Learning to Compete with Myself by Valeria

Learning to Compete with Myself by Valeria - August 2026 Scholarship Essay

“I'm not good enough, I can't do it, she's faster than me” was the only thing I thought of during meets and at practice. In other words, I didn't believe in myself. I constantly compared myself to those around me, even when I was consistently doing every workout and putting in all my effort. I slowly started convincing myself that I wasn't good enough for the sport, slowly making me become depressed and slower in my own sport.
One night during a meet my coach noticed how much I was mentally struggling. He pulled me aside right before my race and told me that “The biggest opponent has never been the girl next to you, but yourself” he reminded me that I trained with discipline, consistency, and the heart but that none of that matters if I didn't trust in myself. He went on saying that if I wasn't good enough or meant for this sport then why do I keep showing up? Why do I even bother coming to after school practices? and why do I spend late nights with the team I helped to build? This was the first time I heard anyone tell me the truth about myself and although it was hard to hear the truth, it was the first time I realized how much my mindset was holding me back.
From that day forward I approached feedback differently. I understood that my coaches trusted me and believed in me, and that I should do the same. Instead of thinking about not being good enough I thought about how I can get better. I started focusing on my progress and not of those around me, while also finding something to do to re-direct any negative thought. For me, it was mat pilates. If any negative thought arose whether it was after practice, before practice, or at home I would get down and do a quick ten min workout and it would re-set my mind.
Learning from the feedback my coach gave me didn't just make me a better athlete but also changed how I handle challenges in school and in my life. The comparison that once controlled me no longer does, and I slowly got better at believing in myself. Now that I know I'm capable of changing a toxic mindset, I trust that I can overcome any challenge that tries to hold me back.