If you are a Track & Field fan like I am, well, we have an exciting summer ahead of us. The Olympic Track & Field Trials started on Friday and will continue through this week. In just over a month we will get to enjoy the Olympics! So I thought it would be appropriate for us to learn from one of the best on the track!

A World Record Holder and Olympic Champion and still only 24-years old, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone has been one of the faces of USA Track & Field for the the past few Olympic cycles. Despite all her talent, accomplishments, and fame she has dealt with something that I think we can all relate to…FEAR and ANXIETY! I believe she has a lot to teach all of us, even if you aren’t a Track & Field person, so let’s learn from her experience!

Before you push play on the video below, I want you to grab your journal. If she shares something that resonates with you, push pause on the video and write it down! If needed, rewind it back and listen to that line again.

So, what stood out to you about what she shared? What can you relate to from her story?

I’d like to share a few lines that stood out to me:

1. “Anxiety and fear came from my desire to be perfect in all things.”

2. “Am I enough? Will I ever be enough? Will I ever live up to the standard that I have for myself and that other people have for me?”

3. “God I need You. There’s no way I am going to heal through all this without You.”

4. “The lens through which I viewed life had completely switched.”

5. “Even when I lose I still win because I learn.”

6. “I have joy in the midst of any circumstance.”

I would encourage you to process through each of these questions as you reflect on what Sydney shared in the video.

1. What do you believe is the root of your anxiety & fear?

2. How could you benefit from a switch of lens through which you view life and your sport?

3. What circumstances do you need to work to experience JOY in?

PASS IT ON!

If you have a teammate, friend, athlete, or young adult that you think would benefit from these journal activities, would you please pass this link on to them?

ARE YOU A COACH?

I would enjoy helping you think through how you can use these journal activities to be intentional about your investment in the mental game of your athletes! I’ve learned more about my athletes through reading their journals on a regular basis and that insight has helped me be a better coach for them. Just reply to this email and lets set up a time to talk!