Louise Jackson

Transcript

God my journey began with my passion for Taekwondo achieving my black belt was just the beginning next followed my dreams of making the Olympics my dedication and passion took time away from my friends and family trading three to six hours a day in the gym missing birthdays missing special anniversaries but that paid off it led me to 36 straight victories I was well on my way to the Olympics I had a vision I was standing on that Podium biting my gold medal and smiling as I heard the national anthem play my friends my family my country was swelling with pride and so was my heart

but my dreams took an unexpected turn my coaches had failed me they let me down my finances were dwindling and I had the choice do I continue on this Pursuit and lose everything I had to walk away I had to walk away from my identity I had to walk away from Louise the Taekwondo competitor who was I what was left for me my world was shattered and when you're in that Darkness it's hard to see the light I never thought my mental health could be like that how could I tell everybody I had failed I wasn't going was I a liar was I a fraud

was I lying to myself the entire time who was I and when you're in that dark place it is so hard to see the light but I learned that when you're in that dark place it's okay to maybe make bad decisions and I made some bad decisions I walked away from my coaches who failed me but I walked away from the children in my club the ones who looked up to me the ones who aspired to be me the ones I gave hope to I walked away from them but most importantly I walked away from me who was I when I wasn't Louise the Taekwondo

athlete but then I realized Louise it's okay to be selfish right now you can be selfish because the world is better with you in it and we need you here functioning at your best well how did I come to that realization fast forward 15 years and I get to work with Olympic gold medalist Simon Whitfield Simon won the same gold medal at the Sydney 2000 Olympics that I had envisioned winning I got to take Simon on a tour of our local hospital and during that visit I got to hold that gold medal and Stan came by and he took my picture and it wasn't until

Stan sent me that picture that everything clicked I was biting that gold medal that same gold medal that same vision I had did become a reality just not when or how I expected it but it did have you ever had that moment an epiphany where everything just rushes over and you're like this is it it all makes sense I can tell you right now you've either had it or you will have it and we need to internalize these thoughts I want you to internalize the next sentence that I'm going to say I want you to internalize it in your heart and in your mind you

need to think like a leader and say I am a leader because we are all leaders we're leaders of our own destiny our own lives our own choices we're leaders of our community and our business and I am proud of who I am and that journey in the one essential thing I went for God we'll go to win we don't come to a competition and say yeah I'm going in I'm going to lose we go to win but the essential fact in life is that as we prepare for Success we must also prepare for failure and loss and that is okay because that is what

shapes us that is what brings us to who we are and I will now go forward and I will learn from adversity and I will grow and I know that we are all leaders and I am so proud of where I am today I'm proud of who I am and you know what I am a leader I am Louise Jackson I am still a black belt I'm an f-45 athlete I am an MC I'm a warrior and I'm a person with a passion and dedication for life and my goal is to inspire you and as I leave I want you to promise this one thing

to me I want you to look at yourself every day in the mirror look at yourself and say it and I want you to say it with me look at yourself and say I am a leader say it I am one more time I can't hear you that's right we are all leaders we are all leaders of our own destiny I want you to aim high I want you to go even higher and most importantly be a good human we are all leaders thank you migwitch

Transcript generated from the recording and lightly cleaned. Some names and wording may differ from the spoken speech.