When Sophia Diaz was a child, she almost quit gymnastics. The intensity of the sport overwhelmed her and she didn’t think it was sustainable in the long term. A conversation with one of her old coaches changed her mind. The coach sat her down and instilled in her a renewed faith in the sport and her abilities. This “belief” fuels Diaz every day in the gym.
As time went on, Diaz came to appreciate that gymnastics is a marathon, not a sprint. She learned to take one step at a time, to enjoy the little things as they occurred, and to develop a more systematic approach to training. Three aspects proved crucial to her success: developing a daily routine, having a good relationship with her coaches and clubmates, and setting goals for herself.
Her daily routine—which includes optimizing her sleep and daily nutrition, and having preventive physical therapy—has strengthened both her physical and mental approach to gymnastics.
Good relationships with her coaches and teammates, moreover, fuels her drive and helps her find purpose every day in the gym. “The amount of support we share for each other during practice motivates me to work with the same drive and purpose, to push through the hard days in the same way as the good ones,” she said. “At the end of…
