Editor’s note: this week’s editorial is written by Napanee’s own Olympian and member of the national women’s rugby sevens team, Britt Benn
I have had this fire inside me since I was young; competing in the Olympics was a very real vision I have had as long as I can remember. My journey to get here has not been without challenge, what goal worth reaching ever is? I want you to know something; I want you to believe that dreams do come true. You are allowed to have wild and extravagant dreams, you are allowed to have a vision for your future that is huge, but know this too, you are the curator of these dreams and you are the one responsible to see them through to reality.
Having big goals can be tough and people will not always understand your vision and what you are doing, that is ok. You may be judged, you may hear things you don’t like, that is ok. This is your life and your vision and as long as you are crystal clear on that, that is all that matters. Be confident, be resilient and eventually people will stop judging why you are doing something and start asking how you are doing it. I have been knocked down more times than I can count, but I keep getting up. I have a healthy relationship with failure, without it we can’t learn. I also have a healthy relationship with success, I don’t take it for granted but I also know that I deserve it and have earned it.
My mountain and my vision are not yours but I dare you to envision the person you want to be in the future, I dare you to commit yourself to the process of becoming that person. I want to awake the fire inside you and for you to truly believe that you have the ability to do anything. It takes grit and perseverance and it takes trusting yourself to chase opportunities and surround yourself with people that lift you up. I see you and I want you to know, you are capable of big things.
We are creatures of habit and creatures of comfort but make a new habit of getting comfortable with feeling uncomfortable. It might seem impossible at times; you might feel the weight of the world against you. Give yourself the grace you need and then pick yourself up and move forward. Stepping outside of our comfort zones is where change happens and where success grows; embrace the process. Be confident, be resilient.
Chasing my Olympic dream is one that I will never regret. It has taken a whole lot of sacrifice, it has taken deep self trust to know what I am capable of, it has taken a clear vision of who I want to be in the future and it has taken a community of people that build me up when I need them to. Tomorrow is not promised to us, today is your day. Climb that mountain, build that vision, seek opportunity, and chase those dreams.
You’ve got this.
Britt Benn
2016 Olympic Bronze Medalist
2020 Olympic Hopeful