14/06/2026
Failure, Fear… and Finding Myself
I used to think success was about winning.
Times. Medals. Recognition.
But over the years… getting knocked down again and again…
I realised success has nothing to do with the outside. It’s all internal.
I started this journey at 31.
After a serious spinal injury… doctors told me I’d never run again.
But I chose to run.
Not just run… I wanted to represent Australia.
11 years in… I still haven’t won the big races.
And that used to eat me alive.
Every loss felt like judgment.
Like people were watching and thinking I’m not enough.
But the truth is… no one was saying that.
That voice was mine.
That’s when I understood
failure isn’t the problem. Fear is.
Fear of not being enough.
Fear of not being validated.
So the real work started… not on the track, but inside.
Facing myself.
Understanding my insecurities.
Learning that failure is not who I am… it’s feedback.
My ego didn’t like it…
but once I accepted there’s always more to learn… everything changed.
I stopped chasing approval…
and started chasing growth.
Yes, I improved my speed, my strength, my performance.
But the biggest change was internal.
I found peace.
Now I don’t run to prove anything.
I run because I’m connected… to myself, to the process.
And somewhere along this journey… I found courage.
Not loud courage… quiet courage.
The kind that shows up every day.
The kind that keeps going when no one is watching.
And now… that’s what I pass on.
To the young athletes I coach
it’s always you vs you.
Learn this early.
So when your moment comes…
you don’t carry fear… you just perform.
Free.
Confident.
Connected.
That’s real success.
I am gonna keep learning gonna keep getting stronger and gonna keep passing to my younger generation..
letsgrowtogether
