Learn to appreciate what you have before time forces you to appreciate what you had.

Looking back on the previous two weeks of the summer, I’m sure a good portion of us has been glued to our televisions watching the Olympics. While watching Kerri Walsh Jennings and April Ross defeat the Australian’s in women’s beach volleyball, one quote in particular stands out for me, “Storms make trees take deeper roots." I’m not sure why the phrase was being used, but it made me think about all the adversity most athletes face at some point in their lives.

The phrase might mean something different to different people. What does it mean to you? You may think of a particular situation or time in your life when you hear this, but to me this phrase means that things happen for a reason and, depending on how you deal with them, in the end they have potential to make you stronger. Similar to some of my other favorite inspiring phrases, “you never truly appreciate things until they are gone” or “appreciate the lessons and blessings in your life,” all of these can be life altering. It can mean what you want it to, but I definitely think it can be very powerful.

At this point in my life, being a college athlete, I have already faced many obstacles along my journey. The beginning of my high school career, I developed three stress fractures in a matter of eighteen months. It taught me the importance of perseverance to work hard while you have the chance and to never take anything for granted. While I was injured, the only thing I could think of was how much I wished I had another chance to play the sport I loved. However, it also made me a stronger athlete in the long run as it gave me the opportunity to appreciate my sport more being that I had to go without it for a while. It made me work harder when I finally got the chance to play again. This phrase reminded me of these years in my past and made me realize that maybe I was starting to take things for granted and it was a gentle reminder to refocus on my passion for the game. I don't know what I would do without the sport and thanks to all these lessons learned, I can remind myself of this each and every day. I’m sure each of these Olympians has their own story of the dedication and determination it took to get them to this point in their lives. It's how they grew thick roots and became the best of the best.