While in college, I had my first brush with an all-girls group when I began coaching ski racing on the weekends. We dubbed ourselves, “The Pink Monkeys”. Little did I know, my time with these girls secretly planted the seeds for a girls life coaching business that would come to fruition 30 years later.
In 2016, I added a “Girls Power Camp” to ELITEAM’s roster of summer programs. The theme was “Strong Bodies. Powerful Minds.” I didn’t know what bringing 40 girls together would reveal, but knew I wanted to try. It turned out to be one of the most inspiring experiences I’ve ever had and it sealed the deal for a future Girls Life Coaching business.
As I reflect back on my time as a coach and athlete, there were little moments that always stuck with me.
- I remember belaying a girl on ELITEAM’s ropes course one summer. She was on the “World Cup” element. She had climbed up the tree, stepped onto the log, and was supposed to walk across to the other side, over a 40 foot ravine. After 15 minutes of false starts, she gave up. I couldn’t believe it. I knew, 100%, that she could have made it. She just couldn’t find her courage.
- After an intense week-long fitness camp filled with non-stop sweat, grit, and pushing limits both physically and mentally, I watched a girl head over to her Dad at the pick-up area. She had survived, and clearly she was feeling pretty badass about it. Her chin was held high. There was a bounce in her step. Her baseball hat was cocked to the side. All of it said, “I am UNSTOPPABLE.” It was a beautiful sight!
- When I think back on my own experiences as a high-schooler, one of the moments that stuck with me is when, not one, but two, coaches told me to quit ski racing. They told me that I was wasting my time and my parent’s money. These were coaches that I admired and respected. Talk about self-doubt. Talk about crushing a kid’s Olympic dream. But like I said, it was beyond satisfying to stand in that World Cup Downhill start gate several years later. At that very moment, I used my visualization skills to flip the birdie to you know who.
