In 2019, the first time Mackenzie Estep competed at nationals, she mistimed her vault and ended up performing only a timer. She scored a 5.650 and placed 55th in the all around. At her second nationals, in 2021, she fell on the first element of her first event, a wolf turn on beam. She finished 11th. The following year, she fell once again on the first element of her first event, this time her double layout on floor, finishing 12th.
By the time the third mishap happened, Estep—who had previously scored a career high of 38.875 and was one of the favorites to win the all-around title—felt that nationals were cursed. “I basically had this perception and belief that something was always going to go wrong at nationals,” she said. “It definitely rocked my confidence.”
Estep returned to the gym feeling defeated but when she started setting her goals for the next year, she decided she’d had enough of the streak of bad luck: it was time to take matters into her own hands.
The first thing she did was to select an empowering motto that would remind her that she alone had the power to shape her future. The motivational quote she chose was: “If you want it, take it.”
“I had to learn that the past does not define me. You can’t live in the past; you…
