What does it take to become an Olympic gold medalist? According to Shannon Boxx, a three-time gold medalist with the United States Women’s Soccer Team, it takes focus, hard work, and perseverance in challenging times. 

In this episode, you’ll hear how Shannon Boxx went from a good soccer player to great, and how she learned to focus on one thing at a time in order to achieve her goals. During her professional career, Boxx also was dealing with an autoimmune disease called Lupus, and she’ll share how she has overcome that diagnosis and is still battling it.

Don’t miss this incredible conversation with Shannon Boxx. 

Episode Highlights:

• 01:57 - Going from good to great and making the US Women’s National Soccer Team
• 03:28 - Self-doubt and feeling insecure at the highest level
• 05:47 - Who supported Boxx along the way
• 08:24 - Boxx’s resilience
• 10:23 - Advice Boxx would give others about resilience
• 13:43 - Accomplishments most proud of
• 18:24 - Shannon asks Greg for some advice
• 22:36 - What’s Going Well for Shannon
• 26:50 - Advice Boxx would give to her younger self
• 30:00 - Finding a way to chill out and reduce stress
• 32:57 - Boxx’s Lupus diagnosis
• 36:15 - How Lupus affected Boxx day to day while playing
• 42:34 - Dealing with perfectionism

Guest at a Glance

Shannon Boxx is an American retired soccer player and former member of the United States women's national soccer team, playing the defensive midfielder position. She last played club soccer for the Chicago Red Stars in the American National Women's Soccer League. She won gold medals with the United States at the 2004 Athens Olympics, 2008 Beijing Olympics, and 2012 London Olympics. She has also finished third place or better with the US at the 2003, 2007, 2011 and 2015 FIFA Women's World Cups. She was a finalist for the 2005 FIFA World Player of the Year award, and won an NCAA Women's Soccer Championship with Notre Dame in 1995. Shannon Boxx announced her retirement from international and club soccer after winning the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup.[4] She played her last game on October 21, 2015 when the USWNT tied with Brazil as part of their victory tour.

Boxx was diagnosed with lupus in 2007 when she was 30 years old, and went public with her diagnosis shortly before the 2012 London Olympics at which she won gold with the United States team.

Notable Quotes

• “All of a sudden I was so mentally and physically focused on what I wanted that I just did it. And I went through all the steps that I needed to do.”
• “I felt like when I look at this idea of Water the Bamboo, like, it didn't just come to me when I said, Oh, I want to make the national team and make the national team the next year. It was years. I mean, I was 26 years old when I made the national team. You have 18 and 19-year-olds making that team. And so for me, I definitely kept watering that and saying, okay, let's get better and let's get better and let's get better.”
• On self-doubt: “Any confidence I had in myself was completely gone. And I definitely questioned, I'm like, am I really as good as I think I am?”
• “By doing one thing, every single day, I started to gain this confidence and that confidence led to more confidence in other parts of my game.”
• “It's hard to find a woman to look up to as an athlete. I looked up to Michael Jordan. I couldn't become him, but my sister became that person that I could become her.”
• On overcoming injuries and illness: “I had a goal and I knew exactly who I was and what I wanted and, and I loved what I did and so it didn't feel like work. It felt joyful. And I enjoy doing it.” 
• “Control what you can control.”
• “Those moments were so hard, but I'm so happy I went through them because I wouldn't be here if I didn't go through those, and it wouldn't have made me a stronger person.”
• Greg on why focusing on What’s Going Well is important: “The news is negative because they want your attention. There's this battle for attention. And so if you think about What's Going Well for you in your own three feet, you'll find so many things going well that you don't have time to consume the negativity.”
• “When you are in the dark of something, it is so hard to get yourself to move forward.”
• “And that's what you do as sports. Your goals are always a little bit out of reach and you're always reaching for them and pushing and pursuing it.”

 

Learn more about Greg Bell

More than just a motivational speaker, Greg Bell is a thought leader, business consultant, and leadership coach. He provides highly engaging virtual keynotes & trainings. His popular books, What’s Going Well? and Water The Bamboo: Unleashing The Potential Of Teams And Individuals, have inspired an array of organizations, from Fortune 500 companies like Nike, and Disney, to the Portland Trail Blazers and Division I NCAA athletic teams like the Oregon Ducks Football and the Gonzaga Bulldogs Basketball. 

Visit Greg’s website.

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