An underdog is a person expected to lose or struggle because they are seen as lesser than their competitor. Stories from people often seen as an underdog inspire us to implement similar traits in ourselves. These people stand out to us due to their perseverance in never backing down from hardships. Many Academy girls, whether they’re an athlete, actor, or just a student, have felt underestimated or overlooked, and the stories from others who have dealt with something similar function as an inspiration to them.
People oftentimes face obstacles, especially from others who tell them they are not good enough or look down upon them. Rather than giving up, they use those words to fuel them to keep going. One common theme in all these stories is resilience. In every sense these people show resilience, both mentally and physically.
Senior Maddie Fox has been on the golf team for the past four years, and is now committed to a D1 school, Presbyterian College, to play golf. Reflecting on her experiences as a golfer who has faced many adversities, she states, “I have most definitely felt overlooked in my journey as a female junior golfer. Girls aren’t always treated as equally in the sport as guys are, and worse for me, I started out very late compared to other D1 athletes, often making people overlook me. I never let other people’s opinions of me drag me down, if anything I let them fuel me. If someone wanted to underestimate me, or believed I didn’t belong at the golf course, I would show them just how incorrect they are with the skill I have worked hard to refine. I would say to people who do get this feeling to not let it get to them. If anything, use it to your advantage as a sort of chance. Someone else may overlook you, or underestimate you, challenge yourself to prove how much of a mistake that is. No matter what if you believe in yourself, none of their opinions matter.”
Athletes who face hardships are common, but what they do with those hardships sets them apart from most. If one feels invisible by their coaches, but works even harder to be seen, that already sets them apart from other athletes on the team. There are so many inspirational stories from athletes who have overcome adversities that inspire us to work the extra mile.
Linnea Nestor (A’23), who played soccer during her four years at Academy, now plays soccer at a D1 school, USF. She too has dealt with her fair share of feeling underestimated by coaches and peers. She says, “freshman year I played a lot of minutes for a freshman and did very well, however, going into my sophomore year with a new coach I did not get the same opportunities and that really hurt my self-confidence in my sport. It made me feel very frustrated because I felt like if he only gave me a chance, I would prove him wrong. I learned a lot about myself sophomore year and now place more emphasis on the Lord and realize my worth is not in my performance or playing time. This allowed me to stay more focused and avoid burnout. When my coach didn’t see my full potential, I struggled and didn’t handle it well that semester. What I learned, though, is that just because he didn’t recognize my value doesn’t mean it wasn’t there. Others saw my ability and what I could bring to the table, which helped me realize that not everyone will share the same opinion. One person’s perspective doesn’t define my worth or mean they’re right. Him not believing in me really affected my confidence, especially because I was already doubting myself during my sophomore year. Going into junior year, nothing changed on his end, but something shifted on mine. I learned how to keep going despite the doubt. I adopted a mindset that I was going to prove him wrong—and I did.”
Not only is resilience found in sports, but also careers and many aspects of life. When one has a goal in a certain field, they must not allow the negative words and actions to stop them from working to achieve their goals.
Stephanie Patel (A’95), is currently a Tax Partner at Deloitte, a leading global professional services firm. Although she is now successful in her career, it was not an easy path to get to where she is now. She had to persevere through a lot to get to her position today. When explaining her career story, she states, “in the early stages of my career, I often found myself excluded from crucial discussions, and my contributions sometimes failed to carry the same influence as those of my peers. Rather than allowing these setbacks to derail my progress, I made a conscious choice to focus on becoming undeniable. This meant consistently delivering strong results and actively seeking out the opportunities that would allow me to showcase my abilities and drive. I also concentrated on cultivating relationships with colleagues and leaders who recognized and valued the quality of my work. Maintaining my focus during these times required me to keep sight of my long-term objectives, particularly my aspiration to become a partner at the firm. I reminded myself to concentrate on what was within my control, such as the effort I put in and the attitude I brought to each challenge. Even when my hard work was not immediately acknowledged, I made it a priority to sustain my confidence and stay committed to the path I had set for myself.”
AHN girls can draw inspiration from these stories, knowing that many young women, like Fox, Nestor and Patel who have walked these halls, experienced many challenges and had to overcome adversity in their life. We can learn from them, see how they dealt with it, how they learned to work harder and stay the course to achieve their goals. When they finally overcame a challenge, there was no better feeling in the world.
When asked to share advice to the young women at Academy starting their journey just like she was in 1995, Patel said, “it’s important to maintain confidence, draw lessons from your experiences, and find satisfaction in your work. Women often place excessive pressure on themselves. Don’t do that—set goals, remain focused, and surround yourself with individuals striving for excellence and positive achievements. Make informed decisions, declining opportunities that do not support your growth, and accepting those that benefit you personally. Remember, you are empowered to direct your own path; we have one chance in this world, so make it meaningful. Failure is a natural part of the journey—what matters most is how you learn and develop from setbacks, as it shapes you into a stronger individual.”
