Ever since I was little I have always had a passion for spreading positivity and optimism in others to encourage everyone to be the best version of themselves they can be. As I have grown I have personally experienced and recognized the drop in confidence individuals frequently experience as they grow into their teenage years and I am motivated to mitigate this development specifically in young girls. I believe that facing adversity and hardships is an unavoidable experience all individuals will encounter; however, through perseverance and a growth mindset one can learn skills and strategies to help them face and recover from challenges. 

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I grew up through gymnastics for ten years and competed as a Junior Olympic gymnast completing rigorous training at least twenty hours a week until the middle of my freshman year in high school, and I had the privilege to win numerous individual and team titles at the State and Northeast Region wide level. After years of training, my growth and potential was limited by the development of mental blocks that inhibited my ability to perform my passion. Mental blocks can be described as a brain and body disconnect where one's brain inhibits them from performing skills their muscles have memorized being able to do; these can include examples such as freezing mid flight or not being able to start a skill as a whole. I worked with professionals with expertise in this area, including sports psychology, mental skills coaching, and even elements of sports hypnosis aimed at positive visualization and relaxation techniques to train my brain to allow me to execute the skills my body knew how to perform. I requested extra gymnastics sessions to reinforce fundamentals and learn new alternative advanced skills, and I set my alarm early before school each morning to drill routines on home equipment, determined to outwork this disconnect. But, unfortunately, after persisting the best I could through repeated cycles of skill progression and halting, my health and spirit grew significantly impacted and the ultimate best decision was to adapt and move on from the sport, which had felt central to my identity, and begin a new chapter in my life. I transitioned to participate in Track and Field and Cross Country at the high school level, where through this pivot, I have found a new passion, community, consistency and joy for the sport.

 

Despite facing tremendous challenges at a young age, I believe the hardships I faced and constructive habits I have learned were formative in shaping me as the reflective person and healthy athlete I am today by contributing to my grit, tenacity and work ethic. Throughout the process I had the privilege to work with and learn from incredible coaches and teammates which helped me learn the beneficial impact supporters can have on one's story. My experiences have led me to care deeply about advocating for mental wellness support in the academic and athletic realm because I want to be able to make a positive impact on others' wellbeing the way others were able to help me, and through this I specifically want to help support young and adolescent girls to understand the power, control and voice they have. At my high school I am incredibly grateful to have the opportunity to lead our Active Minds Club that promotes mental health in school and sports and our Women's Activism Club to promote confidence and empowerment within women in our community, and I have had the opportunity to volunteer with our town's "Girls on The Run" program that promotes girls' confidence and strength from a young age through running and research-based workbook activities. My own experiences and passions have led me to create "EmpowHer Resilience" as a website for girls to have free, simplified, and accessible resources to support and motivate their mental skills training and recognize that while adversity may be inevitable, one always has the strength and aptitude to reclaim and elevate resilience. ​​​​​​​