May 13, 2020

The Pressure of Winning and How to Handle Losing with Kelley O’Hara and Gabby Reece on The Gabby Reece Show

Self-confidence and self- worth come from within
“The only person that will always be there for me is me” – Kelley O’Hara
Emotion is part of being an athlete – it’s natural
Know that acceptance from your team or “tribe” matters more than what others think of you
Sometimes just believing is what you need
If you’re new on a team, learn from the veterans, on and off the field

Natural Born Heroes by Christopher McDougall – how to master the secrets of strength and endurance

Products Mentioned

Kelley O’Hara (@kelleymohara) is a two-time women’s World Cup champion and U.S. soccer Olympian.

“I have a chip on my shoulder, I want to prove myself. I know I may not be the best, but I can control my effort” – Kelley O’Hara
If you’re new on a team, learn from the veterans, on and off-field but when it comes down to playing, go for it
Fight for yourself, don’t back down

Kelley Is naturally competitive- she made everything a competition including even eating a sandwich in grade school
That approach doesn’t always bring out the best in Kelley, but it’s the reason why she believes she’s successful
The intensity can affect relationships. When younger, Kelley says she was intense and stubborn all the time
Though friendships and family relationships she learned – being stubborn doesn’t always win

“The amount of times I cried in hotel stairwells is more than I can count. I had to talk myself out of crying in front of coaches, because I wanted it so badly” – Kelley O’Hara
Its okay to cry out your disappointment, and then go back to work the next day
Emotion is part of being an athlete – it’s human and natural
Time and maturity help

Kelley played a lot of sports but chose soccer because she liked the team aspect of the sport
As soon as she made Youth National camp when 15, she said she knew she wanted to go all the way
By her senior year at college, Kelley knew she could play for a professional team
Kelley didn’t worry about what she’d do upon graduation. “I asked myself, what do I have to do to be good enough?” – Kelley O’Hara
Even as a kid, when she failed, Kelley would ask herself– what do I need to do next time?

Until she became a professional athlete, Kelly didn’t understand conditioning, strengthening, monitoring or heart rate and load
The intensity of competition changed the way she approached fitness
Be very specific about the speed you work out at and your heart rate
It is a challenge to train when you are not 100% but you can trick yourself to getting excited.
Remind yourself that training is a privilege and maximize it.

The US women’s team has been so successful and excellence is expected
“I turn off social media. Some players like it, it fires them up. But so many people said were saying we would lose the World Cup – why do I need to see that?” – Kelley O’Hara
Just because someone says something it doesn’t have to be part of your narrative
As humans, we crave to know what others think of us, but all you need is acceptance from your team or “tribe”

Self-confidence and self- worth come from within-don’t look for outside sources – The only person that will always be there for me is me.” – Kelley O’Hara
Look inside yourself, look in the mirror and believe in what you see and who you are

“When I first started my professional career, I felt like I couldn’t do anything else – I know this has an expiration date” – Kelley O’Hara
She has an interest in business
Kelley isn’t sure about coaching – “I think I’d be stressed out”