I first wrote this as an article for prepvolleyball.com in 2011 after the end of my senior season at Stanford. It was the first time I really publicly addressed my history with chronic pain and for sure the most honest I'd ever been about it. It made me pretty anxious when I first wrote it...and it still does now. But I think it's a story that should be told. If you ever read anything I've written, I'd want it to be this-- a little look into my struggle, how it's made me the athlete and person that I am, and why I firmly believe that anything is possible.
Anything is Possible
Remember when you were little and
people told you anything was possible and you believed them? When someone asked what you wanted to be when
you grew up and you said an astronaut or the president or a lion tamer? I had a friend who wanted to be a fire
truck. Then at some point when you’re
growing up, other people or your own experiences start to chip away at that
belief. People start pointing out all
the things that you can’t do, all the ways you aren’t good enough, and all the
reasons why some dreams will never come true.
So your dreams get a little bit smaller, perhaps a little bit more
realistic, certainly more achievable. In
that way you can still be somewhat successful, depending on how you measure
success. But if you give in to all the
nay-sayers and limit your dreams you may never realize the great things of
which you are actually capable.
