Kara Lynn Joyce: How to Trust Yourself, Episode #81

September 15, 2020

Taking the time to listen to your inner voice can lead you to the best, most authentic decisions. Olympic swimmer Kara Lynn Joyce talks with Kelly and Maria about how she avoids a “people pleasing” mentality to truly follow her heart.

More about Kara Lynn Joyce

Kara Lynn Joyce is a three-time USA Olympic swimmer. Kara competed in the 2004, 2008 and 2012 Olympics for Team USA, winning a total of four medals. As a swimmer for the University of Georgia under Coach Jack Bauerle, Joyce won 18 NCAA titles and set the American Record in the 50-yard and 50-meter freestyle.

Her Olympic journey has been captured in the beautiful and inspirational film, "Touch the Wall”, which has been screened globally in theaters and is available on Amazon Prime. 

In 2017, Kara founded the LEAD Sports Summit for teenage girl athletes which connects female athletes with accomplished women in sports. In a few short years, the initiative has grown from a yearly event to an online community and academy. The LEAD Sports Academy is a home base for teenage girl athletes, parents and coaches. It offers comprehensive online courses in leadership, confidence, sports psychology and more. 

Episode Topics and Mentions

Jack Baurele

LEAD Sports Academy

Touch The Wall - film

Denver, Colorado

Madisyn Cox

Elizabeth Beisel

Missy Franklin

Jason Lezak

Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker, Ph.D.

Reviving Ophelia by Mary Pipher

The Power of When by Michael Breus, Ph.D.

Archetypes of sleep

Perseverance

Meditation

The importance of trusting your gut

The Price is Right

Takeaways

Kelly

1. Play the long game. Do not expect to be an overnight success at anything. If something matters enough, tap into the “why” and keep going.
2. Don’t worry about pleasing others. Find confidence in yourself and forget about what others think.

Maria

1. Trust your gut. Take the time to think about how you feel about something. If it doesn’t feel right, don’t do it. 
2. Find a way to “meditate” every day -- wherever or however you do it. Walking, deep breathing and getting outside in nature can facilitate this.

Quote of the Week

“Perseverance is so important. It means playing the long game.” -- Kara Lynn Joyce

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Email us at [email protected]. Opinions discussed are not medical advice, please seek a medical professional for your own health concerns.