733 The World’s Greatest Athlete: Katrín Davíðsdóttir

There’s hard work, and then there’s HARD WORK. Some people may be smarter than you. They may have more resources at their disposal. They might even have more natural talent. But the one thing you can do is WORK HARD. You can only control a certain number of factors. As long as you focus on those, you will become the best version of yourself. When you get to the end, you need to know that you did everything you could to accomplish your goal. On today’s episode of The School of Greatness, I talk with an athlete who works tirelessly to be the fittest woman in the world: Katrín Davíðsdóttir. Katrín Tanja Davíðsdóttir is an Icelandic CrossFit athlete known for her four appearances at the CrossFit Games. She is the women's champion of the 2015 and 2016 CrossFit Games, becoming the second woman to win twice. Katrin didn’t become Olympic gymnast like she originally wanted. But she went on to become a world-renowned CrossFit champion. You can’t always be anything you want, but you can be all that you are. So get ready to learn all about what goes into becoming the Fittest Woman on Earth on Episode 733. Some Questions I Ask: Where do you think you’d be if you had qualified for the games in 2014? (22:00) What does it take to be the best in the world? (23:15) Do you ever take a day off? (24:00) What’s your biggest physical weakness right now? (25:00) What about your mindset do you think still needs work? (43:00) Do you think intimate partnerships support someone’s drive to be the best in the world or could it hold you back? (48:30) What are your thoughts on body image and femininity? (51:30) What’s the biggest lesson your grandmother taught you (55:00) In This Episode You Will Learn: Why not qualifying for the CrossFit Games was the best thing to happen to Katrin (6:00) What Katrin would do if she wasn’t an athlete (23:00) About the concept of balance when pursuing your goals (24:00) Katrin’s hardest workout (42:00) The three lessons Katrin’s coach has taught her (56:30) Katrin’s greatest fear (59:00) What caused Katrin to be someone who works hard (1:04:30) Get more from Lewis! Get my New York Times Bestselling book, Make Money Easy! Get The Greatness Mindset audiobook on SpotifyText Lewis AIYouTubeInstagramWebsiteTiktokFacebookX

Speaker names marked ? are inferred from speaking time and the show’s known hosts — they are not voice-verified.

• 0:00Lewis Howes?

  This is episode number 733 with the world's greatest athlete and CrossFit champion, Katrin Davidsdottir. Welcome to the School of Greatness. My name is Lewis Howes, former pro athlete turned lifestyle entrepreneur. And each week, we bring you an inspiring person or message to help you discover how to unlock your inner greatness. Thanks for spending some time with me today. Now let the class begin. It doesn't matter how much talent you have. The only way that you're going to be successful as one of the greatest in the world is if

• 0:44Lewis Howes?

  you have talent and you have so much hard work that you back that talent with consistent, dedicated effort. That will set you up for the chance of being great. And that's what our guest today has done. Katrin Davidsdottir is a legend in the fitness and CrossFit world. She is an Icelandic CrossFit athlete known for her four appearances at the CrossFit Games, took 30th in her first Games appearance in 2012 after less than a year of doing CrossFit, improving to 24th in the Games in 2013. Now, 2014, she was sidelined from the Games that year.

• 1:26Lewis Howes?

  She didn't qualify, but she returned with a fierce dedication to be great in 2015 and improved her focus and took the title of the fittest woman on earth. She then proved that it was no fluke with a repeat victory in 2016, making her only the second woman to repeat as champion. Talk about a fierce competitor. Talk about someone who has a big heart, a deep desire to push herself to the greatest limits humanly possible. That is what Katrin has been able to do with herself, and she is just getting started. In this interview, we talk about how fast she knew she wanted to be in the CrossFit Games.

• 2:11Lewis Howes?

  We talk about when she realized that she needed a coach and a strategy to be able to advance her in her passion. And she was able to get only so far alone, but in order to be a champion, she needed a coach and a strategy. The importance of rest and reflection when you fail. Why you need to build a solid structure that you love doing day after day. Also, the importance of balance if you want to be the best in the world at anything. And we talk about who she was working for and competing for in her 2015 win. I'm super excited about this. I've been following Katrin for a long time. And we've been connected online for a while, but we finally got to connect in person in Boston.

• 2:55Lewis Howes?

  And this is an incredible interview. Make sure to share with your friends. LewisHowes.com/733 Tag Katrin on Instagram as well as you're watching this or as you're listening to this. And let her know what you think about this as you listen. Again, a big thank you to our sponsors and if you are looking to be great in your life, then we have an incredible young woman who is going to inspire you right now to reach beyond your dreams, to reach beyond your limits and to achieve everything you want. So let me introduce to you the one, the only Katrin, David's daughter.

• 3:38Lewis Howes?

  Welcome everyone to the School of Greatness Podcast. We've got the legendary Katrin, David's daughter.

• 3:44Speaker 01

  Finally.

• 3:45Lewis Howes?

  I know. We've been trying to do this for what, two years?

• 3:47Speaker 01

  Probably.

• 3:48Lewis Howes?

  Two years.

• 3:49Speaker 01

  So long. Every time I say I'm about to come to California, I mean it every single time.

• 3:53Lewis Howes?

  You haven't been to California, I don't think in two years.

• 3:55Speaker 01

  We're in Boston right now. Yeah, I haven't.

• 3:56Lewis Howes?

  We're in Boston.

• 3:57Speaker 01

  I don't think I've been there since.

• 3:59Lewis Howes?

  The CrossFit Games.

• 4:00Speaker 01

  The Games in 2016.

• 4:01Lewis Howes?

  2016.

• 4:02Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 4:03Lewis Howes?

  Wow. Yes, we've been talking since then and we're like, yeah, I'm going to be out there for like an event or a sponsor thing or. You never make it out. So I decided I'm coming out to Boston.

• 4:13Speaker 01

  We did it.

• 4:13Lewis Howes?

  We're here in like Harvard Square and I'm excited to be here because you've had an incredible journey. You're only 25. You've won two CrossFit Games back to back. You've qualified for six games, five games?

• 4:27Speaker 01

  Um, 12, 13, 15, 16, 17, 18.

• 4:32Lewis Howes?

  Six games. You qualified twice and then you missed once.

• 4:36Speaker 01

  Yes.

• 4:36Lewis Howes?

  What was that like when you were qualifying and you're just like, I'm going to get better every year? And then all of a sudden I don't qualify after a year of pain and struggle and training.

• 4:47Speaker 01

  Um, honestly, right now I can look back and say that it's the best thing that ever happened to me. In the moment, it was the hardest thing that ever happened to me. I kinda. I was born very competitive. And it didn't really matter what it was, whether it was, you know, swimming when we were in school or, you know, running around the playground, you know, with the boys. I was always in a competition. And I did gymnastics until I was sixteen and I was never really good at gymnastics, but I think I loved the, the conditioning part and I loved the dedication. I trained four hours a day, six days a week, and I, I liked that structure.

• 5:30Speaker 01

  And at sixteen, I kinda, I didn't wanna do it anymore and I was trying to find something. You know, I was playing around with track and I was playing around with, go to a Globo Gym and I was always missing that like, you know, waking up in the morning and working hard towards something and, you know, having a purpose. And in 2011, Annie wins the Games.

• 5:51Lewis Howes?

  Mm-hmm.

• 5:52Speaker 01

  She's one of my best friends now and she's from Iceland. But that was all over the news, all over the media and they were showing clips from the CrossFit Games and saying that she won that. And I remember my mom and my grandma was kinda lost that summer. I'd been doing like two years of kinda like back and forth of gymnastics and track and.

• 6:09Lewis Howes?

  You were in high school at the time?

• 6:10Speaker 01

  Yes.

• 6:11Lewis Howes?

  Yeah.

• 6:12Speaker 01

  And my mom, my grandma were like, why didn't you try that? And in my head, I feel like it was the day after that I went to the gym that she was at. Yeah, and I, I signed up for boot camp, I signed up for CrossFit and that was literally it.

• 6:27Lewis Howes?

  Wow, right away from day one, you knew.

• 6:30Speaker 01

  Yeah, I think I'd been doing it for about three weeks when I remember talking to my mom and I was like, I was like, Mom, I wanna make it to regionals.

• 6:38Lewis Howes?

  Wow.

• 6:39Speaker 01

  Which is like the qualification process or used to be for the CrossFit Games. And that was probably in September and then probably around the new year, I remember that goal kinda shifting to I wanna make it to the Games.

• 6:52Lewis Howes?

  No way, that quick?

• 6:54Speaker 01

  That quick. And that's a little bit dangerous because I was so good right away.

• 7:00Lewis Howes?

  So that was 2012?

• 7:01Speaker 01

  This is, yeah, this is the end of 2011 and 2012, I actually make it to the Games.

• 7:06Lewis Howes?

  Your first year.

• 7:07Speaker 01

  My first year trying.

• 7:08Lewis Howes?

  Six months.

• 7:08Speaker 01

  Yes.

• 7:09Lewis Howes?

  Of training.

• 7:10Speaker 01

  And no one could do that today. I mean, the sport was so much younger. But I really, I had progressed very fast and I got good right away. And when I say good, I actually think that's so dangerous because I think I got kinda content, you know, it was good. I was a young one. I was the one that made it right to the Games. And honestly, when I got to the Games that year, I, I didn't really belong. I was very starstruck by everyone that was there. I didn't have a coach. I hadn't trained for that amount of volume. I didn't have the headspace to be there. And honestly, you didn't enjoy it at all, but I got to call myself a Games athlete. And then again in-

• 7:46Lewis Howes?

  Would you play as top thirty, right?

• 7:48Speaker 01

  I was somewhere thirty, I might have been thirty, yeah.

• 7:51Lewis Howes?

  Yeah.

• 7:52Speaker 01

  And then I have another year of kinda doing the same thing. Like I would show up every day and I would train. And I love training. And then I was a full-time student and I was coaching. And show up again twenty thirteen and kinda just same story, like I'm good enough that I'm a Games athlete. I get to call myself a Games athlete all year, but as soon as I get to the Games, it's a whole other level and a whole other playing field. And it's so many days and so many things to think about. And again, like, I don't, I didn't really have a coach and-

• 8:25Lewis Howes?

  No one came with you to support you like in coaching wise?

• 8:28Speaker 01

  Um, I had some people from my gym.

• 8:31Lewis Howes?

  But they weren't like coaches?

• 8:32Speaker 01

  They weren't my coaches. They were very supportive and honest, I couldn't have done it without them. But we hadn't worked together and I didn't have the mindset and I didn't have the preparation that needed for the Games.

• 8:44Lewis Howes?

  You didn't have a strategy mentally, yeah.

• 8:46Speaker 01

  And that's kinda just like kept going like that until twenty fourteen. I didn't make the Games. And right in that moment of not making it to the Games, I remember there was a, there was a workout that had ten legless rope climbs in. And legless rope climbs were a weakness of mine and there was, it was, that was the workout, ten legless rope climbs. So there was nowhere to hide. And for weeks leading up to it, I had been so nervous for that one workout. I was at that point in the best shape that I'd ever been in. And I'd always made it to the Games.

• 9:24Speaker 01

  But I was couldn't stop thinking about that workout. I was that was a workout. I was like, it could throw me out. Like, maybe I won't make it to the games. And that was on day two of regionals of three days. And day one, I was crushing it. I was in first by so far. And I remember I was there asking me and he was like, wow, like, you've improved so much. Like, how do you feel about this workout? And I I could never be happy with what I was doing because I was so nervous about that workout. I'd be like, I'd be like, yeah, happy that, but I really just got to get to that rope climb workout. Like, so crazy that I couldn't just be in the moment. And I was constantly like, I don't know, like projecting forward to that one and my potential failure in that one.

• 10:08Speaker 01

  And sure enough, we get to that workout. And I think I was on my seventh one when I fail a rope climb. And I immediately start crying. I'm sorry, I bawl my eyes out and I'm on the field and there's minutes left on the clock. And I didn't make a single rope climb more. And it did throw me out and it's it's kind of like, I was right, you know?

• 10:33Lewis Howes?

  What you say, you created, yeah.

• 10:35Speaker 01

  I I think I created that for myself and it wasn't my, it wasn't my physical ability because I was fit enough that year. It was my lack of mental toughness that year. And I was just projecting forward that I could possibly not make the games. And then of instead of getting, we fail rope climbs all the time.

• 10:57Lewis Howes?

  Right.

• 10:57Speaker 01

  You know, you fail lifts, you fail rope climbs. You just you stand back up and you you try again.

• 11:02Lewis Howes?

  So you tried again or you just like?

• 11:04Speaker 01

  I did try again, but I was just falling down the rope and, you know, I wasn't collected and.

• 11:09Lewis Howes?

  You could have taken more time of rest. You could, you still had tons of time.

• 11:12Speaker 01

  And I was just rushing it and because I was so like, I needed to make that rope climb instead of resting until I was ready. Like, I was just jumping back up and failing. And in that moment, that was, I had nothing planned that summer. All I wanted to do was train for the games. And so he wasn't my coach at the time, but I'd done training camps with Ben Bergeron, who is now my coach. And I remember getting. A text from him, so every morning, after probably like a week or two, I would wake up in complete shock like. You know when you're just like, oh.

• 11:44Lewis Howes?

  After you've, after you didn't qualify.

• 11:46Speaker 01

  Like, did that actually happen?

• 11:47Lewis Howes?

  Wow.

• 11:48Speaker 01

  And a couple of days later, I get that, like, text from Ben being like, I know that this is tough for you right now and you might not see this in this right moment, but this could be the best thing that ever happened to you. And I remember that I was so mad that he would say that, like, why would he say that to me? Does he not understand, like, this was so hard for me right there and then, that was all I wanted, that was my biggest goal, was to make it to the Games. And that summer, I remember I took some time off and I went with my dad and my siblings to Morocco.

• 12:27Speaker 01

  And when I came back, I hated the fact that everyone else was training for the Games and had that purpose.

• 12:34Lewis Howes?

  Mm-hmm.

• 12:35Speaker 01

  And I was just going to the gym. So I kinda like, I think I just kinda tricked myself in my brain that I was training for the Games. That summer was probably the summer that I started training so much more with Annie, so she was training for the Games.

• 12:49Lewis Howes?

  So we were essentially training with her for the Games.

• 12:51Speaker 01

  Yes, so I was, you know, the best workout buddy that she could have at that time, because I would push her and push her and push her. Yes, but at the same time, yeah, but I wasn't like, I don't know, I guess like for her, she was training to win the Games. So for me, I'm actually training for the Games too and pushing with her, so that kinda, she really pulled me through that summer.

• 13:14Lewis Howes?

  Wow.

• 13:15Speaker 01

  And at the same time, I got to push her. And that year, I remember I didn't really watch the Games. I remember watching the final workout and it was really late in Iceland because of the time change. And I remember watching it and. The final was done and I remember just closing my computer, going to bed. And I wake up the morning after, it was like a million pounds were lifted off my chest. I felt like such a clean slate. It was like no one had made it to the Games. And honestly, in that moment, I think it was such an advantage for me because everyone else had just finished the Games and have to recover.

• 13:55Lewis Howes?

  Month to recover.

• 13:56Speaker 01

  Yeah, and here I am fired up and fresh.

• 13:59Lewis Howes?

  Wow.

• 14:00Speaker 01

  So.

• 14:00Lewis Howes?

  Focused.

• 14:01Speaker 01

  Focused and there are so many things that kind of clicked that year that I think, I always think things happen for a reason, you are where you're supposed to be for a reason and I was supposed to go through that and then I never really liked reading. I, I just have a tough time like sit, I, I need to be doing things and but that summer when I went to Morocco was the first time I really picked up a book and I remember picking up Michael Johnson's book, it's called Gold Rush and he was the absolute favorite for the ninety, like leading up to the ninety-two Games, he had won every single race that he ever entered in hundred and two hundred. He has these chapters in the books where he describes a hundred meter race. And it takes less than ten seconds for him, or about ten seconds, but

• 14:47Speaker 01

  this could be a whole chapter of him describing what he's feeling when he, he's on the starting mat. Or his, what do you call this?

• 14:53Lewis Howes?

  Starting blocks, yeah.

• 14:55Speaker 01

  And then he described it like what's going through his mind and what he's thinking like right before the gun comes off and then it's his reaction and then like the whole drive phase where you're like

• 15:05Lewis Howes?

  Yeah.

• 15:05Speaker 01

  where he's literally like facing down and he'd be like after like four to sixty meters, he starts like you know, raising himself up and then he would always do like a right, left and he would never see anyone because he was so far ahead. And he got sick in the Olympics, so right before.

• 15:21Speaker 01

  And he ends up, it's it's terrible Olympics for him and he doesn't even make the finals. And and what a failure for him in that moment when he himself knows that he can win. But instead of, I don't know, he instead of giving up in that moment or thinking he's not good enough or what a failure. He comes back in ninety six. He wins gold in hundred, two hundred, and he added four hundred.

• 15:45Lewis Howes?

  Crazy.

• 15:46Speaker 01

  And it's just crazy to think that, I don't know, I needed to read that story in that in that moment. Because it'd be easier for me to think that I had failed or I was a failure or that I wasn't good enough or I'm not as good as those girls. But it just showed me that I'd failed at those regionals and I wasn't as good as I needed to be in that moment. But it wasn't a destination. You know, it was a point for me to pass through and I could use it. And then I started reading some sports psychology and I started working a lot more with Ben. And he talks to me a lot about what I should be focusing on and what I should not be focusing on and what should be going through my head in workouts and

• 16:27Speaker 01

  and he, it was at the end of twenty fourteen that I was training in Boston and I asked him to be my coach and he was like, let's try it, let's try a month. And we'll take it from there and did that and I remember the new year, he was like, okay, I'll be your coach.

• 16:43Lewis Howes?

  Wow. Why did you come to Boston in the first place?

• 16:45Speaker 01

  That's just kind of like a long story. It was one of his athletes used to do some programming for me. So before the twenty thirteen games, I came for a week and that's kind of like how I met everyone. And then early twenty fourteen, one of his team athletes that they won the games. They won the games before the podiums, I think, one or two times. He had a phenomenal team. And a couple of those individuals on the team, one individual that year. And I went and trained with, her name was Rachel. And so I kind of went over there. I was gonna go for, you know, just a week or two and train with them and I don't know, there was something about training there that kept me wanting to come back for more.

• 17:29Speaker 01

  Like I say, like I'd always kinda just been good. So I just kinda did the training, I'd be like, yep, done that check, yep, done that check. And I remember when I got to Boston, I'd never been in a place where there was a coach. Like, I, I love being coached. And I'd been coached my whole life in gymnastics.

• 17:47Lewis Howes?

  What did you have in Iceland, were there no coaches?

• 17:49Speaker 01

  It was more like you're taking class. And I'd never experienced having a coach in CrossFit. And when I come here and Ben kinda like has his whole team and some individuals and, you know, everyone would show up at nine AM and they're all waiting to hear what he has to say, just like in gymnastics, you know, like, I think I just loved that. And they, whenever he spoke, like, everyone wanted to listen to what he had to say. And he honestly didn't say much, which I think taught me a lot because he's not out there shouting, "Good job", or "You should do better", or this or that. He would more, I remember doing these hill sprints once and he'd be like, Jeff, fifty, Kat, fifty-four, Rachel, fifty-seven.

• 18:35Speaker 01

  And it was like, you're not getting a good job or you should be going faster. He's just giving me my time and-

• 18:40Lewis Howes?

  Very neutral, yeah.

• 18:41Speaker 01

  But it made me internalize, it made me be like, I know if I worked hard enough or not. I know if that fifty-four seconds, I know if it was my best or not. He doesn't have to tell me. And it really, it showed me, I started paying attention to what really was my best. And I think I really learned what hard work was. What it's, there's a difference between working hard and, and working really hard. So those weeks, whenever I would come to Boston, I think I accidentally put myself into this like professional athlete bubble.

• 19:18Lewis Howes?

  Yeah.

• 19:19Speaker 01

  Cause when I was in Iceland, I was a full-time student. I was a coach, I was trying to train. Yeah, I have all my friends and my family that, you know, you're hanging out with, they're going out for lunch. But when I was in Boston, I would, I would stay with Ben and Heather. Heather is Ben's wife and, and their family. And- I would go with Heather in the morning to the gym. And we would work out and then I would have lunch and, you know, take a little break and then would work out again and I'd probably be done by like three or, maybe like three or four. But Ben never went back home until, it was like five thirty. That's like when he leaves the gym every day. So I had all this time that, you know, I just had at the gym and

• 20:03Speaker 01

  I would read, I would do all this recovery stuff.

• 20:06Lewis Howes?

  Mobility.

• 20:06Speaker 01

  Yeah, I would sit in the norm attacks, I'd do muscle stims, stretch. All these things that I'd never used the time to do before. So it's kind of like accidentally living this professional athlete life and sleeping more and eating better and, you know, all these car rides and, and dinner time ta- like talks. With like the Bergeron family, I learnt so much.

• 20:28Lewis Howes?

  And you were like, I can't leave this.

• 20:30Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 20:30Lewis Howes?

  I have to be here full time. This is the way.

• 20:33Speaker 01

  Absolutely. And I think every time I left, I felt so much better that I just like, it kept me wanting to come back for more.

• 20:39Lewis Howes?

  It sounds like that structure was what you really loved.

• 20:41Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 20:41Lewis Howes?

  Because when you go back home, it's kind of like on your own time, you have a lot of different things, but it's not a core structure with one focus.

• 20:47Speaker 01

  Absolutely.

• 20:48Lewis Howes?

  Where do you think you'd be if you qualified for the Games that year?

• 20:52Speaker 01

  Wow.

• 20:54Speaker 01

  I don't know. I...

• 20:57Lewis Howes?

  Do you think we'd have won those last, those two years back to back?

• 21:00Speaker 01

  I don't think I would have won the Games. I think I needed to not make it to the Games. I think it showed me how bad I not only, how bad I wanted to be there and how much I was willing to work for it. And I think I really needed that. Because I think if that wouldn't have happened, I would have been content with what I was doing and I-

• 21:19Lewis Howes?

  Qualifying.

• 21:20Speaker 01

  With qualifying and I'm a hundred percent sure I would not have won the Games if that wouldn't have happened.

• 21:26Lewis Howes?

  Wow.

• 21:26Speaker 01

  Yeah. Yeah.

• 21:30Speaker 01

  That's interesting. Where would I be? I'd probably be in school. I'd probably be-

• 21:33Lewis Howes?

  Really?

• 21:34Speaker 01

  Yeah, I wanted to be a doctor.

• 21:36Lewis Howes?

  Still in Iceland.

• 21:37Speaker 01

  I used to love, and I still do, I love learning and studying. It's just, I don't have time for that right now with what I'm doing. And I know school will wait for me, like, school will always be there, and I can always learn and study, and I love reading now. But the sport doesn't wait for me, and this is what I'm doing right now, so I need to give it everything that I have.

• 21:57Lewis Howes?

  What do you think it takes to be the best in the world?

• 22:00Speaker 01

  Everything you got. If you're not giving it everything that you have, I always think this. I remember, everyone likes balance, like, talking about balance, so you need this, and you need that, and you have this in your life, and I always felt very conflicted, because that's not what I wanted. And I remember Ben was having a presentation once, and it's the first time I ever heard anyone say, "Champions don't have balance." And I was like, "He's right." If...

• 22:31Speaker 01

  It's not right or wrong. For most people, it's probably the right thing to have balance.

• 22:36Lewis Howes?

  Right.

• 22:37Speaker 01

  But if you want to be the best in the world at something, you just can't. Because if you're spending, you know, if you're spending your time on something other than your craft, or something that, other than, something that's not gonna make you better, someone else is spending their time on getting better.

• 22:53Lewis Howes?

  Yeah.

• 22:54Speaker 01

  And I always think that someone else is gonna be spending their time, so I better be doing it too.

• 22:58Lewis Howes?

  Wow.

• 22:59Speaker 01

  And, there is a time and place for everything, like, hanging out with your friends and getting your nails done, but that, that has to be the right time, and when you've already put in all, when you've slept enough, and you're when you've eaten the right things, and when you've done your training, and then, sometimes it's good to get that little bit of break, but

• 23:17Speaker 01

  that has to be the right time.

• 23:18Lewis Howes?

  Yeah, I hear you.

• 23:19Speaker 01

  So, yeah, it takes everything you've got and a lot of hard work.

• 23:22Lewis Howes?

  Wow. Do you balance ever? Do you take like a day off once every three months?

• 23:26Speaker 01

  Yeah, yeah, yeah, absolutely.

• 23:28Lewis Howes?

  Your coach would be, he'd be like, "Okay, today, just rest." Does that ever happen?

• 23:32Speaker 01

  Yes, I have one day a week that I have a full rest day. Like I say, like you can only work as hard as you recover and all of that, but you better be doing everything of that a hundred percent. But then there are times that you have, for me, it's normally Sundays. Sundays are my day that

• 23:46Lewis Howes?

  No workout.

• 23:47Speaker 01

  that I take completely off.

• 23:49Lewis Howes?

  Recovery, swimming, little jog here and there, little three miler.

• 23:54Speaker 01

  Sometimes I will, like I actually perform a lot better the day after if I move. I like just getting some blood flow in, getting a light, but it has to be very light. It can't be I'm not getting lactic, I'm not getting any extra soreness. My favorite thing I actually do is sit in the sauna. That's a great, that's my favorite recovery thing. It's very, it's like, it's like me time. I bring in a book and I sit in the sauna for like thirty minutes and it gets really hard. Like it's actually hard to sit in the sauna sometimes when it gets really hot.

• 24:24Lewis Howes?

  It's hard, you're dying.

• 24:24Speaker 01

  But I feel really good after, yeah.

• 24:28Lewis Howes?

  What's your biggest physical weakness right now? That's holding you back from being the best at all times?

• 24:36Speaker 01

  So, twenty fifteen, actually coming back from that year of not

• 24:43Lewis Howes?

  Qualifying.

• 24:43Speaker 01

  Not qualifying. We win the games.

• 24:46Lewis Howes?

  It's crazy, it's amazing.

• 24:49Speaker 01

  That is crazy.

• 24:50Lewis Howes?

  Crazy.

• 24:50Speaker 01

  But at the same time, when you look at the things that we did, it's not crazy, but it's just, it's just crazy looking at it like that. And twenty sixteen, repeating, and it's like

• 25:04Speaker 01

  when you know that you can win and when you know what it takes, you wanna win. And I am ready to do whatever it takes and I am ready to give it everything that I have and, and work as hard as I possibly can every single day. There is no better feeling than showing up at your competition and knowing that you, knowing you did everything you could. That's what gives me confidence. It's not confi- You never know that you're better than someone else, or that you're gonna- You never know that you're gonna win, or where you're gonna place. But if you know that you did everything that you could, you can stand there, you can be confident. And then you go out there and give it your best.

• 25:47Speaker 01

  You know that you're gonna come out there, and it's gonna be your best result.

• 25:51Lewis Howes?

  It's the worst when you know you didn't train enough.

• 25:53Speaker 01

  Exactly.

• 25:54Lewis Howes?

  You're like, "I could've done this differently, I should've done it more, but I didn't." That's when you beat yourself up.

• 25:59Speaker 01

  That is the absolute worst.

• 26:00Lewis Howes?

  Worst.

• 26:01Speaker 01

  So, coming back in 2017, of course I want to win. And-

• 26:07Lewis Howes?

  Back to back to, hopefully back.

• 26:09Speaker 01

  Yeah, and I-

• 26:12Speaker 01

  I was tired in 2017, mentally tired. And I think I kinda lost my sense of why I do this, and my purpose, and my joy in the sport. And I think-

• 26:23Lewis Howes?

  Why were you tired, from the emotional pressure you put on yourself?

• 26:26Speaker 01

  Yes, I think I was-

• 26:28Lewis Howes?

  Now I've got a three-peat, now everyone's looking at me.

• 26:30Speaker 01

  Yeah, I think, I- I had a lot of things, and- In 2015, I truly fell in love with the sport and the process of- Of just getting better, and of working hard, and every day would show up to the gym, and- I was learning so many new things, I was reading all about- That's the year that I really kinda got what it meant to be the best version of yourself. When I used to compete, I used to constantly be on the leaderboard, and the outcome would matter to me so much, but then like- Starting to read about sports psychology, and Ben talking to me about like- I can only control a couple things, like I can't control an outcome, I can't control the weather, I can't control the judges,

• 27:15Speaker 01

  I can't control my competitors. But what I can control is my sleep, what I eat, my effort that I put into any kinda workout. My mindset, my- My outlook on a problem that's happening, or whatever is in front of me at that time. And-

• 27:35Speaker 01

  We just kind of like loved the process. We worked really hard. We got to the Games. And it was an advantage, but no one was looking at me. You know, you didn't have the pressure. You didn't have people, I didn't have people interviewing me. And suddenly, we come out on top.

• 27:52Lewis Howes?

  Crazy.

• 27:53Speaker 01

  And because of that reason, I think people thought it was a fluke. And I took that very personally because I knew what we had done. And we had worked so hard. So that whole year, I wanted to prove that it wasn't. And in 2016, very suddenly, my grandmother passed away. And she was my best friend and my rock and my, my everything in this world. She was the light.

• 28:34Speaker 01

  And that was, that's definitely, it's, it just happened fast. And that, that year, I did everything for her. Everything. And every training session, everything that I did, I wanted to win for her.

• 28:53Lewis Howes?

  So you had a deeper purpose.

• 28:54Speaker 01

  So I had a deeper purpose that year. So when I get to the 2016 Games, it was really weird, but I honestly, like, I would come off the floor. And I somehow, just like, I would make a lift that I have no clue how I made. Or I would be like focusing on like, it might be a five round thing. And I remember like, I would always pull through right at, at the right second. And I'd somehow, just like, every time I got off the floor, I was like.

• 29:26Speaker 01

  I never knew how I did it and I would always just be like, it's her. And right before the final event, both of us had this necklace. That was actually my grandparents that gave it to me and her best friends gave it to her. For her, it was either her sixty-fifth or seventieth birthday, but it was the same necklace and she used to use it a lot. And when she passed away, I got a little protection angel. And I put one on hers and one on mine and hers is buried with her.

• 29:57Lewis Howes?

  Wow.

• 29:58Speaker 01

  So I always have this necklace with me. And right before the final event, I took it out of my bag and I was wearing this high neck sports bra, so I was able to actually, so I tucked it in and I was wearing it for the final event.

• 30:14Speaker 01

  And it was a really, I was in the lead and, but this was a really hard workout for me. And this is probably one of the proudest competition moments that I've ever had because how easy is it to, it was pegboards and thrusters. And how easy is it to, like with the rope climbs, just go up before you're ready because it's the win on the line. But at the same, I just took everything a moment at a time and I'd do another pegboard when I was ready and I would do the thrusters when I was ready and actually get my best result, even though there was so much on the line. But I remember I'd, I'd walk over to the chalk bucket and I'd go over and the necklace would always fall out. And it like kept reminding me like, she's there with me.

• 30:57Lewis Howes?

  Wow.

• 30:57Speaker 01

  And that year I remember just holding the necklace. It felt like an eternity before you announce who had won.

• 31:04Lewis Howes?

  Because you didn't know.

• 31:05Speaker 01

  Because I didn't win that last event, but then it was like, what's the point spread? You know, and I, I came out a couple of points ahead.

• 31:11Lewis Howes?

  Wow.

• 31:12Speaker 01

  And I was like holding it and I wanted it, nothing more than to win for her. And I think I had that that year and then that twenty seventeen year you already done a back to back win and I didn't know my purpose anymore. And I think that was.

• 31:28Lewis Howes?

  Your purpose was now pressure. It's like how to deal with the pressure and how to overcome this pressure.

• 31:32Speaker 01

  Exactly.

• 31:33Lewis Howes?

  Yeah.

• 31:34Speaker 01

  And I think I just kind of lost that a little bit and I don't think I realized it. Until I was at the games and I never had one of those magical moments. Which I talk about like when you come off, you know, like whoa, like I love competing. It's my favorite thing in the world. Like when I'm out there on the floor. And I didn't have that and it was, it wasn't until that Sunday morning of the games I had one of those workouts. And and I had that magical moment.

• 32:01Lewis Howes?

  After the games?

• 32:03Speaker 01

  No, it was, I was at, right at the end, but it was just too late.

• 32:06Lewis Howes?

  Too late.

• 32:06Speaker 01

  You know? And I, I didn't even podium. I took fifth of the games. And I know that's, that's a tremendous, it's very good. It was just not what I wanted and not what I'd worked so hard for.

• 32:18Lewis Howes?

  How did it made you feel?

• 32:20Speaker 01

  Um, terrible. I think it took me such a long time to acknowledge that I wasn't happy with it. And to acknowledge that I wanted to win the CrossFit Games. And that I wasn't happy with that placement and honestly, like the longest thing took me to acknowledge how I was feeling, like I was, I was missing the joy. I was missing my spark. I was missing my purpose.

• 32:49Lewis Howes?

  All twenty seventeen.

• 32:50Speaker 01

  This is all after the twenty seventeen games that I think I was kind of realizing these things. And there was a moment in time where I was like, do I love competing in this sport anymore? Like, do I want to do this? It's like, I was like, why do I want to do this? And I got this email from, there's a doctor at our gym who saw um, someone post this, that it was like his little cousin that she was fifteen or sixteen, she posted this essay. She was talking about how she had been, she's very down, like very depressed. She would go to school and she would do enough to get by and after school she would go home and she would do nothing. She

• 33:36Speaker 01

  In this one May, it was before Memorial Day, her aunt comes and she was so excited, was like raving about this CrossFit exercise and she's like, you know, wanted her to come with her to the gym and she was like, fine, you know, whatever, he'll go with her. And it was Murph, which is like a mile run, a hundred pull-ups, two hundred push-ups, three hundred squats, and then another mile run. It's, it's a tremendously hard workout. It's long and it's, it's grindy. And there was all these people, they all showed up to do this workout. And they're all working so hard, like some of them until their hands are ripping and they're all sweaty and like,

• 34:16Speaker 01

  but they're all there doing it together and they all made her feel so welcome and, and she decides that she wants to join this CrossFit gym. And she had been in CrossFit for a couple of weeks when she then like starts looking at videos, she gets more interested and she watches the documentary, Fittest on Earth.

• 34:36Lewis Howes?

  When you won, right?

• 34:37Speaker 01

  Yep. And she says she saw Captain David Sutter talk about being the best version of herself.

• 34:43Lewis Howes?

  Wow.

• 34:44Speaker 01

  And she was like, and something clicked with me and she was like, and so I'd go to the gym and you know, she couldn't do pull-ups and she'd start working on pull-ups until she could do one. And you know, she had to work so hard and you know, sometimes she would tear and she had to wait until her hands healed and and you know, it's such an accomplishment when you work so hard towards something and you and you're able to do something that you previously didn't think that you could do. And she then took it from there and she like, I started working harder in school and she now has, she's happier. She has a better life. And what if her friends see that and see how inspired she is and a better version of herself and inspire them to get better? And

• 35:25Speaker 01

  it was like an immediate flip in my head. I

• 35:30Speaker 01

  That is probably the thing that means the most to me out of everything that I've ever received or anything that I've ever done or gotten that someone could I get to go to the gym every day and do what I love.

• 35:41Lewis Howes?

  Yeah.

• 35:41Speaker 01

  And work hard towards that. And I am lucky enough to be in a position that the CrossFit Games team and Mars and Heber, they want to tell my story. And you, you know, thank you for having me on here, but I get to tell my story and I get to show what I love and how hard I I work. And if that can inspire that girl, that one girl, and imagine who she goes on to inspire, I was like, that is my purpose. And that really that's why I started working out hard again.

• 36:17Lewis Howes?

  Really?

• 36:18Speaker 01

  I want to do it for that girl. I want to do it for those people that need it, for the opportunity that I can then inspire someone else.

• 36:25Lewis Howes?

  So that's the mission now?

• 36:27Speaker 01

  So that was, yeah, it it it still is.

• 36:29Lewis Howes?

  That's the purpose now.

• 36:30Speaker 01

  And that was leading into my 2018 Games or the season.

• 36:34Lewis Howes?

  Yeah.

• 36:35Speaker 01

  And that's actually the season that I can honestly say that I have never worked harder in my entire life. Yeah.

• 36:43Lewis Howes?

  Do you feel like you brought the joy back too and the passion and the love?

• 36:47Speaker 01

  Yeah, I do. I do. In a different way, it's it's more, I feel like with anything, like when you start out in anything, there's always a lot of excitement and everything is fun. And it still is. It's like, it was a lot of hard work, like this year we did. I've never worked out so much in my life and I was doing

• 37:05Lewis Howes?

  Two, three a days, like, yeah.

• 37:07Speaker 01

  Like, a lot of them were three a days and some of them would be like, you know, one of them might just be ninety minutes of just running or biking and it's just a lot of time to just sit in your head. And I had to tell myself so many times how much I wanted this and why I was doing this. So it's not always fun in Games, but I will say in the the big picture, this is the thing that I love the most.

• 37:28Lewis Howes?

  Wow.

• 37:28Speaker 01

  And I am so thankful for that I get to do every single day.

• 37:31Lewis Howes?

  You gotta tell your coach to let you listen to podcasts during those ninety minute bike rides.

• 37:35Speaker 01

  I do that. I do that. Thanks for getting me through this.

• 37:37Lewis Howes?

  Good.

• 37:38Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 37:39Lewis Howes?

  That's good. So you got third this year at the Games 2018. How did you feel?

• 37:45Speaker 01

  Right, that's why we were talking about this, because of my weakness.

• 37:48Lewis Howes?

  How did you feel?

• 37:49Speaker 01

  I just started rambling on.

• 37:50Lewis Howes?

  Yeah, it's all good.

• 37:51Speaker 01

  So, that was... Anyway, yes.

• 37:54Lewis Howes?

  How did you feel placing third and not being on the top, which you wanted?

• 37:58Speaker 01

  Yes.

• 37:58Lewis Howes?

  But working harder than you've ever worked in your life? And having a deeper mission?

• 38:03Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 38:04Lewis Howes?

  And a purpose?

• 38:04Speaker 01

  Mm-hmm.

• 38:05Lewis Howes?

  How did you feel? Because when you got fifth, you were unhappy, even though you were kind of faking like, okay, this is good, but not. How did you receive it?

• 38:13Speaker 01

  Very mixed feelings, and I still have those mixed feelings. I want to win the CrossFit Games. I want to come out on top, and I know what it feels like to come out on top.

• 38:23Lewis Howes?

  Yeah.

• 38:24Speaker 01

  And I worked as hard as I could in this whole year and as hard as I ever have in my entire life. That's very scary to do that, because if you do that, if you actually work as hard as you can, and you still come up short.

• 38:40Lewis Howes?

  Oh, man.

• 38:41Speaker 01

  You have no excuses.

• 38:42Lewis Howes?

  That's tough.

• 38:43Speaker 01

  You have no excuses, and that's really tough, but at the same time, it's like, I woke up the morning after and my initial reaction, it's like, it's like, it's done, there's nothing you can do about it, and I didn't win, it's like...

• 38:57Lewis Howes?

  And you knew you gave everything in every event, you were like...

• 39:00Speaker 01

  So it is... It is hard, and it's not what you want, but at the same time, I'm so proud of the work that I put in. I'm so thankful for how much my coach coaches me and teaches me every single day.

• 39:19Speaker 01

  My family, my friends, they're so incredibly supportive. The amount of support, like, Christmas, it's like, I was late for Christmas dinner, and my mom didn't even blink an eye. She was like, it's... Like, I'm stressing, trying to like, you know, shower and get ready, and my mom was like, "It's okay," like, she knows how hard I was working, why I was doing it. You know, and it's like, it just means the world to me. So it's like all those things that I'm so thankful for and I have to celebrate that I did take third. It's incredible.

• 39:49Lewis Howes?

  It's amazing.

• 39:50Speaker 01

  But at the same time, I want more.

• 39:52Lewis Howes?

  So what's the big weakness then?

• 39:53Speaker 01

  The big weakness, back to it. It's like raw strength and power output.

• 39:59Lewis Howes?

  Raw strength?

• 40:00Speaker 01

  Yeah, like.

• 40:01Lewis Howes?

  Don't you have raw strength? I mean, your freaking legs are strong, your arms are jacked.

• 40:05Speaker 01

  I know, you would think, but when I say I have a weakness or a strength, it's compared to my competitors.

• 40:11Lewis Howes?

  Yeah, okay.

• 40:12Speaker 01

  So I know I'm strong and I'm fit and all these things, but compared to my competitors, I'm not strong enough. And it's crazy to say that I want to be the best in the world and I want to win the CrossFit Games. And then I'm out there on the field and it's a, it was a CrossFit total. So we did a one rep max back squat, one rep max press, and then a one rep max deadlift.

• 40:37Lewis Howes?

  Yeah.

• 40:37Speaker 01

  And if you'd asked, even before the games, if you would have asked me, I mean, I just didn't expect it to show up. But we should be ready for anything. Um, but if you would ask me what would be the worst things to show up for me? It'd be like, it'd be the one rep back squat and one rep deadlift. Like, give me a 10 rep and I'm good, but the one rep.

• 40:59Speaker 01

  So I'm out there on the field and I'm not having a good time. And I'm literally, and I try and be very in the moment and engaging to what I'm doing. But I remember like literally in my head, I'm like, I'm never going to show up and have a weakness. I'm never gonna show up and not be able to play with the girls. I want my worst finishes to be 10th place, not 36th.

• 41:25Lewis Howes?

  Hmm.

• 41:26Speaker 01

  So right there and then, I've decided that I'm not gonna show up and not be strong enough ever again. There's no reason that I can't be as strong as they can.

• 41:35Lewis Howes?

  Is this at the beginning of the event or at the end of the event?

• 41:38Speaker 01

  This is during. I knew it was coming. Yes, I knew that. So...

• 41:44Lewis Howes?

  So now you've been training.

• 41:45Speaker 01

  So now I've been working so hard on my strength.

• 41:48Lewis Howes?

  There you go.

• 41:49Speaker 01

  Yeah. And we're getting stronger.

• 41:51Lewis Howes?

  That's good. That's good. What's the, um, it sounds like over the last four years now, since with your coach, right? Four years, that you've been developing your mindset at an extremely high level of being more neutral, less reactive, less hard on yourself, all these different things. And really just training and preparing the mind for, to win.

• 42:11Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 42:12Lewis Howes?

  What is the element of your mind that you still need work on? That would take you from here to a whole nother level?

• 42:19Lewis Howes?

  And the mind's had training. I don't want to call it a weakness in your mind, but what's the thing that you could improve?

• 42:26Speaker 01

  I don't know. I'm constantly working on something. And I think it really depends on, you know, the mood I'm in or what I'm going through in that time.

• 42:35Lewis Howes?

  You mean you're not a robot?

• 42:36Speaker 01

  The workout. Yeah. I know, I'd love to be. I think it like fluctuates. And something that I've realized that I used to be a lot better at, and I think I got pulled away from is trusting. So there's a big picture process and trusting the process. And every day, just doing the little things over and over, doing them right, knowing that you got better that day and trusting that you're on the right path. And it's kind of like that process in the middle of a workout. You know, like if you're doing something that's five rounds, 10 rounds, and you're, and everyone goes out so hot, like in the beginning and they're, and they're off. But you know, like, what is it? How are you going to do your best in that workout? How am I going to get my best time?

• 43:20Speaker 01

  And it might not be go out really hard. It might just be like getting at a good pace, hold that pace and be able to like come through at the right time. Like I said, like, like I did in 15 and 16. And I feel like sometimes I get so caught up in that I should be the best at this workout or should be so good in this and that you start competing with other competitors. And then you might go out too hot and then I might crash and burn and someone else passed me at the end. And it, just like trusting the process and trusting my gut instinct and my pacing and kind of bringing it back in a little again. And not being so much in like... Because it really is, it's it's an individual sport. And no one is touching, it's not a contact sport. No one's playing with you, no one's gonna tackle you.

• 44:04Speaker 01

  It's just, it's you and your lane, you know?

• 44:07Lewis Howes?

  I think, was it Einstein who said comparison is the thief of joy?

• 44:10Speaker 01

  How true is that?

• 44:11Lewis Howes?

  Right, and so the more you compare to everyone else's times, or whatever it may be. I think that's good to train maybe that way, to be like, okay, I know I need to like, chase this person, this person, but also just chasing your own best times.

• 44:23Speaker 01

  I I do that a lot in my head. I I put a competitor next to me and make sure that I'm pushing and pushing and pushing. But yeah, at the same time, you have to like, was it my best? And if it was, like, high five and move on. If not, then you can like, alright, we gotta change that.

• 44:39Lewis Howes?

  Yeah. What's the part of your daily routine that you love the most?

• 44:43Speaker 01

  My mornings.

• 44:44Lewis Howes?

  What's what's involved in the mornings?

• 44:46Speaker 01

  I don't know, I actually like working out too, but. I'd say my mornings, I love a slow morning. And I probably said that because if I have a good morning, it sets my day up so good.

• 44:58Lewis Howes?

  But if you're rushed and anxious.

• 45:00Speaker 01

  Everything goes backwards. My day is, my day is like ruined. I'm kidding, but it's not, but kinda.

• 45:05Lewis Howes?

  It's harder, it's harder, yeah.

• 45:07Speaker 01

  It's like, it's weird if my morning starts weird. But I love just like, I try, I set an alarm like two hours before I have to be anywhere. And when I'm in like a great routine, and it was probably my favorite like this summer, like leading up to the games, when every morning I would wake up and just make my coffee and then bring my coffee out and then just read a little bit. Just like have time to just, yeah, just sit and read. And then I would journal after. And whatever chapter I'd read about, I would try and pick something out of it that I thought applied or my favorite part of the book. And I would write about it.

• 45:49Speaker 01

  And after I'd written about it, I would write down three things that I'm thankful for, for that day. And I love starting my days thinking about, because there are so many things. Like sometimes you'd be on number three and I can't pick what I want to put there. Because I have so many things and you're like, oh, like what am I most thankful for this? And after that, I would always write down like thirty days until the games. And that really got me to think, even though there's a month left, or even if it's two months left, it's, it always seems like such a long time until I feel like you put down the actual days and you see how much every, like, how much can happen in two months, like, so many things, but then if you put down like

• 46:29Speaker 01

  sixty days, and it's like, today is one of those days, and you realize how much every single day counts.

• 46:35Lewis Howes?

  Every day matters.

• 46:36Speaker 01

  Every day matters, and, and I loved putting that down there, and it showed me like how many days are left, and, and so much can happen, but this day matters so much.

• 46:45Lewis Howes?

  Yeah.

• 46:46Speaker 01

  And then at the end of that, I would put down my own thoughts, or how like, I try and link like what I was reading to to something that I would do that day, and it really got me just in the right mindset, and I love going into the day with that.

• 46:58Lewis Howes?

  That's right.

• 46:59Speaker 01

  And then I'd go make breakfast, normally over breakfast, just because of the time change, I love calling my mom, or my dad, or my grandpa, my best friends, I'll always try and FaceTime with someone in the morning, just talk a little bit, and then I'll go get ready and, and go to the gym, and that's when I'm like, I'm ready for the day.

• 47:16Lewis Howes?

  You're ready, yeah, okay. I'm curious, I don't know if you've talked about this, maybe you have, but do you think intimate partnerships and relationships support someone's drive to becoming the best in the world? Or do you think that, that could hold you back?

• 47:31Speaker 01

  Both. I think it depends on the person.

• 47:33Lewis Howes?

  Yeah.

• 47:34Speaker 01

  Yeah, like, both people.

• 47:35Lewis Howes?

  Yeah.

• 47:36Speaker 01

  I think if you're with the right person, and if you look at Matt Fraser and Sammy, for example, I, they're so like, they're so good for each other. And Matt is so focused and so driven to be the best in the world.

• 47:55Lewis Howes?

  He's a machine.

• 47:56Speaker 01

  He is, and then Sammy is, she loves taking care of all the little things, and taking care of the food, and she's such a bubbly personality, but so on it at all times, that I think they really They're a very powerful couple.

• 48:11Lewis Howes?

  Mm-hmm.

• 48:11Speaker 01

  But then I also think like if you're dating someone that might not be the right or doesn't live the same lifestyle is probably pulling you away.

• 48:18Lewis Howes?

  Right, right.

• 48:19Speaker 01

  So I think it's just a, it's a good mixture of both. And I think it, it really depends on who it is.

• 48:24Lewis Howes?

  Yeah. How do you feel about it personally?

• 48:27Speaker 01

  I'm not dating anyone. I think that scares me a little bit. I think if I were dating someone, I think I'm scared that, that he would be pulling me away from what I'm doing. Or if I'm not very excited, then I feel like it might not be the right thing for me to do. But at the same time, I'd be open for it. And if it was the right person or someone that is living the right lifestyle, of course, the option's always there.

• 48:51Lewis Howes?

  Yeah.

• 48:52Speaker 01

  But I, I don't know.

• 48:53Lewis Howes?

  Have you been with someone in the last few years where you've been training full-time and been in a relationship too, or like an extended relationship now?

• 48:59Speaker 01

  No, I've dated someone in like my recovery period after, after the games when I have enough time.

• 49:05Lewis Howes?

  For a couple of months.

• 49:06Speaker 01

  But then, yeah, but then suddenly my focus all like goes in, yeah.

• 49:09Lewis Howes?

  Okay, interesting.

• 49:11Speaker 01

  Mm-hmm.

• 49:11Lewis Howes?

  And I won't go into that more. I'm just fascinated to see.

• 49:14Speaker 01

  I know, everyone is so curious.

• 49:16Lewis Howes?

  Well, I think it's just like when you obsess over something.

• 49:18Speaker 01

  Yeah, I just don't have an answer, but.

• 49:20Lewis Howes?

  Well, when you obsess over something that much in a good way, I think it's hard to, to do it when this is like your time and your moment. And I was talking with another friend of mine, Nick Simmons, who's an Olympian 800 meter runner, American champion in the 800 and all these things.

• 49:37Speaker 01

  That's a great event.

• 49:38Lewis Howes?

  And he was like, you know, for six, seven years, he was like, I didn't have a relationship because I knew I wouldn't be able to give them the time. And I knew I needed to be selfish because this was my time. Now, I'm sure there's ways you can do both, you know, and you can have both and have it all, but he knew with his personality type, he was like, I don't think I'd be, it wouldn't be fair. Because I need to be selfish 100% of the time and do what I want to train, recover, like unless someone's on board with that, it's not going to be fair.

• 50:05Speaker 01

  He's right, yeah.

• 50:07Lewis Howes?

  It's interesting.

• 50:07Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 50:08Lewis Howes?

  What are your thoughts on body image and femininity? And what does that mean to you? Do you ever feel like you're this fierce competitor in your industry? But then do you ever feel like, oh, maybe I'm not as feminine as what other people are?

• 50:23Speaker 01

  Absolutely.

• 50:24Lewis Howes?

  Do you ever feel insecure about that?

• 50:26Speaker 01

  Yeah, I think it's something that. Ever since I grew up, I was tall.

• 50:31Lewis Howes?

  Only five seven, come on, it's not that tall.

• 50:33Speaker 01

  Okay, so I know, I know, but I wanted to be a gymnast.

• 50:37Lewis Howes?

  Yeah, oh, I see.

• 50:38Speaker 01

  So I was so tall.

• 50:39Lewis Howes?

  So you were tall in the gymnast world, yeah.

• 50:40Speaker 01

  I always wanted to be smaller. I always wanted to be skinnier, I always wanted to be lighter. You know, I look at pictures of myself when I was a kid and I was so skinny, you know. I was taller, but I just wanted to be smaller. And I think that's the way that I kinda grew up, was always wanted to be something different. And I wanted to have curly hair and I have straight hair. And it's like, it's all these little things. And after starting CrossFit, it's... When you work really hard towards something and, you know, like, I always had big shoulders or I had the big biceps or this or that. And now it's like, look at what they can do. Look at what my shoulders can do. Look at what my biceps can do. Like, it's amazing what our bodies can do.

• 51:25Speaker 01

  And I think if you look at it that way and you look at, you know, I have a six five because I work out and that six five can do this. And I don't know, I think it can make you more proud of the body that you have. But of course, of course I struggle. I'm in different shapes, different times of the year. And of course, I'd love to always just be shredded and look like a Viking, you know, like I do at the Games.

• 51:48Lewis Howes?

  Yeah, right, right.

• 51:50Speaker 01

  But at the same time, it's like, I'm not gonna look like that and get stronger. And you just have to put things under perspective. And I think, I think we all struggle with it, but... But I think it's just cool that we all have these, these different body types. And I think you see a lot at the Games that, you know, that we're all, we're different heights. We have different shoulders and legs. But there are all these amazing bodies that can do all these things. And every single one of them beautiful.

• 52:15Lewis Howes?

  What's it mean to be a beautiful woman?

• 52:17Speaker 01

  I think I always go, kinda go back to the, to the confidence thing. I think that always shines through. If you're happy with who you are, if you're happy with what you're doing, if you're living your life and kinda like in line with what your goals are. And you're confident in that and that you're doing that and you have healthy relationships. I think, I think that always shines through.

• 52:43Lewis Howes?

  That's a great answer.

• 52:44Speaker 01

  Oh, thanks.

• 52:45Lewis Howes?

  Great answer. And do you have a message for, for young girls or women who maybe don't believe in themselves or don't think they're pretty or don't think they're short enough or tall enough or... Whatever their insecurities are, do you have a message for them?

• 53:01Speaker 01

  Something that I, I actually have this on as a bracelet, I'll show you.

• 53:07Speaker 01

  It's here.

• 53:09Speaker 01

  I love blue and it little gold sparkles in.

• 53:12Lewis Howes?

  Yeah.

• 53:12Speaker 01

  Just be the best me.

• 53:13Lewis Howes?

  Oh, okay.

• 53:14Speaker 01

  I think there is only, there's only one of each and every one of us. And like I've talked about a little, it's like you only have control over so many things. And we have control over ourselves and what we do and, and how we treat others and, and what we do and, and how we act and I think if, if in each and every moment we focus on becoming a better version of ourselves. I can always, I can be a better daughter, I can be a better friend, I can be a better athlete. And all these little things, in each and every moment, we make the right choice to become a better version of ourselves.

• 53:56Speaker 01

  And in return, it's like if you're being a better daughter and you're treating other people well. And you're getting better in your craft and I think that can only push the world upwards.

• 54:05Lewis Howes?

  Hmm, that's good.

• 54:06Speaker 01

  Hmm.

• 54:07Lewis Howes?

  What's the greatest lesson your grandmother taught you?

• 54:10Speaker 01

  Hmm, she was always the light in the room.

• 54:16Speaker 01

  I think the biggest thing that I take away is how she made other people feel about themselves. She was always a light, how she presented herself, but the biggest thing is, and this is something that I really try and do is, things like

• 54:37Speaker 01

  how she says good morning to someone that she doesn't know or when she'd meet someone in an elevator, it made them feel important.

• 54:45Speaker 01

  And they could leave that room or that little, you know, it might not be a big interaction, but they could leave it and they could feel good about themselves. And they could feel seen and feel important and that's, I always want people to feel like I can give them the attention that they deserve. And that's something that I, I try and live by.

• 55:07Lewis Howes?

  Hmm, that's great. And your coach Ben. If if there were three things that he says to you on a consistent basis, that if there's someone who just needs coaching in their life, they could be a CrossFitter, they could be a basketball player, they could just be anything in their life.

• 55:24Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 55:25Lewis Howes?

  But there's three lessons that he shares with you on a consistent basis that you would share with everyone else. What would be those principles that he that he constantly instills in you?

• 55:34Speaker 01

  That is a great question. I don't know how to put that into three things.

• 55:38Lewis Howes?

  Or even just two, one or two.

• 55:39Speaker 01

  No, I think there are way more.

• 55:41Lewis Howes?

  The top three things?

• 55:42Speaker 01

  The top three.

• 55:43Lewis Howes?

  To coach someone.

• 55:45Speaker 01

  It's focusing on the right things. You know, it's the, it's probably the, you can't control others or the outcome, but you can control your sleep. Make sure you get enough, that's like my number one recovery thing, sleep. If for nothing else, just like get your eight, hopefully 10 hours of sleep every night. And it's your diet, it's it's the effort that you put into what you're doing, whatever your craft is. It's focusing on the right things and I feel like when you do that and you focus on the things that you actually can control, I feel like your mind is like, it's like a windshield wiper. You just see things clear and you're not constantly like fussing about little things or getting aggravated like,

• 56:29Speaker 01

  if you can change it, just change it. And if you can't, then and move on, you know, and you're not, I don't know, it at least gets my mind so much clearer. I think number two is probably focusing on details. I think there are so many little things that you think are little things, you know, like that little accessory thing at the end of your day that you could just skip. Or, you know, just having that one cookie, you can just have that one cookie or, you know, watching one more.

• 56:57Lewis Howes?

  Like those cookies.

• 56:58Speaker 01

  Yeah, don't we all? And then, you know, watching one extra episode at night. It's like, it's only only one more, but you're losing that hour, yeah. You're losing that hour of sleep. It's washing your hands, you know, so that you don't get sick. Cause a sick day, you know, can set you back a couple of days. It's it's taking care of all the little details that seem so little in a time and they're like, oh, it's just one percent or one percent. But they're really quick, one percent add up really fast to something that's really big. And the third thing is relationships.

• 57:32Speaker 01

  It's developing great relationships around you. And I see that with the way that he treats his family and his friends and who he coaches. It's like you create a great life with the relationships that you create around you.

• 57:48Lewis Howes?

  Yeah. What's your greatest fear?

• 57:55Speaker 01

  Losing the people I love.

• 57:57Lewis Howes?

  And why is that?

• 58:02Speaker 01

  I think that's the only thing that I can't see anything good about. Like I said, like not making the Games, like anything terrible that happens. Like, I always believe that we are where we are for a reason. And I think it's gonna teach you something valuable. Or you're going through something because you can help someone else, you know, along the way. But when you lose someone that you love,

• 58:27Speaker 01

  I don't see it. That's the only thing that I can ever see anything good come out of.

• 58:31Lewis Howes?

  Well, we're all gonna die, right?

• 58:33Speaker 01

  I know. I know.

• 58:35Lewis Howes?

  That's the challenge.

• 58:40Lewis Howes?

  What's your vision for your life moving forward? In the Games and then, or with the sport of CrossFit and then after CrossFit, whenever that might be?

• 58:48Speaker 01

  I have so many things that I wanna do that I sometimes feel like I will do nothing because I wanna do everything.

• 58:54Lewis Howes?

  Oh, yeah.

• 58:55Speaker 01

  So...

• 58:56Lewis Howes?

  I call that the passion dilemma. You have so many passions that you don't take action on any of them.

• 59:01Speaker 01

  It's terrible.

• 59:02Lewis Howes?

  Yeah.

• 59:02Speaker 01

  So, out of all the things that, even now, like I'm constantly like, I wanna do this, I wanna do that. Like, I wanna write a book, I wanna be, I wanna work on TV, I wanna do this, this, this. And you wanna have, like, all these things that you want to do. And at the same time, I'm like, I have to realize that being an athlete doesn't wait for me. And all of these opportunities that I am so lucky that I have are because the foundation is that I'm a good athlete. And I wanna be a great athlete. And I have to continue building that right now. And all the messages that I want to spread, the better athlete, the bigger platform I will have. So, that's something that I tell myself every single day, that that's what I'm doing right now.

• 59:48Speaker 01

  It will just give me bigger and better opportunities later to share what I want to do. So it it it helps me have patience with everything that I want to do, yes.

• 59:57Lewis Howes?

  I don't have patience.

• 59:58Speaker 01

  I know, like, I want it now, yes, so.

• 1:00:01Lewis Howes?

  That's good, I think focus for now, for sure.

• 1:00:03Speaker 01

  The things that I really want to do is I'm writing a book. And that has, we talked about that a little earlier, but that is a challenge.

• 1:00:10Lewis Howes?

  It is a challenge.

• 1:00:11Speaker 01

  Yeah, it's very challenging, but it's something that I really want to do.

• 1:00:14Lewis Howes?

  Our whole community will support it when it's out, buy a copy.

• 1:00:17Speaker 01

  Ah, I know, it's exciting whenever it will come out, hopefully next year.

• 1:00:22Lewis Howes?

  Yeah.

• 1:00:22Speaker 01

  Hopefully early next year.

• 1:00:23Lewis Howes?

  Okay, you have a title for it or no? Working title?

• 1:00:27Speaker 01

  I'm working with it.

• 1:00:28Lewis Howes?

  Okay.

• 1:00:28Speaker 01

  I have one, but I'm pretty sure that I'll change it. I don't know, we'll see it, I'll let you know.

• 1:00:35Lewis Howes?

  What's the thing you're most proud of in your life that maybe most people aren't aware of?

• 1:00:42Speaker 01

  Um.

• 1:00:44Lewis Howes?

  That's not winning the games.

• 1:00:47Speaker 01

  It's my work ethic. I'm very proud of that, and that's something that I get inspired by with other, I love hard work. I love seeing other people work hard. And I love working hard, whether that's in the gym, whether that's, I worked very hard when I was in school. I worked really hard when I was in gymnastics, even though I was never a great gymnast. I was good on the conditioning side. So whatever it is that you're doing, whether, you know, whether it's my book, whether it's working towards a future career that I want to do, like, I just love hard work.

• 1:01:21Lewis Howes?

  Why do you love it?

• 1:01:25Speaker 01

  Because I think we can all do it. I think some people are smarter than other people. Some people have more talent, some people are stronger, some people are this or that, and it, but we can all work hard. And.

• 1:01:42Speaker 01

  I truly believe we can do anything we want in this world. I honestly believe that. But you gotta be willing to do the hard work. It doesn't matter how good you are or not. If you put in the work and you put enough of it, I think you can do whatever you want.

• 1:01:57Lewis Howes?

  It's interesting you say that because a friend of mine, Jay Shetty, was giving a speech recently at an event that I was hosting and he was saying, you know, a lot of us are told a lie that we can do anything we want. He said, I'm gonna probably butcher it, but he said, "You can be everything that you are."

• 1:02:17Lewis Howes?

  He said, "You can do anything you want, but you can be everything that you are."

• 1:02:22Speaker 01

  Wait, I don't quite understand it.

• 1:02:24Lewis Howes?

  So it's like, and I might be butchering it, but it's like, I can't go be a gymnast in the Olympics. Like, that's not gonna happen for me.

• 1:02:32Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 1:02:32Lewis Howes?

  You know? It's just not. But I can be everything that I am. I can be everything, my best self.

• 1:02:39Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 1:02:39Lewis Howes?

  I can be that through hard work.

• 1:02:41Speaker 01

  Yes, absolutely.

• 1:02:42Lewis Howes?

  You know, so maybe you weren't gonna be an Olympic gymnast.

• 1:02:45Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 1:02:46Lewis Howes?

  Because you were too tall or because you didn't have certain things, but you can be everything that you are, which is the greatest CrossFitter. Like, once you find the thing that you can be, you can be everything that that is. And I think that's inspiring.

• 1:03:01Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 1:03:01Lewis Howes?

  To know that.

• 1:03:02Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 1:03:03Lewis Howes?

  Because I do believe we can do a lot of things.

• 1:03:06Speaker 01

  Yeah, I think you're right. I think not everyone is gonna make it to the NBA or like you say.

• 1:03:11Lewis Howes?

  But you can be the coach of the team, you know, you might have that. So you can be in the passion, in the place you're supposed to be.

• 1:03:16Speaker 01

  The thing that I think about that, though, is you probably don't want to be an Olympic gymnast.

• 1:03:21Lewis Howes?

  No, I don't care.

• 1:03:22Speaker 01

  Like gymnastics probably doesn't make you feel good about yourself.

• 1:03:24Lewis Howes?

  No.

• 1:03:25Speaker 01

  If it's not something that...

• 1:03:28Lewis Howes?

  I can't even do a cartwheel.

• 1:03:29Speaker 01

  So it's like, I think the things that you love.

• 1:03:32Lewis Howes?

  Yes.

• 1:03:33Speaker 01

  And when you find something you love and you were cartwheeled and you start getting better, I think it fuels you. And that's when you want to become the best at something. So I think it takes a lot of things to want that. So I think what you want will naturally kind of align with what you can be, what you are.

• 1:03:49Lewis Howes?

  Exactly, yeah.

• 1:03:49Speaker 01

  So I think that's kind of how it works.

• 1:03:51Lewis Howes?

  Where do you think this came for you in your life where you said, "I love hard work"? When was this moment where you realized you loved it? And what triggered you to become obsessed with working hard? Was it something that your grandparents said, parents, in school? What was the moment where you were like, I obsess over this?

• 1:04:13Speaker 01

  Honestly, it's not long ago since I was thinking about this. I was like, why am I like this? And I've been such, I've been so competitive since I was a tiny little kid.

• 1:04:23Lewis Howes?

  Did you get picked on? Did you get like?

• 1:04:24Speaker 01

  No, it was, I was asking my mom, I was like, where did this come from? And a part of, so my mom was 16 years old when she had me. She was very young, so I mean, she was pregnant when she was 15. And I think she got told a lot that she wasn't ready to be a mom. She couldn't do this. And so she was like, she had, she brought all the books. She read all the things. She was like, if I was supposed to know how to say, you know, five words when I was, you know, 10 months, I was gonna know how to say 15. If I was supposed to be able to walk at nine months, I was gonna do it at eight months.

• 1:04:55Lewis Howes?

  So she pushed you?

• 1:04:57Speaker 01

  She's not a push, like, I, cause I can't even remember this. She's not like a pushy, she never, I think she's very supportive. And I think it's like from her that I, she's very, um, and this might just be Icelandic females too, but like believe that we can do anything. And

• 1:05:14Lewis Howes?

  Where does that come from?

• 1:05:16Speaker 01

  I don't know.

• 1:05:16Lewis Howes?

  Iceland is a country?

• 1:05:17Speaker 01

  It's like a mentality in Iceland and it's, it's my family and it's

• 1:05:21Lewis Howes?

  Got it.

• 1:05:21Speaker 01

  Um, I think I was just raised that way, but, and then a lot of things are, you know, my dad is very academic and at the same time, he's not like pushy either. But if he would, he's, he's a teacher. So there's ever anything that I didn't understand completely, he's like, oh, that's easy. Come here, I'll show you. So it's like, I always just like, I've had a lot of support and I was, I've always been such like a grandparents little girl and I would spend my summers with them. And I loved making them proud. I loved showing them my report card and having my results and having tens. I was very result based as a kid. Like I said, even starting CrossFit, I, I wanted the results. And it's not the right things to focus on. I think you should really focus on your efforts.

• 1:06:02Speaker 01

  But at the same time, I think I realized that if I did study harder, I would get a higher grade. And if I did do more conditioning, I would be stronger and better at gymnastics. I think because I'm an oldest child, I probably, I'm a people pleaser. I want to make people proud. I wanna make them happy. And I think early on, I wanted to make everyone proud. I wanted to make them happy. I wanna be good in this and that. And I think early on, I realized that If I studied harder, I would get a better grade. If I did this, and I think it just like.

• 1:06:31Lewis Howes?

  Snowballed, yeah.

• 1:06:32Speaker 01

  I think it snowballed like that. And in addition to me being very, I enjoy competition. That's just something that I was more with.

• 1:06:40Lewis Howes?

  Like to win, yeah.

• 1:06:41Speaker 01

  And in addition to that, like, it's like, I want to be the best.

• 1:06:44Lewis Howes?

  Wow, okay.

• 1:06:45Speaker 01

  Yeah, so I think that's how. That's the way I am.

• 1:06:49Lewis Howes?

  I love it. A couple of final questions for you before I ask them. I'm curious, is there a question that you wish more people would ask you?

• 1:06:57Speaker 01

  Do you know what I love? I love a good conversation like this. I love where there's, you don't know where it's going or where it's gonna take you. But if you can be honest and have a great conversation, I think it takes you in places that.

• 1:07:07Lewis Howes?

  Yeah.

• 1:07:07Speaker 01

  I think when someone has made up questions beforehand or if it's an interview.

• 1:07:13Lewis Howes?

  Yeah.

• 1:07:13Speaker 01

  And they're very like, if they know the questions they're gonna ask before, I probably know them too.

• 1:07:19Lewis Howes?

  Right, right.

• 1:07:19Speaker 01

  You know?

• 1:07:20Lewis Howes?

  So is there a question you wish more people would ask you?

• 1:07:22Speaker 01

  No, I normally just get surprised by where a conversation goes. And I'm like, oh, I like where this is going. But no, I normally, I normally don't know.

• 1:07:32Lewis Howes?

  Yeah, okay. I was curious if you wanted me to ask you something that you've never been asked.

• 1:07:36Speaker 01

  Yeah, I'm actually gonna think about this.

• 1:07:38Lewis Howes?

  Yeah, let me know that.

• 1:07:38Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 1:07:41Lewis Howes?

  This question I ask is for everyone at the end, it's called the three truths. I don't know if you've heard of it.

• 1:07:45Speaker 01

  I have.

• 1:07:45Lewis Howes?

  So you do know this question?

• 1:07:47Speaker 01

  It's so funny when people get surprised by this. I'm like, do you even listen to this podcast? But then last night, I was over at Ben and Heather's. And Heather goes, have you decided your?

• 1:07:55Lewis Howes?

  Three truths?

• 1:07:56Speaker 01

  I was like, I would have been one of those people. It would have been like, dang.

• 1:07:59Lewis Howes?

  A lot of people are like that. They listen to it and then they don't think about it. It's all right. You know the question? It's, if this was the last day for you, many years from now, you got to pick the day. But we all die. You know, at least for now, we do.

• 1:08:13Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 1:08:13Lewis Howes?

  Unless we figure something out through science. And you've achieved everything, everything you want. You've won 50 times in the games. You've done anything you wanted to do. You've written the books, you've been on TV, like all the stuff. You've had a family, if you want to do that, whatever it is, you've done it. But you gotta take it all with you. And no one gets access to your content anymore, or your videos or your message. Just memories, right? But you got to share three final lessons or truths that you would share with the world? That this is all they would have access to. What would be your three truths?

• 1:08:51Speaker 01

  Number one. I did get to think about this. You thought about this? I did get to think about this. The first thing would definitely be gratitude. And it's to be thankful for the people that you have around you and what you have and the opportunities that you have. And I try and be very thankful for, you know, everything, every day. I remember what I have and I am, I'm so incredibly thankful for the opportunities that I have and that I get to wake up every day and do what I love. And work hard towards what it like.

• 1:09:24Lewis Howes?

  Pretty sweet.

• 1:09:25Speaker 01

  That is amazing. And every day that Ben coaches me. He has so many things on his plate, but he takes his time every day to coach me. And my family being supportive, it's like, if everyone just take a little bit of time, be thankful for what they have, you can't not smile, you know, your day is better. And some days are hard, I know that, but even in those hardest moments, you realize how many good things are around you. It makes any day so much better. So number one, gratitude. Number two is hard work. It's work hard, because I really believe that we can achieve what we want to. And with hard work, and I hope that everyone works extremely hard towards what they love.

• 1:10:09Speaker 01

  I know there are a lot of people that just work really hard, eight to four, but

• 1:10:15Speaker 01

  I hope it's towards what you love. And I think as soon as you love something, you do things better and you achieve more and

• 1:10:22Speaker 01

  anything is possible with that hard work. And number three, it's surrounding yourself with great people. Because we really get to choose who we surround ourselves with. And I hope it's with people that really lift you up and support you in what you're doing and inspire you and challenge you. You know, I hope it's people that really make you better and make you want to be better. And laugh a lot.

• 1:10:46Lewis Howes?

  That's it.

• 1:10:46Speaker 01

  I got four things, and laugh.

• 1:10:48Lewis Howes?

  You do a great job.

• 1:10:49Speaker 01

  Can I add that?

• 1:10:49Lewis Howes?

  Yeah, you can.

• 1:10:50Speaker 01

  Thanks.

• 1:10:50Lewis Howes?

  I think laughter is a key to happiness.

• 1:10:53Speaker 01

  I think so too.

• 1:10:53Lewis Howes?

  If you're not smiling, if you're not joyful, how are you gonna be like happy? And I think it brings a lot of peace to people's lives too.

• 1:10:59Speaker 01

  I think it's medicine.

• 1:11:00Lewis Howes?

  It is.

• 1:11:01Speaker 01

  Yes.

• 1:11:01Lewis Howes?

  It's healing.

• 1:11:02Speaker 01

  Yes.

• 1:11:02Lewis Howes?

  It's therapeutic. I'm glad you did that. You always, I love that you always smile at the end of an event. At least the ones you do well.

• 1:11:09Speaker 01

  Most of them.

• 1:11:09Lewis Howes?

  The ones you do well.

• 1:11:10Speaker 01

  I wasn't laughing after my death left.

• 1:11:12Lewis Howes?

  Yeah, yeah, yeah. But I love like in the two documentaries that I've seen, there's been, maybe there's been three documentaries of the fitness, the stuff. But both the ones that I saw, you're just like always smiling and I love that. It's you work hard and you're focused and then you're like, you know, you're happy, you're smiling.

• 1:11:28Speaker 01

  Oh.

• 1:11:28Lewis Howes?

  And I really appreciate that. It's really fun to watch.

• 1:11:30Speaker 01

  Thanks.

• 1:11:31Lewis Howes?

  Because I think a lot of people can just finish something and be so exhausted and have like a negative face on too.

• 1:11:37Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 1:11:38Lewis Howes?

  But I think you bring this level of like joy and like proud, you're proud.

• 1:11:41Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 1:11:43Lewis Howes?

  Which I think is cool.

• 1:11:43Speaker 01

  Oh, thanks.

• 1:11:47Lewis Howes?

  How can we connect with you online? I know you're on Instagram. Where do you spend most of your time on social media?

• 1:11:52Speaker 01

  Instagram, definitely.

• 1:11:54Lewis Howes?

  That's your?

• 1:11:54Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 1:11:55Lewis Howes?

  Drug of choice?

• 1:11:56Speaker 01

  Yeah. I think, um, I've tried to do it all. I do my social media myself and I, I do enjoy it and I, I, because I want it to be me and I just want it to be, you know, whatever I'm thinking that day and, and just be authentic and true to myself.

• 1:12:12Lewis Howes?

  And what's your Instagram handle?

• 1:12:13Speaker 01

  It's Katrin Tanja. So K A T R I N and then T A N J A.

• 1:12:19Lewis Howes?

  Okay.

• 1:12:20Speaker 01

  It's my, it's my middle name too.

• 1:12:22Lewis Howes?

  Nice.

• 1:12:23Speaker 01

  I don't use it as much, but I use it all the time and I send. And I've tried to do Facebook and Twitter and I don't think I'm funny enough for Twitter.

• 1:12:30Lewis Howes?

  But Instagram is where it's at?

• 1:12:31Speaker 01

  Instagram is kind of like what I've settled with is, is I love the most and so, instead of trying to do lots of things, okay, I just wanna focus on that one.

• 1:12:40Lewis Howes?

  Yeah, so if you're listening or if you're watching, make sure to take a, you know, a photo or, or send Katrin a message of what you enjoyed the most about this interview. And tag her on Instagram story so she can, so she can get the feedback as well. I want to acknowledge you for a moment Katrin because I love your spirit. I love your energy. I love your heart. I love your commitment to the people in your life. The level of passion you have for your coach, for your family, for your grandmother, for all the people in your life is really inspiring. To see that you're not just in it for yourself or your dreams, but you're in it with the people around you. And that's really inspiring. I also want to acknowledge you because I don't think it's easy to be a woman in general on social media, period.

• 1:13:27Lewis Howes?

  With the comparison and the pressure and insecurities and anxiety that's happening in the world right now. And I think you're doing an incredible job owning who you are, owning everything about you, that you are different and that it's inspiring. And I don't feel like there's any insecurities about you. When I'm spending time with you, with your postings online. I think you're a great example because there's a lot of women or girls, young girls, who are constantly insecure and comparing themselves to every other girl or woman. So I really acknowledge you for your beauty of who you are and owning all of it. It's inspiring.

• 1:14:06Speaker 01

  Thank you.

• 1:14:07Lewis Howes?

  And I also acknowledge you.

• 1:14:08Speaker 01

  Appreciate that a lot.

• 1:14:09Lewis Howes?

  Of course. And I also acknowledge you for your champion mind and the mindset. Because I think it's really hard to qualify for something and then fail and not do it, and then come back and win back to back. That's unheard of. And hard work can only get you so far, but the way that you think is evident to me that it's unbelievable. Because it's really hard, and all those days of the Games and all year long leading up to it, to keep your minds in the right place. So whatever you're doing, keep doing it. It's really inspiring.

• 1:14:46Speaker 01

  I'm gonna walk out of here like a foot taller.

• 1:14:50Speaker 01

  Thank you.

• 1:14:50Lewis Howes?

  Yeah, of course. Everyone, make sure you guys preorder the book when it's out. Follow you on Instagram because we'll see when that's coming out and everything else that you're up to. Final question for you is what's your definition of greatness?

• 1:15:03Speaker 01

  My definition of greatness is...

• 1:15:08Speaker 01

  It's hard to put this into words, but it's when

• 1:15:13Speaker 01

  you're happy with what you've done. And...

• 1:15:20Speaker 01

  If I think about this in terms of like when you've worked so hard and you have no regrets, when you did everything that you possibly could and like you show up at game time and then you give it your best and you know that's your best. It was the best you possibly could. There wasn't something that you should have done or you could have pushed harder here. And I think that applies to life and I think that's when you know that, I guess we have to put it in the present because I also don't want to say that you're then content and happy. I hope that we're always striving towards something better and towards becoming better.

• 1:16:00Speaker 01

  But I hope that in every moment of our lives, we can look back and know that we're doing our best and know that we're giving it everything that we have and that to me is greatness.

• 1:16:08Lewis Howes?

  You're the best. Appreciate you. Thank you.

• 1:16:15Lewis Howes?

  And there you have it, my friends. I hope you enjoyed this one. I loved connecting with Katrin. I loved hearing her story. And just being around someone who is so committed, so dedicated to achieving something that great in their life is inspiring for me. I always love deconstructing and assimilating the information and the wisdom and the passion and the energy from people like Katrin because it always teaches me that there's another level for my life as well. And there's another level for your life. It doesn't matter where you're at right now. If you feel like you're struggling in your life, if you feel like you've got a lot of talent and things are going well, there's another level. And talent is only one thing. Talent can only take you so far.

• 1:16:59Lewis Howes?

  You've got to be willing to put in the hard work and the consistent strategic game plan. Have the coaching to back it. Have the feedback system as well. You need to have all of it in play if you want to be the best in the world at what you do. That's just what it takes. You can't make it happen by chance. It doesn't happen by showing up sometimes. It doesn't happen by having average talent and average work ethic. You've got to be willing to do what most people aren't willing to do. And that's what it takes. Master your skills, put in the work like most are unwilling to do and you set yourself up for a chance of being great. At the thing you want the most. If you enjoyed this, make sure to share with your friends.

• 1:17:43Lewis Howes?

  LewisHowes.com/733 to get the full show notes, all the links. Connect with Katrin on Instagram. She has got an inspiring Instagram account, so make sure to screenshot this. Put the link on there, tag myself @lewishowes and Katrin as well to let her know what you enjoyed most about this interview. Again, a big thank you to my sponsors and friends. You were born with a deep desire inside of you. There is a calling inside of you. There is something that is pulling at your heart right now. You might know what it is. You might be on the path. Some of you might have no clue what you're supposed to do in this life. It's time to explore. It's time to adventure.

• 1:18:27Lewis Howes?

  It's time to allow yourself to go on a journey and see what's possible for yourself. This might be in your relationships, it might be in your health, it might be with family, business, career, it might be life's greatest adventure. Whatever that is, you get to discover it and you get to go on the journey of life to becoming the greatest that you can possibly be. Each day is an opportunity to show up and be great. Each day is an opportunity to show up and make an impact on someone's life around you. You have a decision to make. How will you show up today? As always, I love you so very much. You know what time it is? It's time to go out there and do something great.