Five-time Olympic medalist, six-time world champion, philanthropist, and entrepreneur Sanya Richards-Ross knows a thing or two about success.
Since taking the world by storm at the World Cup 2006, winning the 200 and 400-meter events, the Jamaican-born track star has collected accolade after accolade nonstop, including four Olympic golds.
Now, Richards-Ross uses her experiences as a champion on the track to encourage you to be a champion in your life.
What advice would you have on sticking to your goals even when the odds aren’t in your favor?
It’s great to set big goals, but it’s imperative to be realistic–your goals should inspire you; push you further, not leave you feeling defeated. Set goals that are achievable.
It’s also very important to prepare your mind for your goals. People get really excited and put everything down on paper, but they don’t prepare their minds for the commitment. If you start preparing your mind first and start seeing yourself achieving your goals, then you are more likely to achieve them.
What tips do you have for those with the goal of living a healthy/fit lifestyle but who lead full, busy lives?
The most important thing about keeping a healthy lifestyle with a busy schedule is to prioritize your workouts.
If you can, I’m of the belief that it is always best to get workouts done in the morning–the longer in the day you wait, the easier it becomes to make excuses for yourself to skip the workout.Another way is to focus on your eating. Half of the battle for having a healthy lifestyle is maintaining a healthy diet.
One of the tricks I find most helpful is to not eat too late at night. If you can, have dinner by 7:00 p.m. at the latest–it’s good to be able to move around a little bit after dinner, rather than jumping right into bed.
Find ways to fit in functional training at home (core work, push-ups, etc.). Every little bit helps when you are balancing a busy life and trying to stay fit!
How do you bounce back from failure?
Throughout my career, I have always tried to ‘fail forward.†At the end of the day, whenever you are trying to achieve something great, it’s inevitable that you are going to falter and make mistakes.
No matter what, I always try to keep my eye on the prize and try not to stay down for too long.
Disappointment really made my victories so much sweeter; more memorable and made me more grateful. I think that if you understand that failure is a part of success, you won’t let it keep you down too long.
Tell us a little about your partnership with MyQuest, the online program and app that helps people easily achieve a wide range of goals?
Through MyQuest, people can learn how to improve their running techniques, strengthen their mental fortitude, and discover my secrets to increasing speed. Whether you’re a casual runner, an aspiring sprinter, or a professional athlete, this new app will help you achieve your goal.
Learn more from Richards-Ross by following her @sanyarichiross.