them was Jordan Larson,

477
00:24:53,359 --> 00:24:57,399
Speaker 1: and I was just like, how do you stay motivated

478
00:24:57,440 --> 00:25:00,119
Speaker 1: and stay positive when it's such a long season and

479
00:25:00,240 --> 00:25:04,080
Speaker 1: things aren't going your way, Like things aren't kind of

480
00:25:04,160 --> 00:25:06,280
Speaker 1: clicking like they usually do and you don't feel in

481
00:25:06,320 --> 00:25:09,440
Speaker 1: this rhythm. And she was like, you have to think

482
00:25:09,480 --> 00:25:11,399
Speaker 1: about like it's like putting money in the bank and

483
00:25:11,520 --> 00:25:14,200
Speaker 1: just you're investing and you're showing up every day and

484
00:25:14,760 --> 00:25:16,359
Speaker 1: the consistency will pay off.

485
00:25:16,480 --> 00:25:16,800
Speaker 3: And so.

486
00:25:18,800 --> 00:25:21,600
Speaker 1: It was something really simple. But to hear her say

487
00:25:21,640 --> 00:25:23,879
Speaker 1: it as somebody I really look up to and a

488
00:25:23,920 --> 00:25:27,639
Speaker 1: player who has so many amazing accomplishments in this sport,

489
00:25:28,400 --> 00:25:32,000
Speaker 1: I think hearing it from her, it was like, oh duh,

490
00:25:32,080 --> 00:25:34,760
Speaker 1: Like I'm just going to keep working hard and keep

491
00:25:34,840 --> 00:25:37,360
Speaker 1: putting in the time and effort and eventually it has

492
00:25:37,480 --> 00:25:41,320
Speaker 1: to pay off. Like I can't just be in this

493
00:25:41,440 --> 00:25:44,280
Speaker 1: funk forever, like maybe I can't see the end of

494
00:25:44,640 --> 00:25:47,720
Speaker 1: this long tunnel of just seems like it's dark and

495
00:25:47,760 --> 00:25:49,479
Speaker 1: things aren't clicking and I'm not in a rhythm, but

496
00:25:50,119 --> 00:25:52,399
Speaker 1: I'll get there eventually. Eventually I'll see the light. And

497
00:25:52,480 --> 00:25:55,240
Speaker 1: so just kind of like, Okay, I'm going to keep

498
00:25:55,240 --> 00:25:59,160
Speaker 1: putting my head down, putting in the work and staying consistent,

499
00:25:59,359 --> 00:26:04,640
Speaker 1: and so my teammates just continue to be my support system.

500
00:26:04,720 --> 00:26:06,919
Speaker 1: And I think that's something that's really special. When you

501
00:26:06,960 --> 00:26:09,960
Speaker 1: go overseas and you have different foreigners on your team,

502
00:26:10,200 --> 00:26:12,000
Speaker 1: you guys are kind of in the same boat, you know,

503
00:26:12,119 --> 00:26:16,200
Speaker 1: like you're all far away from home and you don't

504
00:26:16,200 --> 00:26:18,000
Speaker 1: get to go home for the holidays and you miss

505
00:26:18,000 --> 00:26:20,720
Speaker 1: your family and your friends and your pets and whatever.

506
00:26:21,680 --> 00:26:25,199
Speaker 1: But to have each other is just really important. So

507
00:26:25,280 --> 00:26:28,520
Speaker 1: I think if you have different foreigners or just your

508
00:26:28,520 --> 00:26:31,560
Speaker 1: teammates in general, being able to lean on them, at

509
00:26:31,640 --> 00:26:33,119
Speaker 1: least for me, has been really huge.

510
00:26:33,800 --> 00:26:36,520
Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, totally. Jordan's went on the show. She's an

511
00:26:36,560 --> 00:26:40,520
Speaker 2: absolute delight, an absolute delight. So I'm so happy to

512
00:26:40,560 --> 00:26:44,480
Speaker 2: hear that you guys have one another to be support system.

513
00:26:45,119 --> 00:26:48,320
Speaker 2: I think it could be helpful here for us, just

514
00:26:48,320 --> 00:26:52,200
Speaker 2: for those that might not be familiar with how playing

515
00:26:52,280 --> 00:26:55,080
Speaker 2: volleyball works at your level, if you could give them

516
00:26:55,119 --> 00:26:59,000
Speaker 2: some insight into why you do have to travel overseas

517
00:26:59,520 --> 00:27:01,280
Speaker 2: to play at this point.

518
00:27:02,000 --> 00:27:06,879
Speaker 1: Yeah, so right now in the States, there aren't many

519
00:27:06,960 --> 00:27:11,280
Speaker 1: options for us to play professional volleyball at a super

520
00:27:11,320 --> 00:27:14,000
Speaker 1: high level for a long period of time, to have

521
00:27:14,040 --> 00:27:18,480
Speaker 1: that kind of normal professional season and have the same

522
00:27:19,040 --> 00:27:23,200
Speaker 1: like competitive pay. And so there are a few leagues

523
00:27:23,240 --> 00:27:26,920
Speaker 1: that are actually getting started pretty soon in the States,

524
00:27:27,040 --> 00:27:30,280
Speaker 1: but as of right now, our best option to make

525
00:27:30,359 --> 00:27:32,879
Speaker 1: good money and have really high level volleyball is to

526
00:27:32,920 --> 00:27:35,919
Speaker 1: go overseas and find different teams to play on.

527
00:27:36,640 --> 00:27:40,000
Speaker 2: Having had the opportunity to play for a Team USA,

528
00:27:40,040 --> 00:27:44,080
Speaker 2: do you feel a little bit differently playing overseas or like,

529
00:27:44,160 --> 00:27:45,320
Speaker 2: how does that shake out for you?

530
00:27:46,840 --> 00:27:51,320
Speaker 1: Yeah, I think playing with Team USA and winning gold,

531
00:27:52,359 --> 00:27:52,760
Speaker 1: I kind of.

532
00:27:52,720 --> 00:27:54,119
Speaker 3: Feel like I have more street credit.

533
00:27:55,240 --> 00:27:59,240
Speaker 1: Yeah, it sounds kind of funny, but I think, you know,

534
00:27:59,320 --> 00:28:04,160
Speaker 1: being overseas, being a younger player and trying to hold

535
00:28:04,200 --> 00:28:08,000
Speaker 1: your own you can sometimes kind of be used as

536
00:28:08,040 --> 00:28:11,960
Speaker 1: like the scapegoat and just like, oh, well, it's because

537
00:28:12,000 --> 00:28:14,600
Speaker 1: the younger players are, you know, messing up practice or

538
00:28:14,640 --> 00:28:18,119
Speaker 1: the game or whatever, and so not to say like

539
00:28:18,560 --> 00:28:20,600
Speaker 1: now people can't say that stuff about me or something

540
00:28:20,640 --> 00:28:23,639
Speaker 1: like that, but you do feel more of like, at

541
00:28:23,720 --> 00:28:25,480
Speaker 1: least for me, I feel like, Okay, I can take

542
00:28:25,560 --> 00:28:28,679
Speaker 1: up more space. I have more confidence because I was

543
00:28:28,720 --> 00:28:31,640
Speaker 1: a part of something really special in making history. And

544
00:28:32,960 --> 00:28:35,040
Speaker 1: I think I just have a little bit more confidence

545
00:28:35,080 --> 00:28:38,440
Speaker 1: in myself as a player now being overseas and kind

546
00:28:38,440 --> 00:28:40,520
Speaker 1: of having that experience with Team USA.

547
00:28:41,280 --> 00:28:44,400
Speaker 2: When you say I can take up more space, what

548
00:28:44,600 --> 00:28:46,040
Speaker 2: does that mean to you?

549
00:28:48,040 --> 00:28:53,960
Speaker 1: To me, taking up more space means I think being

550
00:28:54,000 --> 00:28:59,400
Speaker 1: confident in my skills as a player and knowing that

551
00:28:59,480 --> 00:29:03,560
Speaker 1: the things I view as my strengths on the national

552
00:29:03,560 --> 00:29:08,680
Speaker 1: team with Team USA, like being that cheerleader, that loud encourager,

553
00:29:08,800 --> 00:29:12,040
Speaker 1: the one who's celebrating other success and like trying to

554
00:29:12,040 --> 00:29:15,520
Speaker 1: pump up the team, getting having a lot of energy

555
00:29:15,760 --> 00:29:21,720
Speaker 1: and trying to play like just fearless volleyball. I can

556
00:29:21,800 --> 00:29:26,080
Speaker 1: do that overseas and it's still those are still my strengths.

557
00:29:26,160 --> 00:29:28,680
Speaker 1: And so I think sometimes you get on a team

558
00:29:28,680 --> 00:29:30,800
Speaker 1: and I for me, I don't really know all the

559
00:29:30,840 --> 00:29:32,440
Speaker 1: time where I fit in and how it is my

560
00:29:32,520 --> 00:29:35,640
Speaker 1: personality and my style play kind of fit into this team.

561
00:29:36,120 --> 00:29:39,120
Speaker 1: And it helped me to realize, like I can still

562
00:29:39,200 --> 00:29:42,760
Speaker 1: just be myself and that has been good enough in

563
00:29:42,800 --> 00:29:47,000
Speaker 1: different situations, and I'm hoping that's good enough here. And

564
00:29:47,080 --> 00:29:51,280
Speaker 1: so whereas other times I was like kind of more quiet,

565
00:29:51,440 --> 00:29:54,240
Speaker 1: maybe not cheering as loud because other people weren't cheering

566
00:29:54,240 --> 00:29:57,840
Speaker 1: as loud, and it wasn't always this like high energy environment.

567
00:29:58,560 --> 00:30:00,840
Speaker 1: I would kind of like dim my light a little bit,

568
00:30:00,880 --> 00:30:03,120
Speaker 1: and I realized, like I don't have to do that,

569
00:30:03,160 --> 00:30:06,080
Speaker 1: Like I can just be authentically myself and that is

570
00:30:06,120 --> 00:30:09,200
Speaker 1: good enough. And if somebody doesn't like it, like if

571
00:30:09,200 --> 00:30:12,640
Speaker 1: someone doesn't like having a personal cheerleader, like I'm sorry,

572
00:30:12,680 --> 00:30:13,120
Speaker 1: I'm still.

573
00:30:12,960 --> 00:30:13,600
Speaker 3: Gonna cheer for you.

574
00:30:13,640 --> 00:30:18,280
Speaker 1: But it's just encouraged me, like to have confidence in

575
00:30:18,320 --> 00:30:20,880
Speaker 1: who I am and what my strengths are and to

576
00:30:21,960 --> 00:30:24,520
Speaker 1: actively continue to do those things in a different space.

577
00:30:25,280 --> 00:30:28,280
Speaker 2: It's interesting to see you and hear you light up

578
00:30:28,720 --> 00:30:32,800
Speaker 2: talking about playing fearless volleyball, and also to hear you

579
00:30:32,880 --> 00:30:35,200
Speaker 2: say that you're kind of coming out of a little

580
00:30:35,200 --> 00:30:38,920
Speaker 2: bit of a rough patch. Can you speak a little

581
00:30:38,960 --> 00:30:41,520
Speaker 2: bit on that, what it's felt like for you lately

582
00:30:41,640 --> 00:30:46,280
Speaker 2: to play fearless volleyball, and maybe how a difference differs

583
00:30:46,360 --> 00:30:47,960
Speaker 2: now than it has in the past.

584
00:30:48,120 --> 00:30:50,520
Speaker 1: You know, in the past, like when I've been i

585
00:30:50,520 --> 00:30:53,520
Speaker 1: mean just recently kind of feeling in a rut. It's

586
00:30:53,760 --> 00:30:56,600
Speaker 1: sometimes it could be easy to like lose track of

587
00:30:57,560 --> 00:31:00,680
Speaker 1: the things that make me feel like myself when I'm playing,

588
00:31:00,720 --> 00:31:04,200
Speaker 1: Like if I'm not feeling in a rhythm with my game,

589
00:31:04,480 --> 00:31:07,880
Speaker 1: then maybe I start to fall out of that rhythm

590
00:31:07,960 --> 00:31:12,440
Speaker 1: of always like bringing that high energy and being that

591
00:31:12,520 --> 00:31:15,160
Speaker 1: cheerleader and stuff like that, and so then it seems

592
00:31:15,160 --> 00:31:18,720
Speaker 1: like everything's a little bit wonky again, just like reminding

593
00:31:18,760 --> 00:31:21,280
Speaker 1: myself of if I put in that work, it will

594
00:31:21,280 --> 00:31:24,560
Speaker 1: show up again, like that rhythm will will come and

595
00:31:24,600 --> 00:31:29,280
Speaker 1: I'll find it. And also sometimes I just have to

596
00:31:29,520 --> 00:31:31,280
Speaker 1: like I don't want to say, like fake it till

597
00:31:31,320 --> 00:31:34,239
Speaker 1: you make it, but if I'm not feeling good and

598
00:31:34,320 --> 00:31:37,640
Speaker 1: I'm feeling really low energy and I just like I

599
00:31:37,640 --> 00:31:41,120
Speaker 1: don't feel like it today, sometimes I was like, Okay,

600
00:31:42,440 --> 00:31:44,240
Speaker 1: I'm aware of this, I'm aware of how I feel,

601
00:31:44,240 --> 00:31:45,840
Speaker 1: but I'm still going to go in there and just

602
00:31:45,960 --> 00:31:49,960
Speaker 1: like be the hype woman and have a ton of energy,

603
00:31:50,000 --> 00:31:53,800
Speaker 1: because then, yeah, I'm tired. I'm going to be tired

604
00:31:53,840 --> 00:31:58,400
Speaker 1: either way, but my feeling and that kind of feeling

605
00:31:58,400 --> 00:32:00,400
Speaker 1: like in sync with my team and that of them

606
00:32:00,760 --> 00:32:03,840
Speaker 1: will kind of flow from that energy that I like

607
00:32:03,880 --> 00:32:04,520
Speaker 1: put into it.

608
00:32:04,600 --> 00:32:06,880
Speaker 2: If that makes sense, Oh, it totally makes sense. And

609
00:32:06,920 --> 00:32:09,800
Speaker 2: I think It's it's funny, right because as we like

610
00:32:09,840 --> 00:32:12,960
Speaker 2: get older and we have so much more awareness about

611
00:32:13,000 --> 00:32:15,360
Speaker 2: our thoughts and our emotions and how we respond to

612
00:32:15,440 --> 00:32:18,920
Speaker 2: our thoughts. It's like, Okay, so I know this to

613
00:32:18,960 --> 00:32:21,320
Speaker 2: be true, but that doesn't mean that I'm not like

614
00:32:21,520 --> 00:32:25,080
Speaker 2: going to start by feeling this way and know that

615
00:32:25,160 --> 00:32:27,920
Speaker 2: I can get to feeling like the other way. It's

616
00:32:27,920 --> 00:32:30,600
Speaker 2: just going to take me a beat. Something that someone

617
00:32:30,640 --> 00:32:33,080
Speaker 2: said to me earlier today that like really resonated with

618
00:32:33,120 --> 00:32:37,240
Speaker 2: me was this concept of I get what I don't want,

619
00:32:37,520 --> 00:32:40,400
Speaker 2: so I learn what I do. It's like, even though

620
00:32:40,440 --> 00:32:43,640
Speaker 2: this thing is happening that might not be what we

621
00:32:43,840 --> 00:32:47,360
Speaker 2: hoped for, that thing is still happening for us, so

622
00:32:47,400 --> 00:32:50,760
Speaker 2: that we can learn and then apply that going forward,

623
00:32:50,800 --> 00:32:53,560
Speaker 2: which when you're in the moment, like that's hella difficult

624
00:32:53,600 --> 00:32:54,160
Speaker 2: to implement.

625
00:32:54,400 --> 00:32:58,200
Speaker 1: Yes, it sucks in the moment, And that's where I

626
00:32:58,280 --> 00:33:01,200
Speaker 1: go back to, I think, to kind of validate yourself

627
00:33:01,200 --> 00:33:02,960
Speaker 1: and be like, yeah, this does suck.

628
00:33:03,160 --> 00:33:04,000
Speaker 3: This is like so.

629
00:33:04,080 --> 00:33:08,520
Speaker 1: Crappy right now, But there when I come out of this,

630
00:33:08,560 --> 00:33:12,600
Speaker 1: I'm going to see the reason or see the lesson

631
00:33:12,720 --> 00:33:16,200
Speaker 1: in it. And just having that awareness of knowing like

632
00:33:16,280 --> 00:33:18,680
Speaker 1: this tough time will not last forever, but it is

633
00:33:18,760 --> 00:33:20,320
Speaker 1: crappy right now, and that's okay.

634
00:33:20,840 --> 00:33:22,040
Speaker 3: I think that's really helpful.

635
00:33:26,400 --> 00:33:29,520
Speaker 2: Taking a break from today's episode to give some love

636
00:33:29,800 --> 00:33:35,360
Speaker 2: to my sponsors. First Up, Open Open is a digital

637
00:33:35,440 --> 00:33:41,200
Speaker 2: mindfulness platform combining breathwork, meditation, and movement. I am in

638
00:33:41,240 --> 00:33:45,520
Speaker 2: the middle of a thirty day challenge to kick off

639
00:33:45,560 --> 00:33:48,600
Speaker 2: the year, and personally, I am loving it. It is

640
00:33:48,640 --> 00:33:52,920
Speaker 2: crazy for me, someone who used to struggle so much

641
00:33:53,280 --> 00:33:56,480
Speaker 2: to feel as though they were doing quote unquote things

642
00:33:56,680 --> 00:33:59,480
Speaker 2: right when it came to breathwork and meditation, that I

643
00:33:59,640 --> 00:34:03,400
Speaker 2: genuine only look forward to it each and every single morning.

644
00:34:03,760 --> 00:34:06,920
Speaker 2: I start my days with about five to ten minutes

645
00:34:06,960 --> 00:34:11,279
Speaker 2: of breathwork class and I love doing them sat on

646
00:34:11,320 --> 00:34:14,360
Speaker 2: the couch in my living room. It's still dark outside

647
00:34:14,440 --> 00:34:17,800
Speaker 2: and it is my time for calm and coming back

648
00:34:17,840 --> 00:34:21,680
Speaker 2: into my body before the day starts to get a

649
00:34:21,719 --> 00:34:25,799
Speaker 2: little bit crazy. And truly it really does fuel in

650
00:34:25,840 --> 00:34:29,200
Speaker 2: these classes, like the teacher is in the room with you.

651
00:34:29,560 --> 00:34:32,560
Speaker 2: I love how easy it is to follow along and

652
00:34:32,640 --> 00:34:34,960
Speaker 2: the opportunity for me to give back a little bit

653
00:34:35,000 --> 00:34:39,960
Speaker 2: to myself. First Thing Open offers unlimited live and on

654
00:34:40,120 --> 00:34:44,040
Speaker 2: demand breathwork, meditation, yoga, pilates and more. Plus you can

655
00:34:44,080 --> 00:34:49,239
Speaker 2: connect directly with teachers during in class live streams. It

656
00:34:49,400 --> 00:34:54,239
Speaker 2: is designed for all levels and they partner with musicians, producers,

657
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691
00:37:11,320 --> 00:37:13,280
Speaker 2: When I was twenty five, like I was not speaking

692
00:37:13,320 --> 00:37:18,359
Speaker 2: like this, like so I would just say I would

693
00:37:18,440 --> 00:37:21,880
Speaker 2: just say that, like, your perspective already shows like so

694
00:37:22,080 --> 00:37:24,400
Speaker 2: much growth. Why do you think that that is? Why

695
00:37:24,440 --> 00:37:27,560
Speaker 2: do you think that you already have like this very

696
00:37:27,640 --> 00:37:29,320
Speaker 2: much growth mindset.

697
00:37:29,800 --> 00:37:33,520
Speaker 1: A huge reason for this kind of like growth mindset

698
00:37:33,719 --> 00:37:36,600
Speaker 1: is things that I've learned on the national team and

699
00:37:36,640 --> 00:37:38,600
Speaker 1: also playing at Cincinnati, and a lot of it I

700
00:37:38,680 --> 00:37:42,120
Speaker 1: think just comes from volleyball and kind of being in

701
00:37:42,160 --> 00:37:46,439
Speaker 1: tough situations figuring out the best way to handle them

702
00:37:46,719 --> 00:37:51,240
Speaker 1: and even when things aren't going your way. And karch

703
00:37:51,280 --> 00:37:53,720
Speaker 1: are the head coach of the national team, he always

704
00:37:53,760 --> 00:37:56,920
Speaker 1: talks about this growth mindset and having this growth mindset

705
00:37:56,920 --> 00:38:01,440
Speaker 1: and having like really low expectations but high hopes for things,

706
00:38:02,120 --> 00:38:04,000
Speaker 1: and he talks about that a lot in terms of

707
00:38:04,640 --> 00:38:06,400
Speaker 1: how we're going to show up and play. We don't

708
00:38:06,400 --> 00:38:08,560
Speaker 1: expect to win any games, so we have high hopes

709
00:38:08,560 --> 00:38:09,800
Speaker 1: and we know that we're capable.

710
00:38:11,480 --> 00:38:12,839
Speaker 3: And I think I've just kind of.

711
00:38:14,520 --> 00:38:18,920
Speaker 1: Been able to watch a lot of amazing intelligent people

712
00:38:19,040 --> 00:38:26,240
Speaker 1: operate and live their lives with this mindset and realize

713
00:38:26,239 --> 00:38:30,319
Speaker 1: that like the way they go about life is just

714
00:38:31,520 --> 00:38:34,759
Speaker 1: it's so powerful to me because I think then it

715
00:38:34,800 --> 00:38:38,759
Speaker 1: opens this door for like constant gratitude, and like, how

716
00:38:38,760 --> 00:38:42,239
Speaker 1: can I continuously find this, like find something to be

717
00:38:42,280 --> 00:38:47,640
Speaker 1: grateful for even in the difficult moments. And like the

718
00:38:47,719 --> 00:38:51,160
Speaker 1: other day, my teammate Dana and I were warming up

719
00:38:51,200 --> 00:38:53,839
Speaker 1: and we just got done with a really long week.

720
00:38:53,880 --> 00:38:57,400
Speaker 1: We had like four matches in seven days, and we're training,

721
00:38:57,440 --> 00:39:00,680
Speaker 1: we're traveling, we're doing all this stuff. Are so tired

722
00:39:00,760 --> 00:39:02,399
Speaker 1: or warm me up for a game, and I'm just like,

723
00:39:03,320 --> 00:39:06,560
Speaker 1: I'm so thankful that my legs work and I can

724
00:39:06,600 --> 00:39:09,640
Speaker 1: like run around and jump and play this sport, and

725
00:39:09,680 --> 00:39:13,439
Speaker 1: like just something as simple as that, I'm like, I'm

726
00:39:13,480 --> 00:39:16,920
Speaker 1: so grateful for that. But to try to stay in

727
00:39:16,960 --> 00:39:22,319
Speaker 1: this mindset of gratitude and this growth mindset, I think

728
00:39:22,320 --> 00:39:26,320
Speaker 1: has been really helpful, especially in the tough moments, because

729
00:39:26,560 --> 00:39:29,000
Speaker 1: I'm just just seeing other people live that out has

730
00:39:29,000 --> 00:39:29,719
Speaker 1: been huge for me.

731
00:39:30,920 --> 00:39:35,760
Speaker 2: When did you start to understand the benefit of small

732
00:39:35,840 --> 00:39:37,800
Speaker 2: gratitude and small wins?

733
00:39:38,280 --> 00:39:41,560
Speaker 1: I think it really hit me and sunk in when

734
00:39:41,560 --> 00:39:45,000
Speaker 1: I started playing on the national team, because we always

735
00:39:45,040 --> 00:39:49,960
Speaker 1: take moments for gratitude, and Karch really implements that, like

736
00:39:50,000 --> 00:39:53,960
Speaker 1: we'll have team meetings where on certain tournaments, I remember,

737
00:39:54,080 --> 00:39:55,840
Speaker 1: I think it was my first summer with the national

738
00:39:55,840 --> 00:39:59,240
Speaker 1: team in twenty nineteen. At the beginning of each meeting,

739
00:39:59,640 --> 00:40:02,920
Speaker 1: we would have one player stand up and say, I

740
00:40:02,960 --> 00:40:06,759
Speaker 1: think someone who was like basically made it possible for

741
00:40:06,800 --> 00:40:08,839
Speaker 1: them to be there, someone they were really thankful for.

742
00:40:09,040 --> 00:40:09,399
Speaker 3: And so.

743
00:40:10,920 --> 00:40:13,120
Speaker 1: Even with team meetings that we have now will end

744
00:40:13,160 --> 00:40:14,560
Speaker 1: with a moment of gratitude.

745
00:40:14,600 --> 00:40:16,000
Speaker 3: And so there are always.

746
00:40:15,640 --> 00:40:23,120
Speaker 1: These intentional moments where you're reminded of the power of gratitude.

747
00:40:23,160 --> 00:40:27,400
Speaker 1: And so once I realized that and I started implementing

748
00:40:27,400 --> 00:40:31,200
Speaker 1: that into my everyday life and the really small moments

749
00:40:31,200 --> 00:40:35,640
Speaker 1: and the moments that seem insignificant, I realized just how

750
00:40:35,719 --> 00:40:40,880
Speaker 1: powerful gratitude is and just how it can change your outlook.

751
00:40:41,040 --> 00:40:44,680
Speaker 1: And so I think the national team and everybody involved,

752
00:40:45,000 --> 00:40:50,360
Speaker 1: the staff and the players, they really instilled that in me.

753
00:40:51,239 --> 00:40:55,000
Speaker 2: Yeah. Yeah, So for you, you mentioned coming out of

754
00:40:55,040 --> 00:40:56,840
Speaker 2: a little bit of a rough time, what would you

755
00:40:56,880 --> 00:41:00,480
Speaker 2: say was the catalyst for you to you kind of

756
00:41:00,520 --> 00:41:04,120
Speaker 2: shift your attitude and really make some progress there.

757
00:41:06,320 --> 00:41:09,279
Speaker 1: I think the biggest thing for me was having that

758
00:41:09,560 --> 00:41:14,240
Speaker 1: moment with Jordan and Dana. We were just having brunch

759
00:41:14,320 --> 00:41:18,839
Speaker 1: at a local coffee shop and sitting there kind of

760
00:41:18,880 --> 00:41:22,040
Speaker 1: like getting everything out, telling them where I'm at, how

761
00:41:22,040 --> 00:41:26,840
Speaker 1: I'm feeling, feeling like really validated and heard in that moment,

762
00:41:27,000 --> 00:41:31,560
Speaker 1: and then just having their support and their advice, And

763
00:41:31,600 --> 00:41:34,600
Speaker 1: like I mentioned earlier with what Jordan had said to me,

764
00:41:35,280 --> 00:41:39,400
Speaker 1: just showing up in that consistency, I think that was huge.

765
00:41:39,440 --> 00:41:41,879
Speaker 1: Like sometimes I think it's it's simple stuff that you've

766
00:41:41,880 --> 00:41:44,840
Speaker 1: heard before, but if somebody specific says it to you,

767
00:41:44,880 --> 00:41:46,480
Speaker 1: it just hits home a little bit more. And so

768
00:41:46,520 --> 00:41:49,040
Speaker 1: I think in that moment hearing it from her, just

769
00:41:49,080 --> 00:41:50,719
Speaker 1: I remember looking at her and we're like, how do

770
00:41:50,719 --> 00:41:51,359
Speaker 1: you do it?

771
00:41:51,400 --> 00:41:52,680
Speaker 3: Like how do you always show up?

772
00:41:52,680 --> 00:41:54,560
Speaker 1: And you're so professional and you're so good at this,

773
00:41:55,400 --> 00:41:58,759
Speaker 1: and she was like, it's consistency, Like that's all it is.

774
00:41:58,840 --> 00:42:00,600
Speaker 1: You know, I don't feel like it day, I don't

775
00:42:00,640 --> 00:42:03,520
Speaker 1: feel my best, and she's like, but every day I'm

776
00:42:03,520 --> 00:42:05,759
Speaker 1: going to show up in little by little, I know

777
00:42:05,880 --> 00:42:09,200
Speaker 1: that the improvement is going to come. And Okay, wow,

778
00:42:09,360 --> 00:42:10,680
Speaker 1: that again so simple.

779
00:42:10,880 --> 00:42:13,359
Speaker 2: It reminds me. There's like this Instagram post and it's

780
00:42:13,400 --> 00:42:16,120
Speaker 2: like a graph of three hundred and sixty five dots

781
00:42:16,239 --> 00:42:19,719
Speaker 2: and like only seven of them are like colored in

782
00:42:20,200 --> 00:42:22,920
Speaker 2: and it says like one bad day doesn't make a

783
00:42:22,920 --> 00:42:26,080
Speaker 2: bad year. And it's like a visualization that you see,

784
00:42:26,120 --> 00:42:28,600
Speaker 2: like there's literally only seven of three hundred and sixty

785
00:42:28,600 --> 00:42:31,839
Speaker 2: five dots that are black, and wow, like what a

786
00:42:31,880 --> 00:42:35,040
Speaker 2: great way to realize, Like that's so true, right, Like,

787
00:42:35,120 --> 00:42:38,319
Speaker 2: are you going to make these seven black dots be

788
00:42:38,760 --> 00:42:41,360
Speaker 2: the reason that you reflect on the year as a

789
00:42:41,360 --> 00:42:43,640
Speaker 2: whole as a negative? And it goes back to our

790
00:42:43,640 --> 00:42:48,279
Speaker 2: conversation on perspective, right, like we have the opportunity to

791
00:42:48,440 --> 00:42:53,120
Speaker 2: decide to not look at a life and experience XYZ

792
00:42:53,440 --> 00:42:56,799
Speaker 2: in a certain way, but rather reframe and then move

793
00:42:56,800 --> 00:42:57,440
Speaker 2: forward with that.

794
00:42:57,840 --> 00:43:00,719
Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, exactly. I think that's huge.

795
00:43:01,280 --> 00:43:06,040
Speaker 2: For you outside of volleyball. What excites you right now?

796
00:43:06,880 --> 00:43:09,279
Speaker 1: The sound it's really it feels kind of silly to say,

797
00:43:09,320 --> 00:43:13,680
Speaker 1: but just like different moments to create have been really exciting.

798
00:43:13,280 --> 00:43:15,759
Speaker 2: For me, elaborate.

799
00:43:15,880 --> 00:43:20,600
Speaker 1: I'm not like a huge TikTok person, but something like

800
00:43:20,920 --> 00:43:24,440
Speaker 1: just creating a TikTok, a little vlog or maybe it's

801
00:43:24,480 --> 00:43:28,280
Speaker 1: like a little dancing video, but just like creating these moments.

802
00:43:28,320 --> 00:43:32,480
Speaker 1: And I really enjoy capturing moments with my friends or

803
00:43:32,520 --> 00:43:35,000
Speaker 1: just in life and things that I can look back

804
00:43:35,040 --> 00:43:38,000
Speaker 1: on and remember like, wow, I remember exactly how I

805
00:43:38,000 --> 00:43:40,120
Speaker 1: felt in this moment, and look at how different things

806
00:43:40,160 --> 00:43:44,279
Speaker 1: are now, whether that's like in a more positive or

807
00:43:44,560 --> 00:43:47,480
Speaker 1: negative way, Like maybe I was feeling really bad or

808
00:43:47,520 --> 00:43:49,680
Speaker 1: sad or something and I'm looking like, wow, I'm just

809
00:43:49,719 --> 00:43:52,759
Speaker 1: so happy now look at that. But just you know,

810
00:43:52,880 --> 00:43:55,400
Speaker 1: capturing those moments and then being able to create something

811
00:43:55,440 --> 00:43:58,520
Speaker 1: from them is really exciting for me and just something

812
00:43:58,600 --> 00:44:02,760
Speaker 1: fun and lighthearted to do. And I actually was talking

813
00:44:02,800 --> 00:44:05,600
Speaker 1: with one of my teammates today. We created this like

814
00:44:05,760 --> 00:44:10,399
Speaker 1: unofficial club called the Sad Girls Club because we were

815
00:44:11,200 --> 00:44:13,040
Speaker 1: we all had like kind of a rough practice a

816
00:44:13,040 --> 00:44:16,680
Speaker 1: couple of weeks ago, and so I was like, guys,

817
00:44:16,719 --> 00:44:18,279
Speaker 1: we should have a Sad Girls Club where we can

818
00:44:18,360 --> 00:44:22,600
Speaker 1: all come to my apartment and cry tonight. And we

819
00:44:22,719 --> 00:44:25,640
Speaker 1: ended up making sweatshirts that say Sad Girls Club and

820
00:44:25,640 --> 00:44:26,919
Speaker 1: they're really cute and I love them.

821
00:44:27,440 --> 00:44:30,720
Speaker 2: But I can guarantee you that people that are listening

822
00:44:30,800 --> 00:44:33,640
Speaker 2: to this right now would buy a Sad Girls Club sweatshirt.

823
00:44:34,920 --> 00:44:36,319
Speaker 3: I feel like they're actually really cute.

824
00:44:36,360 --> 00:44:38,440
Speaker 1: I posted on my Instagram and people, like a few

825
00:44:38,440 --> 00:44:41,320
Speaker 1: people are like, oh my gosh, I want one.

826
00:44:41,880 --> 00:44:43,479
Speaker 2: You're like, this is limited edition.

827
00:44:44,320 --> 00:44:46,920
Speaker 3: Yeah, I don't know, kind of like silly stuff like that.

828
00:44:46,920 --> 00:44:49,920
Speaker 1: That's just very different than what I'm doing with my

829
00:44:50,000 --> 00:44:52,840
Speaker 1: everyday life of going to practice and going to lift

830
00:44:52,920 --> 00:44:56,120
Speaker 1: and traveling and going to games and stuff like that.

831
00:44:56,560 --> 00:44:58,920
Speaker 1: Just something to kind of like stimulate my mind and

832
00:44:59,360 --> 00:45:01,239
Speaker 1: just do something fun and kind of like outside of

833
00:45:01,239 --> 00:45:01,840
Speaker 1: the box for me.

834
00:45:02,040 --> 00:45:04,160
Speaker 2: How do you feel about spending time alone?

835
00:45:04,920 --> 00:45:07,279
Speaker 3: I love it.

836
00:45:07,880 --> 00:45:12,120
Speaker 1: Maybe a little too much, I think, Okay, yeah, I'm

837
00:45:12,200 --> 00:45:17,719
Speaker 1: kind of I think I'm I'm definitely an introvert, I think.

838
00:45:18,880 --> 00:45:21,680
Speaker 3: But I love my friends because a lot of them

839
00:45:21,680 --> 00:45:24,839
Speaker 3: are very like extroverted and they're like they have an

840
00:45:24,880 --> 00:45:25,560
Speaker 3: idea and they're like.

841
00:45:25,600 --> 00:45:28,600
Speaker 1: Let's go do it, and I'm like, I love you

842
00:45:28,680 --> 00:45:30,800
Speaker 1: because if it were me and I had this idea,

843
00:45:30,920 --> 00:45:31,839
Speaker 1: I would probably.

844
00:45:31,520 --> 00:45:33,480
Speaker 3: Talk myself out of it and be like, well, well

845
00:45:33,480 --> 00:45:35,480
Speaker 3: then I have to figure out this, and oh, I

846
00:45:35,520 --> 00:45:36,359
Speaker 3: probably just shouldn't go.

847
00:45:37,960 --> 00:45:41,120
Speaker 1: And so I'm really thankful for my friends because they're

848
00:45:41,120 --> 00:45:44,040
Speaker 1: always like drawing me out and like helping me experience

849
00:45:44,080 --> 00:45:45,759
Speaker 1: new things, because if it were up to me, I'd

850
00:45:45,760 --> 00:45:47,640
Speaker 1: probably be in my apartment a lot of the time.

851
00:45:48,440 --> 00:45:53,080
Speaker 2: I always love asking women who play on teams how

852
00:45:53,120 --> 00:45:56,960
Speaker 2: they feel about alone time, because it kind of goes

853
00:45:57,000 --> 00:45:59,560
Speaker 2: like one or one of two ways. It's like, oh,

854
00:45:59,560 --> 00:46:02,440
Speaker 2: I'm so ingrained in team and team mentality that I

855
00:46:02,480 --> 00:46:05,600
Speaker 2: really don't like spending time by myself or I crave

856
00:46:05,640 --> 00:46:07,040
Speaker 2: it because I can't get enough of it.

857
00:46:07,400 --> 00:46:11,680
Speaker 3: Yeah. Yeah, I'm definitely the one who craves it.

858
00:46:11,760 --> 00:46:14,399
Speaker 1: And we were just traveling for like five days as

859
00:46:14,400 --> 00:46:17,839
Speaker 1: a team and we have I think we got home

860
00:46:17,880 --> 00:46:21,520
Speaker 1: around like three pm and we have lyfts all together

861
00:46:21,560 --> 00:46:22,040
Speaker 1: in the morning.

862
00:46:22,080 --> 00:46:24,840
Speaker 3: At ten, I'm like, Okay, see you guys in a

863
00:46:24,880 --> 00:46:25,560
Speaker 3: few hours.

864
00:46:25,680 --> 00:46:27,239
Speaker 1: And they're like, what do you mean, We can't wait

865
00:46:27,280 --> 00:46:29,520
Speaker 1: to see you, And I'm like, I love you guys

866
00:46:29,560 --> 00:46:32,400
Speaker 1: so much. I would like a few times, like moments

867
00:46:32,400 --> 00:46:35,359
Speaker 1: to myself every once in a while. But it's it's

868
00:46:35,400 --> 00:46:37,640
Speaker 1: just funny because you definitely see those two kind of

869
00:46:37,640 --> 00:46:39,839
Speaker 1: like personalities playing out on a team. But people who

870
00:46:39,840 --> 00:46:41,960
Speaker 1: are like I cannot wait to get away from you

871
00:46:41,960 --> 00:46:43,840
Speaker 1: guys just for a little I love you so much,

872
00:46:43,880 --> 00:46:45,680
Speaker 1: but I need my space, and then the ones who

873
00:46:45,719 --> 00:46:47,840
Speaker 1: are like, we could live together, it'd be great.

874
00:46:48,640 --> 00:46:51,480
Speaker 2: So you're like a little bit above a little bit

875
00:46:51,520 --> 00:46:53,520
Speaker 2: of both, yes, a little bit of a pivot here.

876
00:46:53,719 --> 00:46:57,560
Speaker 2: This episode is coming out on the first Monday of

877
00:46:57,960 --> 00:47:01,919
Speaker 2: Black History Months. How do you feel about, let's just say,

878
00:47:01,920 --> 00:47:05,200
Speaker 2: like the state of diversity within your sport as a

879
00:47:05,239 --> 00:47:08,560
Speaker 2: black athlete.

880
00:47:08,800 --> 00:47:09,560
Speaker 3: I think.

881
00:47:10,960 --> 00:47:16,480
Speaker 1: It's definitely getting better, like it's becoming more diverse, but.

882
00:47:18,120 --> 00:47:21,239
Speaker 3: I think it's still like not where it could be.

883
00:47:21,680 --> 00:47:24,759
Speaker 1: And I think about, like even just playing overseas, I

884
00:47:24,840 --> 00:47:29,560
Speaker 1: will get so excited when I see another black player,

885
00:47:29,600 --> 00:47:33,200
Speaker 1: whether it's a men or women's player, and I'm like, oh.

886
00:47:33,040 --> 00:47:35,120
Speaker 3: My gosh, this is so cool look at us.

887
00:47:35,120 --> 00:47:38,480
Speaker 1: And like I probably shouldn't like that shouldn't be like

888
00:47:38,520 --> 00:47:41,239
Speaker 1: the normal response to it, but like that's just kind

889
00:47:41,280 --> 00:47:43,120
Speaker 1: of how it is right now because there aren't that

890
00:47:43,320 --> 00:47:48,680
Speaker 1: many black volleyball players, and so I think that's definitely

891
00:47:49,880 --> 00:47:52,440
Speaker 1: when you think about like the the younger like the

892
00:47:52,560 --> 00:47:56,600
Speaker 1: kids and girls who are playing in middle school and

893
00:47:56,800 --> 00:48:01,279
Speaker 1: high school and stuff like that, I think there's there

894
00:48:01,280 --> 00:48:04,680
Speaker 1: are definitely still barriers that are stopping probably a lot

895
00:48:04,719 --> 00:48:08,680
Speaker 1: of young black girls from playing the sport.

896
00:48:09,040 --> 00:48:12,239
Speaker 3: And I think it can be intimidating to.

897
00:48:14,280 --> 00:48:16,400
Speaker 1: Want to go into a space where there aren't a

898
00:48:16,400 --> 00:48:18,759
Speaker 1: lot of people who look like you. And so I'm

899
00:48:18,800 --> 00:48:24,760
Speaker 1: hoping that the sport continues to grow and that people

900
00:48:26,760 --> 00:48:31,240
Speaker 1: feel welcomed in this space and that we do see

901
00:48:31,280 --> 00:48:35,200
Speaker 1: just a lot more diversity in the sport because it's

902
00:48:35,280 --> 00:48:37,959
Speaker 1: so fun and I just know that, like so many

903
00:48:38,000 --> 00:48:41,840
Speaker 1: people would enjoy playing and you know, I want everybody

904
00:48:41,920 --> 00:48:43,360
Speaker 1: to like feel welcomed in the space.

905
00:48:44,000 --> 00:48:47,160
Speaker 2: How does it feel for you, knowing that there are

906
00:48:47,440 --> 00:48:51,000
Speaker 2: few other women of color playing at your level in

907
00:48:51,040 --> 00:48:55,200
Speaker 2: this sport, to be that person that like, if they

908
00:48:55,239 --> 00:48:57,160
Speaker 2: want to be her, they need to see her and

909
00:48:57,200 --> 00:48:59,799
Speaker 2: they see you. How does it feel for you to

910
00:49:00,560 --> 00:49:02,000
Speaker 2: perhaps a role model for them?

911
00:49:03,120 --> 00:49:07,040
Speaker 1: Yeah, I sometimes I think I forget about that aspect

912
00:49:07,080 --> 00:49:11,200
Speaker 1: of it because I'll even look at my other black

913
00:49:11,239 --> 00:49:13,799
Speaker 1: teammates on the national team and like I look up

914
00:49:13,800 --> 00:49:17,480
Speaker 1: to them so much and for me, like they are

915
00:49:17,640 --> 00:49:20,160
Speaker 1: those women, like they are the ones who I'm looking

916
00:49:20,239 --> 00:49:23,239
Speaker 1: up to, and I'm like just in awe of and like,

917
00:49:23,719 --> 00:49:25,920
Speaker 1: look at how amazing you're doing and how far you've

918
00:49:25,960 --> 00:49:29,640
Speaker 1: come and all the things that you're accomplishing. And there

919
00:49:29,680 --> 00:49:33,560
Speaker 1: was actually a moment at the Olympics after we won gold.

920
00:49:33,680 --> 00:49:35,839
Speaker 3: We were in our.

921
00:49:35,680 --> 00:49:38,120
Speaker 1: We were in the Olympic village, in our little like

922
00:49:38,200 --> 00:49:44,120
Speaker 1: apartment getting ready for the closing ceremony, and I was

923
00:49:44,120 --> 00:49:46,280
Speaker 1: getting ready in my room and I had my speaker

924
00:49:46,320 --> 00:49:49,920
Speaker 1: on and I was playing Brown Skinned Girl by Beyonce,

925
00:49:50,840 --> 00:49:53,520
Speaker 1: and one of my teammates, Kim Hill, came up to

926
00:49:53,560 --> 00:49:55,040
Speaker 1: me with like tears in her.

927
00:49:54,960 --> 00:49:57,880
Speaker 3: Eyes and I'm like, Kim, what is wrong with you

928
00:49:58,000 --> 00:49:58,480
Speaker 3: right now?

929
00:49:59,040 --> 00:50:01,239
Speaker 1: She's like, do you you know how many like young

930
00:50:01,280 --> 00:50:03,360
Speaker 1: black girls are looking up to you in this moment,

931
00:50:03,480 --> 00:50:07,000
Speaker 1: and like how many lives you're touching and impacting? And

932
00:50:07,040 --> 00:50:09,759
Speaker 1: She's like, this song just like made me think of that,

933
00:50:09,800 --> 00:50:12,799
Speaker 1: and it just made me really emotional, and I was like,

934
00:50:13,520 --> 00:50:17,640
Speaker 1: it was just such a wholesome moment and just reminded

935
00:50:17,680 --> 00:50:23,080
Speaker 1: me of the people that I have the opportunity to

936
00:50:23,840 --> 00:50:27,799
Speaker 1: leave a positive impact on and inspire. And I think

937
00:50:27,880 --> 00:50:29,880
Speaker 1: sometimes when you get caught up in the day to

938
00:50:29,960 --> 00:50:32,880
Speaker 1: day of this career, you kind of lose sight of that.

939
00:50:33,000 --> 00:50:36,280
Speaker 3: And so that was just like a really touching moment

940
00:50:36,320 --> 00:50:36,560
Speaker 3: for me.

941
00:50:36,600 --> 00:50:38,480
Speaker 1: And every time I play that song now, I think

942
00:50:38,520 --> 00:50:42,200
Speaker 1: of Kim and just her saying that and how it

943
00:50:42,239 --> 00:50:43,320
Speaker 1: really hit.

944
00:50:43,239 --> 00:50:43,680
Speaker 3: Home for me.

945
00:50:44,680 --> 00:50:47,200
Speaker 2: I have the chills as you like tell that story,

946
00:50:47,280 --> 00:50:51,480
Speaker 2: and it's really awesome to hear you step into this

947
00:50:51,560 --> 00:50:54,920
Speaker 2: place where you accept almost what seems to be a

948
00:50:54,960 --> 00:50:59,600
Speaker 2: little bit of a responsibility, and this carries over to us.

949
00:50:59,719 --> 00:51:03,279
Speaker 2: Take a look at, you know, the platforms that you've

950
00:51:03,320 --> 00:51:05,600
Speaker 2: built and also the platforms that you have access to,

951
00:51:05,719 --> 00:51:08,560
Speaker 2: whether it's the almost one hundred thousand people that follow

952
00:51:08,600 --> 00:51:11,720
Speaker 2: you on Instagram or this year fact of you being

953
00:51:12,000 --> 00:51:15,560
Speaker 2: an under Armor athlete. So let's talk about that briefly.

954
00:51:15,719 --> 00:51:19,799
Speaker 2: What does it mean for you to be an under

955
00:51:19,880 --> 00:51:21,680
Speaker 2: armor athlete?

956
00:51:22,239 --> 00:51:25,680
Speaker 1: I think, you know, it's such an honor because I

957
00:51:26,239 --> 00:51:29,080
Speaker 1: growing up that was never something in my wildest dreams

958
00:51:29,120 --> 00:51:33,280
Speaker 1: that I would even think of. But to have access

959
00:51:33,680 --> 00:51:37,479
Speaker 1: to the under Armour platform and what they stand for,

960
00:51:37,719 --> 00:51:40,960
Speaker 1: and the resources that they have, and the way that

961
00:51:41,000 --> 00:51:44,040
Speaker 1: they want to support and help their athletes in the

962
00:51:44,160 --> 00:51:47,800
Speaker 1: different avenues and places where that you know, their athletes

963
00:51:47,840 --> 00:51:49,799
Speaker 1: are really passionate about and they want to have an

964
00:51:49,800 --> 00:51:55,200
Speaker 1: impact on is such an honor because you know, it's

965
00:51:55,239 --> 00:51:56,800
Speaker 1: one thing to say like, oh, yeah, we want to

966
00:51:56,800 --> 00:51:59,959
Speaker 1: support our athletes and help help them, you know, help

967
00:52:00,120 --> 00:52:02,839
Speaker 1: young girls who maybe live in the inner city who

968
00:52:02,840 --> 00:52:04,719
Speaker 1: want to have access to the sport but don't have

969
00:52:04,760 --> 00:52:07,680
Speaker 1: the means to do it, and there's another it's another

970
00:52:07,719 --> 00:52:11,440
Speaker 1: thing to actually make that happen. And so I think about,

971
00:52:11,719 --> 00:52:15,719
Speaker 1: you know, the Jordan Thompson under Armoer camp, and I'm like,

972
00:52:16,520 --> 00:52:19,319
Speaker 1: that just blows my mind that that was even a possibility.

973
00:52:19,360 --> 00:52:24,640
Speaker 1: But they put so much time and effort and resources

974
00:52:24,640 --> 00:52:28,520
Speaker 1: into making that happen, and I'm just really thankful that

975
00:52:28,800 --> 00:52:30,839
Speaker 1: they care a lot. And so to, like I said,

976
00:52:30,840 --> 00:52:33,640
Speaker 1: to have access to under Armore and be a part

977
00:52:33,640 --> 00:52:36,280
Speaker 1: of the under Armer family just is such a huge blessing.

978
00:52:36,600 --> 00:52:40,239
Speaker 2: That cam the first one took place at the University

979
00:52:40,400 --> 00:52:43,120
Speaker 2: of Cincinnati. How did that feel for you?

980
00:52:43,719 --> 00:52:47,600
Speaker 1: It felt so surreal to be in the place where

981
00:52:48,760 --> 00:52:51,440
Speaker 1: I started my career and ended my career in college

982
00:52:51,600 --> 00:52:55,680
Speaker 1: and had all these different experiences, and then to have

983
00:52:55,840 --> 00:53:00,719
Speaker 1: like my logo next to the under Armour logo in

984
00:53:00,760 --> 00:53:03,160
Speaker 1: this place that I call home.

985
00:53:04,080 --> 00:53:07,399
Speaker 3: It was like, I just I felt so in awe

986
00:53:07,520 --> 00:53:08,440
Speaker 3: the entire time.

987
00:53:08,719 --> 00:53:11,200
Speaker 1: And I was just so excited to be able to

988
00:53:11,239 --> 00:53:16,239
Speaker 1: connect with those girls and hopefully leave them a little

989
00:53:16,280 --> 00:53:20,000
Speaker 1: bit inspired or motivated in some way, and just to

990
00:53:20,040 --> 00:53:22,759
Speaker 1: like let them know that like I genuinely want to

991
00:53:22,760 --> 00:53:26,680
Speaker 1: be a resource for them, and like I want young

992
00:53:26,719 --> 00:53:32,600
Speaker 1: girls to feel like they have not only people in

993
00:53:32,680 --> 00:53:34,719
Speaker 1: this sport, older women in the sport to look up to,

994
00:53:34,800 --> 00:53:37,239
Speaker 1: but also access to them and to be able to

995
00:53:37,280 --> 00:53:40,440
Speaker 1: ask questions and get information and you know, hear more

996
00:53:40,480 --> 00:53:42,520
Speaker 1: about our stories and how we got to where we are.

997
00:53:42,960 --> 00:53:44,680
Speaker 1: But I mean, just to be able to do that

998
00:53:44,719 --> 00:53:48,480
Speaker 1: in Cincinnati was just so surreal.

999
00:53:49,120 --> 00:53:51,400
Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean, it sounds like it. And when I

1000
00:53:51,480 --> 00:53:55,160
Speaker 2: was prepping for this interview, I was looking back at

1001
00:53:55,160 --> 00:53:57,160
Speaker 2: some of the work that you've done and then the

1002
00:53:57,160 --> 00:53:59,600
Speaker 2: work you've also done with Under Armour and the Athlete.

1003
00:53:59,640 --> 00:54:02,160
Speaker 2: No one saw a coming campaign which is essentially like

1004
00:54:02,719 --> 00:54:07,840
Speaker 2: a focus on, let's say, blocking out toxic comparisons. So

1005
00:54:08,239 --> 00:54:11,000
Speaker 2: if you had to offer advice to someone who may

1006
00:54:11,000 --> 00:54:15,680
Speaker 2: be stuck in that comparison trap, what would you say

1007
00:54:15,719 --> 00:54:18,000
Speaker 2: to them to be their own biggest hype woman.

1008
00:54:19,840 --> 00:54:24,520
Speaker 1: I think I would tell that person the way that

1009
00:54:24,600 --> 00:54:28,200
Speaker 1: you were created is so unique and beautiful and there

1010
00:54:28,200 --> 00:54:31,840
Speaker 1: are so many strengths to who you are. And to

1011
00:54:31,880 --> 00:54:34,719
Speaker 1: remind yourself, and this is something I tell myself, you

1012
00:54:34,840 --> 00:54:37,320
Speaker 1: have greatness inside of you and you might not always

1013
00:54:37,360 --> 00:54:39,959
Speaker 1: feel it, you might not always see it playing out,

1014
00:54:40,080 --> 00:54:43,480
Speaker 1: but you have greatness inside of you, and you are

1015
00:54:43,640 --> 00:54:48,640
Speaker 1: so uniquely able to do certain things that like not

1016
00:54:48,760 --> 00:54:51,200
Speaker 1: everybody else is. And so I think that's the beauty

1017
00:54:51,280 --> 00:54:54,839
Speaker 1: of being an athlete and playing a sport and doing

1018
00:54:54,920 --> 00:54:58,480
Speaker 1: all these things. It's really easy to compare yourself to

1019
00:54:58,520 --> 00:55:03,879
Speaker 1: others and see others their journeys and how fast they're

1020
00:55:03,960 --> 00:55:06,120
Speaker 1: rising or how much they're going in a short amount

1021
00:55:06,120 --> 00:55:09,879
Speaker 1: of time. But each journey is so beautiful because of

1022
00:55:09,920 --> 00:55:10,839
Speaker 1: its uniqueness.

1023
00:55:10,920 --> 00:55:11,279
Speaker 3: And so.

1024
00:55:12,960 --> 00:55:15,840
Speaker 1: I think find strength in that and find encouragement in

1025
00:55:15,920 --> 00:55:19,080
Speaker 1: that because every story is just it's very beautiful in

1026
00:55:19,120 --> 00:55:21,160
Speaker 1: its own way. Just I don't know, just to remind

1027
00:55:21,160 --> 00:55:22,880
Speaker 1: yourself that you have greatness inside of you, because I

1028
00:55:22,920 --> 00:55:24,120
Speaker 1: feel like that's so powerful.

1029
00:55:24,239 --> 00:55:26,640
Speaker 2: It's so powerful. It's so powerful. I've the chills just

1030
00:55:26,680 --> 00:55:30,080
Speaker 2: thinking about it. When I say Paris twenty twenty four,

1031
00:55:30,200 --> 00:55:30,920
Speaker 2: how do you feel?

1032
00:55:33,000 --> 00:55:35,880
Speaker 3: I feel excited and nervous.

1033
00:55:37,440 --> 00:55:42,959
Speaker 2: Your entire face is it up? What does that look

1034
00:55:43,040 --> 00:55:45,760
Speaker 2: like for you in this moment? When do things shift

1035
00:55:45,840 --> 00:55:48,640
Speaker 2: for you to start preparing for that?

1036
00:55:48,640 --> 00:55:53,200
Speaker 1: That was like on my radar Immediately when Tokyo ended,

1037
00:55:53,480 --> 00:55:55,800
Speaker 1: I was like, Okay, I want to do this again,

1038
00:55:55,880 --> 00:55:59,040
Speaker 1: and I want to do it completely healthy, and so

1039
00:55:59,600 --> 00:56:03,200
Speaker 1: getting injured in Tokyo it was like a bummer, but

1040
00:56:03,239 --> 00:56:07,400
Speaker 1: then you know, winning gold, it was just it felt

1041
00:56:07,600 --> 00:56:09,520
Speaker 1: so I don't even know how to put into words,

1042
00:56:09,520 --> 00:56:12,880
Speaker 1: but it just felt so powerful, and even just walking

1043
00:56:12,920 --> 00:56:16,080
Speaker 1: around the Olympic village and feeling the sense of like

1044
00:56:17,000 --> 00:56:20,799
Speaker 1: I'm so connected to everybody here, even though I might

1045
00:56:20,880 --> 00:56:22,920
Speaker 1: not ever see any of these people ever again, but

1046
00:56:23,040 --> 00:56:28,080
Speaker 1: like we got through a pandemic and qualified to be

1047
00:56:28,200 --> 00:56:33,080
Speaker 1: here and it's the pinnacle of sport, and so it

1048
00:56:33,239 --> 00:56:35,400
Speaker 1: just I don't know everything. It felt so powerful and

1049
00:56:35,440 --> 00:56:38,239
Speaker 1: I really want to experience that again, and so I

1050
00:56:38,280 --> 00:56:42,759
Speaker 1: think that was like my focus once we got back

1051
00:56:42,800 --> 00:56:45,160
Speaker 1: from Tokyo. But now it's like, Okay, we have to

1052
00:56:45,239 --> 00:56:48,680
Speaker 1: qualify first, which is crazy, not crazy, but it's like

1053
00:56:49,560 --> 00:56:52,360
Speaker 1: we talk about Paris and everything, but like we still

1054
00:56:52,920 --> 00:56:55,719
Speaker 1: haven't even solidified the fact of like going there yet

1055
00:56:55,840 --> 00:57:01,719
Speaker 1: or qualifying. And then once we qualify, hopefully, then it's

1056
00:57:01,800 --> 00:57:04,280
Speaker 1: still like playing the waiting game, trying to make the roster,

1057
00:57:04,400 --> 00:57:06,320
Speaker 1: and you don't know if you make the roster until

1058
00:57:06,400 --> 00:57:10,080
Speaker 1: like a month before you leave. It's really crazy because

1059
00:57:10,120 --> 00:57:12,440
Speaker 1: you work so hard towards this goal and.

1060
00:57:12,320 --> 00:57:13,960
Speaker 3: Like you might not even meet it.

1061
00:57:14,000 --> 00:57:15,960
Speaker 1: You might not be in Paris in twenty twenty four,

1062
00:57:17,720 --> 00:57:21,320
Speaker 1: but you still just like you grind every day with

1063
00:57:21,360 --> 00:57:22,200
Speaker 1: that goal in mind.

1064
00:57:23,520 --> 00:57:25,200
Speaker 2: What keeps you grinding.

1065
00:57:25,840 --> 00:57:26,920
Speaker 3: Thinking about Paris?

1066
00:57:27,000 --> 00:57:29,840
Speaker 1: Thinking about like, I want my family to be in

1067
00:57:29,880 --> 00:57:32,960
Speaker 1: the stands, be able to see me compete at that level.

1068
00:57:33,480 --> 00:57:37,800
Speaker 1: I want to chase another medal with Team USA, And

1069
00:57:37,880 --> 00:57:40,439
Speaker 1: then you know, that's kind of like the long goal,

1070
00:57:40,480 --> 00:57:44,280
Speaker 1: but then like the daily goal is the motivation is that,

1071
00:57:45,480 --> 00:57:49,560
Speaker 1: like the team I'm on now, these women and this

1072
00:57:49,680 --> 00:57:54,280
Speaker 1: club and the staff, they deserve my best, They deserve

1073
00:57:54,320 --> 00:57:57,320
Speaker 1: my one hundred percent, and I want to respect them

1074
00:57:57,360 --> 00:58:01,080
Speaker 1: in that way because I feel like when I do that,

1075
00:58:01,120 --> 00:58:04,720
Speaker 1: like I respect them, I respect the sport, and they

1076
00:58:04,800 --> 00:58:08,280
Speaker 1: deserve nothing less. And so I want to continue to

1077
00:58:08,440 --> 00:58:11,880
Speaker 1: just show up for them and work hard for them,

1078
00:58:12,280 --> 00:58:15,200
Speaker 1: knowing that as I put in this work each day,

1079
00:58:15,640 --> 00:58:18,520
Speaker 1: hopefully it will lead to my ultimate goal.

1080
00:58:19,360 --> 00:58:22,880
Speaker 2: Yes, we love it. We love it. I mentioned earlier

1081
00:58:23,160 --> 00:58:27,080
Speaker 2: you having a sizeable following on Instagram. Someone goes to

1082
00:58:27,080 --> 00:58:32,120
Speaker 2: your Instagram page and they see an elite volleyball player,

1083
00:58:32,120 --> 00:58:35,240
Speaker 2: an Olympic gold medalist, and under armoor athlete. When you

1084
00:58:35,640 --> 00:58:39,320
Speaker 2: look in the mirror. What do you see looking back

1085
00:58:39,360 --> 00:58:39,600
Speaker 2: at you?

1086
00:58:40,160 --> 00:58:42,960
Speaker 3: I love this question. I kind of see like just

1087
00:58:43,040 --> 00:58:44,720
Speaker 3: kind of a weird not.

1088
00:58:44,760 --> 00:58:47,280
Speaker 1: Like a weird, random girl, but like I think I

1089
00:58:47,360 --> 00:58:50,720
Speaker 1: kind of view myself the way I did when I

1090
00:58:50,720 --> 00:58:52,160
Speaker 1: was younger, which is like, oh, I'm just kind of

1091
00:58:52,160 --> 00:58:56,440
Speaker 1: like awkward and trying to like figure things out. But like,

1092
00:58:57,000 --> 00:58:59,600
Speaker 1: as I get older and I get more life experiences,

1093
00:58:59,640 --> 00:59:02,840
Speaker 1: I'm definitely starting like when I look in the mirror,

1094
00:59:03,040 --> 00:59:05,439
Speaker 1: I have a lot more confidence in myself, which I've

1095
00:59:05,520 --> 00:59:09,680
Speaker 1: loved to grow in that way over the past few years.

1096
00:59:09,720 --> 00:59:12,360
Speaker 1: I think that's been really huge for me. But yeah,

1097
00:59:12,360 --> 00:59:14,800
Speaker 1: I definitely I don't really see like, oh, this amazing

1098
00:59:14,880 --> 00:59:18,880
Speaker 1: volleyball player and so good. Oh, I see like I'm

1099
00:59:18,920 --> 00:59:21,960
Speaker 1: just kind of like awkward, maybe hopefully a little bit funny,

1100
00:59:23,400 --> 00:59:25,480
Speaker 1: but yeah.

1101
00:59:24,800 --> 00:59:28,240
Speaker 2: I see those things too, and not your awkwardness that

1102
00:59:28,280 --> 00:59:33,200
Speaker 2: you are a little bit funny though. Oh my gosh. Well,

1103
00:59:33,240 --> 00:59:36,000
Speaker 2: I'm so excited that we were able to make this happen.

1104
00:59:36,040 --> 00:59:39,280
Speaker 2: We're winding down here. My final question for you, Jordan.

1105
00:59:39,440 --> 00:59:42,760
Speaker 2: Right now, you have an opportunity to offer yourself a

1106
00:59:42,840 --> 00:59:46,800
Speaker 2: piece of advice. Let's go back to that devastating college injury,

1107
00:59:46,840 --> 00:59:49,760
Speaker 2: which just really rocked your world and was one of

1108
00:59:49,760 --> 00:59:53,760
Speaker 2: the first times you truly learned about the value of perspective.

1109
00:59:53,840 --> 00:59:56,600
Speaker 2: You have the opportunity to offer that young woman a

1110
00:59:56,640 --> 00:59:59,000
Speaker 2: piece of advice during the hurdle moment, knowing what you

1111
00:59:59,120 --> 01:00:02,600
Speaker 2: know now, what would you tell her?

1112
01:00:03,400 --> 01:00:06,520
Speaker 1: You have no idea now, but you have so much

1113
01:00:06,560 --> 01:00:09,960
Speaker 1: greatness ahead of you. And if Jordan Larca could just

1114
01:00:10,000 --> 01:00:12,720
Speaker 1: tell me at that point that just keep putting money

1115
01:00:12,760 --> 01:00:15,240
Speaker 1: in the bank and it'll pay off. I think that

1116
01:00:15,280 --> 01:00:18,600
Speaker 1: would be a huge, huge thing. Little by little as

1117
01:00:18,600 --> 01:00:21,320
Speaker 1: you continue to put in the work and allow yourself

1118
01:00:21,360 --> 01:00:25,959
Speaker 1: to experience your feelings and emotion, feel validated in those things,

1119
01:00:25,960 --> 01:00:28,920
Speaker 1: and know that that's okay to have those hard days,

1120
01:00:28,960 --> 01:00:32,080
Speaker 1: but continue to look for the positive because you have

1121
01:00:32,200 --> 01:00:33,360
Speaker 1: so much greatness ahead of you.

1122
01:00:34,600 --> 01:00:38,240
Speaker 2: Man, a validation is where it's at. And b I

1123
01:00:38,360 --> 01:00:42,680
Speaker 2: just want to remind you, Jordan Thompson, that you are

1124
01:00:42,920 --> 01:00:46,360
Speaker 2: the quote unquote Jordan Larsen for a lot of people,

1125
01:00:46,520 --> 01:00:49,520
Speaker 2: I'm sure, So keep doing what you're doing, and again,

1126
01:00:49,560 --> 01:00:53,160
Speaker 2: thank you so much for making the time to chat

1127
01:00:53,200 --> 01:00:55,840
Speaker 2: with me. How do the hurdlers follow along with you?

1128
01:00:56,000 --> 01:00:57,960
Speaker 2: How do they keep up with you give us all

1129
01:00:57,960 --> 01:00:59,080
Speaker 2: of your details.

1130
01:00:59,480 --> 01:01:03,640
Speaker 1: Yeah, I am at J t O M M nineteen

1131
01:01:04,000 --> 01:01:07,000
Speaker 1: on all social media platforms, well not all, just.

1132
01:01:07,440 --> 01:01:10,640
Speaker 3: Like Instagram and TikTok basically.

1133
01:01:10,280 --> 01:01:10,440
Speaker 1: But.

1134
01:01:11,920 --> 01:01:17,760
Speaker 2: Ones amazing. I'm amazing. I'm over at Emily Abodi and

1135
01:01:17,800 --> 01:01:21,760
Speaker 2: at Hurdle Podcast. Another hurdle conquered. Catch you guys next time.