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Hover over the images of the EYP Community members to learn what Embrace Your Pace® means to them. Share your EYP story below to connect with others and have a chance to be featured on our website and social media!

As a small business owner, it’s so easy to look at other’s success on social media and feel like you’re not doing enough. However, through embracing my own unique journey of entrepreneurship, I get to enjoy working on my business the way that is best for me and my life, instead of trying to build something that does not reflect me or my vision of success. Through embracing my pace, I am able to be the most authentic version of myself, which has allowed me to grow my network and be successful through the ups and downs of the journey.

My name is Mariam Abdul-Rashid, and I am a 100m hurdler for Team Canada. Since I was six years old, I’ve dreamed of competing in the Olympics. I had a fantastic high school career, but in college, injuries took a toll on my performance and my spirit. My mental health suffered.

Returning home to Canada was a pivotal moment for me. I knew that I wanted to keep pursuing my Olympic dream, but I had to embrace my own pace and accept where I was in that moment. Home was the place where I had once built myself into a great athlete, and I knew I could do it again.

With the support of therapy, new coaching, and physical rehab, I began to dismantle the pressures of where I “should be.” I focused on healing and improving myself one day at a time.

Today, I am proud to call myself an Olympian, the 2024 national champion, and #3 all-time 100m hurdler in Canadian history. My journey has taught me the power of resilience and the importance of believing in myself, no matter the obstacles.

I play softball professionally with Athletes Unlimited and was introduced to this EYP Performance journal this past summer while playing! I’ve always wanted to journal- but feel like I’ve always needed a little guidance, which is why I love this journal so much! My husband is an Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach for football at The University of Florida, and I am the campus dietitian here. We really pride ourselves on being a safe space for our guys to come as they are, and we will love them where they are at.

Now that I have found your perfect journal, I will give them as a gift from my husband and I to any of our football players that have to have surgery or have a major setback/injury

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Hover over the images of the EYP Community members below to read about what Embrace Your Pace® means to them and share your EYP story to connect with others in the community.

One of my favorite quotes is: “Life’s a marathon, not a sprint.” Whether it’s career, relationships, or running alongside seasoned pros. Staying in my lane and embracing my pace keeps me balanced and aligned with what’s truly meant for ME. I’ve learned the secret is simple: eyes on my lane. The more I focus on my pace, the less I care about who’s ahead, behind, or beside me. What’s meant for me won’t miss me.The finish line is always sweeter when it’s on your terms.

I started to surf. And upon entering this world of adult beginner surfing, I quickly realized that the community was SMALL.

I found that the prevalent issue within professional surfing lies in the lack of diversity of an athlete’s story, where success is predominantly associated with those who started their surfing journey at a young age and dedicated their upbringing solely to the pursuit of excellence in this sport.

So, embarking on this journey, I didn’t know how to train or even where to start this journey…the roadmap simply did not exist. So, I decided to forge my own.

As a full-time student and caseworker, I’ve always struggled with finding the balance in life. Life can feel very demanding for me with very little wiggle room, especially when you are trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle. In these moments I tend to lean on the reminder that I am not in competition with anyone. A friend reminded me that life is not about the destination but the journey.

Embracing your pace for me is simply that, taking every moment as it comes and allowing the journey to guide rather than overwhelm you. There will always be hard moments and joyful ones too but if we forget about our why and shift our gaze elsewhere, we can get lost in this game we call life.

Embrace YOUR journey, Embrace YOUR story, Embrace YOUR pace.

With the support of therapy, new coaching, and physical rehab, I began to dismantle the pressures of where I “should be.” I focused on healing and improving myself one day at a time.

Now that I have found your perfect journal, I will give them as a gift from my husband and I to any of our football players that have to have surgery or have a major setback/injury

For years, I would measure my level of success against my peers. I would see people getting great jobs, taking expensive vacations, and partying every weekend. I would always question what I was doing and why the same type of success wasn’t happening to me.

Once I stopped focusing on those around me and began focusing on the things in my control, things turned for the better. In the space of a year, I moved from LA to Seattle and went from working three jobs to beginning a career as an Athletic Director.

For me, Embrace Your Pace means taking full advantage of each moment while continuing to work towards your next step. We all move at our own pace, so keep it moving!

Caught between two identities… who I used to be and who I am supposed to be. The fear of losing something that was so comfortable to me and not pushing myself to embrace who I really am. I decided to embrace my true pace. I’m here, and I’m present.

Embrace your pace means taking comfort in your process, your timing, and your journey. Not judging yourself for having a different path than others. Not comparing yourself to others and really just striving to live your best life just as you are.

I embrace my pace by taking every day as an opportunity for growth. It is so easy to compare where you’re at to where others are, I’ve learned the true way to embrace my pace is to acknowledge that everyone has their own journey, everyone has their own path and everything will happen in the right timing.

In the meantime l chose to give myself grace throughout the growing pains and to embrace the new lessons I learn about myself on a daily basis.

Today marks the longest I’ve gone without any Adderall for 7+ years. I’m noticing the reason why I took it for so long was to numb these feelings of anxiety and depression. And now that I’m off of it, I’m feeling every physical and emotional feeling on the damn spectrum.

Sometimes I feel overwhelmed, like I’m not doing enough in life, with my life, for others, etc. Adderall kept me amped and moving, but your shirt came in today. It reminded me to embrace my pace. Sometimes by slowing down, we go farther. We all have different journeys and are going at different speeds. Every speed is perfect; the key is to trust, love, and hold space for your pace!

Everyone has a pace, right? But does everyone follow their own or conform to the pace of their surroundings? Well, I’ve been able to stay up even when I was down because I followed through with my pace.

About a year ago, I was working for a new pro football league and made it to week 8 of a 10-week season. Four days before the week 8 game, I, along with thousands of others, was fired on Twitter. Crazy right?! How about you add to the story that I was living in Florida at the time (I’m from LA). To add more to the story, my lease to my apartment was up in a week.

It wasn’t time for panicking; it was time to embrace where I was and make a move to the next opportunity. I made the move from Florida to Las Vegas in a span of two weeks with nothing lined up. I had one friend in Vegas who had a couch for me, so I took it.

Sitting here looking at this one year later, I’d be lying to you if I said I didn’t know I would bounce back. The whole idea of embracing your pace is to follow what’s right for you. My time in Florida was over, so I had to embrace it and make a new move. Today I’m back like I didn’t fall off- working at UNLV and also a Realtor. I could have panicked in my situation, but I didn’t. I embraced it and took it the best I could at my own pace.

If there’s anyone out there in a hole, remember this is your story. Follow your pace and write your story how you intend it to be.

We’re all born with our unique gifts and passions. I always felt like it was my job to discover what those are and how to live a life that I could be 100% proud of. It’s easy to listen to other people (even people you admire and trust) and get off track, but that’s all part of the journey.

I’ve failed so many damn times. I’ve been so broke financially, emotionally, and spiritually. I can’t even tell you how many times I doubted my path, but I NEVER GAVE UP. I had to be comfortable with the fact that I was walking an uncommon path with a vision that people would not be able to see immediately.

In Japanese terms, I felt like a “Rōnin // 浪人” – a wanderer or a samurai without a master. Fast forward, here I am, supported by two amazing communities in Seattle, Washington, and Tokyo, Japan. I work alongside the coolest team of coaches, community stakeholders, and global partners who want to set a new international gold standard for the sports-based youth development experience. I still have much to learn, but I love my pace and am not afraid to embrace it. Series.

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