From 600+ conversations with the world’s leading thinkers.
There have been times when I've been on the sidelines, dreading a gruelling running session, wondering why I'm doing this. But then I remember my teammates are all pushing through the same challenges. That collective effort helps me to buckle down and just get on with it.
This is nothing to do with the 0.000001% who go on to be professional fighters – it's about the 99.9% of people who train because they enjoy it, and connect with it – and who apply the lessons they've learned to deal with the setbacks, failures, victories, challenges and tests they're going to get in work and life.
On the court, there was no prejudice, just your contribution to the team. Off the court, teamwork seemed like a parody of what we did. So, the lesson I eventually learned was to distinguish between which teams are sincere in promoting true teamwork, and which are jingoistic self-serving pretenders.
God gave me a talent and I have worked extremely hard to fulfil this talent.
With 650 million global fans, MMA has the third biggest worldwide fanbase (after soccer and basketball). However, those MMA fans are very under-served and very under-monetized.
If you're not an action sport athlete, and you spend all your time chasing action sport athletes around mountains and across oceans, you're going to break things… I broke 82 bones and realized that if I didn't take my obsession beyond action sports that I would kill myself.
This stubbornness was further highlighted during a significant hiatus from swimming at 15, amidst the turmoil of war. My father had left the country, leaving me to navigate adolescence in rebellion, seeking normalcy in defiance. That year was transformative—cutting my hair, getting a piercing, and quitting swimming symbolised a personal revolution, leading me to realize my participation in the sport was for my own sake, not merely to fulfil my father's expectations.
I have this feeling that everyone should run a marathon once in their life- like a rite-of-passage. Most people think, 'that's not me, I could never run a marathon!' That's precisely why you should do it – a marathon is a way of proving to yourself that you're better than you think- that you can go further- and endure more.
Fear is a complex emotion that's moulded by years of experience. Much like fitness training, confronting fear is progressive. You can't begin with soaring in a wingsuit through a narrow canyon at astonishing speeds. This sport mandates extensive training and preparation.
For me, sports were a sanctuary, the only place where I felt at home, could connect with others, and navigate my life and pain. Providing sports opportunities to children, women, and men in these settings is vital. Our foundation aims to complement these efforts by introducing sports, emphasising not just participation in sports but also backing these athletes significantly.
What's truly astounding is the shared background of many Paralympic athletes. Initially, when the Paralympics and parasports were relatively unknown, these athletes were often the ones overlooked in PE classes, chosen last for teams, and discouraged due to their disabilities. This mindset can lead to incredible achievements, regardless of how unlikely they may seem at first.
Anyone can have a good trainer; you can learn the moves and get fit. Any boxer or athlete can get super fit – the edge is mental ability – It's having the self-belief. If you're not right in the head? You'll never do it.