The Democratic Nation Convention was last week and the Republican Convention is this week. Right now I do not have enough personal band width or attention span to follow everything that is going on. Like many of you- I am trying to run my gyms and plan for an uncertain future.
One thing that is clear is that the future is going to be challenging. Who is best to handle the uncertainty? Implement a plan? Think on their feet? Learn from their mistakes?
I may be biased but I would almost always vote for a former gymnast regardless of their political party.
Why? Think of the things that we have learned in our gymnastics careers.
- Making corrections
- Performance and showing off with style
- Dealing with fear and anxiety
- Overcoming obstacles
- Self Confidence
- Time management
- Organization
- Seeking help and advice when they need it.
The list could go on. More than most, gymnasts understand resilience and perseverance. Nothing worthwhile was ever easy. They had to stick to a general plan, make some adjustments along the way but keep their focus.
Gymnasts also understand failure. They understand that failure is part of the process. Mistakes are going to be made but it’s the recovery from those mistakes that separate the good from the great.
They know how to examine the evidence and plot a course. What is it going to take to get a certain skill or combination into their routine? They can’t just chuck it. Along with their coach, they come up with a plan, they rely on the experience of their coach (and the coach relies on their feed back), They chart a path. As the skill develops adjustments are made. They examine the evidence, implement changes if necessary and move forward.
Gymnasts know how to think on their feet. Whether it is an added pirouette on the bar or some “creative” dance when you wind up in the wrong place. (Remind me to tell you the story of when I landed out of bounds ON A JUDGE).
To the best of my knowledge- in this election cycle there is only one former gymnast running for anything.
Brynne Kennedy is running for Congress out of California. She founded and is the former chief executive of human resources software platform Topia.
As USA Gymnastics was imploding a few years ago, she didn’t sit on the sidelines. She stepped up and was a finalist for CEO of USAG.
She was recently featured in Fortune Magazine . According to Brynne, only 6% of current members of Congress have any sort of background in the technology industry. And never has a woman who founded and served as CEO of a tech startup served in Congress. And she is a former elite gymnast!
If you care, I am endorsing her. If you live in the California 4th- she will work hard for you. She will listen and learn and represent you well. For the rest of us- you should donate to her campaign. Some of the issues facing gymnastics clubs will take congressional action. Wouldn’t it be nice to have someone there who understands the sport!
I was lucky enough to know Brynne during her elite career and worked with her occasionally. There are even some funny stories to share sometime.
Brynne Kennedy: ‘Training To Be An Olympic Gymnast Prepared Me For Running For Congress
