What Defines Us is How Well We Rise After Falling

Last week R got her grips at the gym. She said it makes it a lot harder to do her skills - until she gets some practice in and get used to them, she's not going to get those skills as easily as she was before. One of the greatest qualities I've seen in my tiny gymnast (and our whole team) is the ability to overcome adversity. A fall on beam doesn't mean you don't come out and rock it on bars. A missed skill on floor doesn't mean you can't medal on vault. It's about being mentally tough - an inner strength of character.

Sometimes when you're an athlete, a lot of times, maybe, things don't go as planned. You get in your head, you have to adjust to new situations, you get out-performed. People doubt you; you doubt yourself. Sometimes you lose a game; it's just not your day. You fall on a skill you've done for months. These are the times when we find out what we're made of; when you either pick yourself up and push through, or you pack it up and call it the end.

But you never quit. You brush yourself off and get back up. What happened yesterday doesn't matter. Tomorrow matters. Tomorrow is another day. You get up, you get back on track, and you move closer to your dreams. Closer to your goals. Closer to greatness. You get it done. Because where there is no struggle, there is no strength. You get better, you get stronger, you keep going.