What I do on court is great, but what really matters is what happens off court, the people who you affect.
Coco GauffRead
Throughout my life, I was always the youngest to do things, which added hype that I didn't want. It added this pressure that I needed to do well fast.
Interpretation
Coco Gauff reflects on the pressures and expectations that come with being young and successful.
In this quote, Coco Gauff expresses the challenges she faced growing up as a young achiever in competitive environments. The 'hype' that surrounded her success came with added pressure to perform quickly and meet high expectations, highlighting how youth can be a double-edged sword in the pursuit of excellence and fulfillment.
In practice
Coco Gauff's quote serves as a great reminder for young athletes during a motivational speech at a sports camp.
What I do on court is great, but what really matters is what happens off court, the people who you affect.
Everyone asks me how I stay calm on court and I think it's because I accepted who I am after overcoming low points in my life.
The amount of people - and kids especially - that come up to me saying I inspire them is honestly better than any match I could win, just to know that I inspire another kid maybe to pick up a racquet or go through something they're facing at school.
There's so many people going through so many, like, uncomfortable situations. For me to be - I mean, obviously being nervous is natural - but for me to think that winning a tennis match or losing a tennis match is the end of the world, I think just kind of shows what kind of privilege I have.
It's important for us to know that our worth isn't defined by how well we do in our sport.
If you are choosing silence, you're choosing the side of the oppressor.
There will always be rocks in the road ahead of us. They will be stumbling blocks or stepping stones; it all depends on how you use them.
The only limitation is that which one sets up in one's own mind.
Stay triumphant, keep on living. Stay on your toes, get off the ropes. Don't let 'em ever count you out.
Why climb? That's a question that baffles me. It perplexes me. I really asked that a lot on Everest. I can't justify it. I can't say it's for a good cause. All I can say is look at the history of exploration: it's full of vainglorious pursuits.
When you have to work with and exist amongst cynical, burned-out personnel on a set, it doesn't matter what you're shooting or how much you're being paid - it's not worth it.
When I circumnavigated the globe the outcome didn't really matter, it was about a goal I'd set myself, but sustainability is part of all our lives
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