Your "Why" is Bigger Than Your Fear: Interview with Former Professional Football Player, Boxer, and Advocate for Change, Stacey Copeland

Stacey Copeland knows a thing or two about facing your fears in pursuit of ambitious dreams. As a football player, she represented England on the U-18 team and played professionally in the Premier League for the Doncaster Belles, Manchester City, and Tranmere Rovers. That said, Stacey’s first love was boxing. It was a love that began in her granddad’s boxing gym and never died. Unfortunately, Stacey came of age at a time when women’s boxing was illegal in England, which meant she was prevented from pursuing the sport as a young woman.Fortunately, by the time injuries forced Stacey to retire from football, the laws had changed, and Stacey had never stopped her boxing training. At age 29, she dove headfirst into her lifelong dream of becoming a professional boxer. As an amateur, she would go on to represent England and Team Great Britain, win a silver medal at the European Championships, and become a three-time national ABA champion. As a professional, Stacey made history by becoming the first British woman to win the Commonwealth Championship.While injuries forced her to retire from boxing earlier than she’d hoped, Stacey hasn’t stopped inspiring others and working to pave the way for the next generation. Pave the Way also happens to be the name of the charity she started that aims to challenge gender stereotypes for girls, boys, men, and women, and spark social change.Over the course of this interview, Stacey and I spoke about* What the takeaway method is and how it can be used to overcome performance anxiety* The power of finding your why and how Stacey’s why helped her win the Commonwealth Title* Navigating the grief and loss that came with retiring from professional sports* Learning to live without achieving her greatest dream and how she found purpose in new goals* Why she has mixed views on resilience and mental toughness* The importance of finding people who can act as your positive petrol tanks* How the concept of Sisu has guided her through sport and life This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit 90percentmental.substack.com