#31 Alex Aust - Confidence Booster

Alex Aust.
2020.
College Park, Maryland.
I am energetic.
I am compassionate.
I am light.
BE ELECTRIC.


Badass Quotes:
🔺 “I hate half-assing something. I hate not being a part of something full fledged.”
🔺 “They’re giving me as much as I’ve giving them. It’s what I love about team sports.”
🔺 “You always find a way to be competitive, have that competitive release. And in a year that we haven’t had sports, I’ve had to find it in different realms.”
🔺 “I love the sisterhood. I love going to battle with someone to the left or to the right of you. I love being in the trenches, but also the giggles after you’ve had a great workout together.”
🔺 “Whenever someone would ask me, ‘What do you want to be when you grow up?’ I never knew. I never had an answer. So, I’ve always been inspired by people who do it on their own and make it work.”
🔺 “ I believe that movement is meditation, and it’s the one time you can really not think about what else is going on in the world.”
🔺 “Confidence comes from the work. Confidence is not something you are just going to wake up and have one day. It’s something that I have to work on everyday too. I have to choose to be confident in myself.” 
🔺 “I am no stranger to therapy. I am a huge advocate for mental health.”
🔺 “I got into some pretty dark places there mentally, and just not knowing where my worth was going to come from anymore, how I was going to feel accomplished and what my goals were.”
🔺 “In those bad moments, and in those bad days, it’s about leaning into them. What’s going on in me that I need to figure out?”
🔺 “I think that’s the power of doing things like this. We’re athletes and we only ever see pictures of ourselves playing.”
🔺 “Who are you motivated by? Who do you love? Who makes you happy? Who supports you? Who am I?”
🔺 “Why do young women struggle with confidence and who they are? Why is it such a hard thing to say what you’re good at?”
🔺 “How do we make change? How do I impact more people? How do I reach more people? How do I get my voice heard? How do young women get their voice heard? How do we make more money as women? How do we improve? How do we empower young women to follow their dreams and their goals? How do I stay true to myself? How do I keep having fun?”

Podcast Intro:
Alex Aust is a super-decorated lacrosse superstar - she was an All-American and national Champion at the University of Maryland, a World Cup Champion on the Women’s National Team, and a multi-year professional lacrosse player. She co-runs a business coaching the game to young girls, and during COVID pivoted to coaching and teaching fitness to women of all ages in her monthly membership program called The Sweat Life. She is an Under Armour athlete who is currently braving her fears in the sports Illustrated Swim competition. She takes confidence seriously. She is obsessed with being on a team. She knows the power of leading by example. And lead she will. [more...]

Big Takeaways: 
▪️ How forcing herself to pause during COVID has allowed her to refocus herself
▪️ Why it’s hard and valuable to have social injustice and political conversations at the dinner table 
▪️ How/When/Why she shifted gears from training with her lacrosse stick to creating The Sweaat Life, a fitness platform
▪️ Why competition is awesome, but teamwork is her obsession 
▪️ How long it really takes to figure out who you really are and be confident in the things you do 
▪️ Why she looks toward independent, strong female role models now
▪️ Why is it so critical to surround yourself with positive people that you trust that will also be honest with you

Major Conversation Highlights: 
🔺 Identity Shifts: After winning the gold medal in 2017, do I want to coach or mentor or play? 
🔺 The Sweaat Life Community: Consistency has been key during this time of uncertainty.
Coaching Vibes: Using her strong and smiley energy, Coach Alex asks a lot because she knows what it’s like to push herself, focuses on workouts being hard but adjustable for everyone, and wants to make every member feel (not look) like the best version of themselves.
🔺 Journey to Confidence:  How she has taken time to do self-reflection, learn what feels good for her, and address feelings immediately to stay on the offensive.
🔺 Cathy Reese: The first true mentor for Alex who showed her both sides of being a woman - someone who ran and dominated a business as well as her household.
🔺 Bikini Dreams: Entering Sports illustrated Swim competition is the most brave thing she’s done-it's empowering and liberating for so many reasons, partially because, as an athlete, she only ever really saw photos of herself playing sport.
🔺 Brave Curiosity Exercise: Listen to Alex flex her curiosity muscles.

Social Media​​
Instagram - @alexaust_
LinkedIn

People
Cathy Reese, Head Coach, University of Maryland
Kylie Ohlmiller, teammates, US Women's National Team

Key Links​​
The Sweaat Life

Under Armour
🔺 10 Minute HIIT Workout
🔺 15 Minute CORE Workout

Sport Illustrated Swim

Finish Line Lacrosse