When I first started diving, I had nothing to lose, and I went after EVERYTHING. 
I was aggressive, trying to catch up to my teammates and the standard I thought I “should” be at. I climbed the rankings fast… and then cracked under my own pressure. 
After winning prelims at Nationals, I fell to 10th in finals, missing qualifying for the Olympic Trials entirely. Over the years, my nerves wore many faces: * Comparison syndrome at meets, constantly measuring myself against others. * Self-imposed pressure so intense it sometimes led to total collapse. * Imposter syndrome, even after winning at the highest level, wondering if my success was luck or a fluke.
 But every single one of those moments taught me something:
✅ I learned to change my thoughts and beliefs.
✅ I trained my mindset as deliberately as my body.
✅ I built habits and tools that helped me compete with clarity, perspective, and joy again. It didn’t make me perfect, but it did give me the chance to chase huge dreams and enjo...