Maya Hasan is an Iranian tall woman and yet the only Iranian ever to win the Olympic gold medal for weight lifting. She has proven that being tall does not mean you cannot be a successful athlete or that being thin is the same as not being strong. She is the epitome of strength and sportsmanship. Recently, I had the opportunity to interview Maya at her home gym where she trained her a young woman who wanted to join her in her training. The young lady had come from a small town in Iowa but had quickly discovered the joys of living in a big city because of the high energy of the basketball players nearby.
She was an honor student at the University of Southern Iowa before transferring to the University of Utah where she trained with Maya. In fact, she had transferred there after failing several opportunities elsewhere because she felt like she did not fit the mold of what a typical college student should look like. Despite this, she earned a full-ride scholarship to the University of Utah despite not fitting into the typical mold of athletic ability. After graduation, she then entered the world of international sports where many have met their professional goals. Now, she is competing against the best to become an Olympic gold medalist.
In order to be successful in the sports industry, you must develop the physical attributes necessary to perform at the highest level. However, the mental abilities must also be developed first before your physical abilities can allow you to reach your full potential. It is important to remember that sports are not easy and require years of hard work. Not all of us are born with the ability to be successful in sports. We must work hard and study hard in order to discover our hidden talents. If you do that you will find yourself progressing toward your ultimate goal of success in whatever field of endeavor you choose.