We are so excited feature our first athlete on our #BossBabeSpotlight! Meet Kelsey Campbell, Team USA Olympian and our #BossBabe! Fun fact: Kelsey and Sashee go way back! They worked together in Silicon Valley and Sashee even went to visit her at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado!
As a woman of many talents, we asked her a few questions about her journey and what she's up to now:
Best piece of advice?
When you are pursuing something, there are so many factors to how you go about that. Many reading this might be at a job because it’s what they have to do. Or they are in a sport because of the external pressures that come with success. Some of us are on a path because it’s acceptable and understood and earns a good income, but deep down there’s a fire burning for something else. Or maybe you are on the path you should be on, but the setbacks are making you question yourself. Everything always seems clear and obvious in victory. It’s in the defeats that you have to keep re-assessing, re-examining—you have to keep looking in the mirror and keep being HONEST with where you are at, not what your instagram feed says or people watching from the ‘stands’ say. On good days and bad, it’s important to always go back to your goal, what you believe, and why you do what it is you do each day. Even on bad days, if those things align, you are still on the right path. My goal is to be an Olympic and World Champion. I am human and I don’t always want to do Olympic and world champion things. But I believe in God’s plan and I have faith. So I take my faith and that Olympic Champion goal, and I look at my activity: what I’m choosing to eat, when I’m choosing to go to bed, what I’m choosing to spend my money on, who I’m choosing to spend my time with. We are all wire differently and we don’t all need to go as in-depth with these details. Know who you are. Know fiercely and unapologetically who you are and be true to that. And then find that fine line of allowing yourself to be better each day.
How do you overcome insecurity?
It’s a daily process. I grew up in a world where things moved a little slower, but then evolved to the now: images and highlight reels and data constantly in my presence. I am constantly given newer and newer information. As soon as I get the hang of my iphone, a new one is coming out and I wrestle with spending more to get the new one because Susan on insta has it and her pictures are AMAZING and I’m kind of struggling with keeping my feed as innovative and aesthetically appealing as Susan’s! Or maybe it’s deeper. Maybe I just don’t have the means or the skill to have the things my peers have. I don’t have the talent or athletic background of my competitors. Maybe the insecurities stem from a rough childhood or disfunction at home. I’m not the favorite to win (I’ve been there numerous times). There are so many factors that contribute to our insecurities- to MY insecurities. Often times, insecurities really stem from what we allow others to convince us of ourselves, whether directly or indirectly.
It always changes and there is always something. For me, I have to get a lot of help with this. I work with both a counselor and a sports psychologist to help me be the healthiest mentally, emotionally, and competitively that I can be. Mental health is so important and is finally being discussed openly. I can often feel insecure about discussing my struggles with mental health, but it comes down to wanting to live each day to its fullest. Each morning I meditate, read (the Bible as well as a couple of books), pray and go through the positive affirmations. These are exercise I do to keep me secure in my path.
But in the moments of insecurities, I often use trigger words or quotes that I silently meditate on. I try to get whatever insecure “garbage” out in the open as fast as I can: whether it be discussing it, journaling or praying. I call a friend (which is hard for me to do, but it’s something I work on constantly). And of course, I play with my dogs, because no matter how heavy I can feel, my dogs always love me unconditionally and show it with the best dog hugs and kisses ever!
What projects are you up to now?
Currently I am training full-time in pursuit of an Olympic Gold medal in the 2020 Olympic Games. Most of my time is consumed with training on the mat, in the weight room, prepping meals each week, recovery practices, and weekly meetings with my sports psychologist and counselor.
I am also pursuing an MBA with a Business focus. I am on track to complete my coursework in 2019 and I’m so excited and grateful to be able to add this to my education.
My lifelong passion, long before wrestling came into the picture, I have wanted to sing and perform. It’s quite challenging to seriously pursue music as an Olympic Athlete, but recently I have slowly invested some studio time into some music that I wrote that I will be sharing on my social media handles in the near future.
