Gymnast Nastia Liukin shares some advice she received from the late Kobe Bryant.
Although the NBA legend died at the age of 41 in a helicopter crash in 2020, the Russian-born former American artistic gymnast revealed that the late athlete still had a huge influence on her life. At the Cannes Lions Festival in France on Tuesday, she revealed that she was one of the main factors behind her decision to switch from Olympic gymnast to entrepreneur.
Gymnast Nastia Liukin Shares Advice She Got From Late NBA Star Kobe Bryant
Instagram | Nastia Liukin
On Tuesday, Nastia Liukin attended the Stagwell Sports Beach activation at the Cannes Lions Festival in Southern France. While there, she spoke to Page Six about her transition from gymnast to entrepreneur, noting that “It was actually Kobe” who gave her the idea to go into business and referring to the late athlete as her “mentor.”
“She always said, ‘You have this idea in your head that you’re the girl in the pink leotard and the scrunchie — and you’re more than that,'” she explained. Although she retired from gymnastics more than a decade ago, she has launched a clothing line and a skin care line. He has also appeared in reality shows such as “Dancing With The Stars” and “Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test.”
The five-time Olympic medalist likes to keep busy and even works as an analyst for the NBC Olympics. He revealed that it was Kobelah’s advice that prompted him to stop competing and start pursuing other ways to reach his audience. “He helped me believe [in myself] because he was like, ‘If you don’t believe that, who else will?’” he said. “[Gymnastics is] not something that defines me. And I think realizing that it’s something I can be proud of… but it’s like a position or a relationship, it doesn’t define who we are as human beings.”
Nastia Recalls The Time She Fell On Her Face… On Live TV!
Instagram | Nastia Liukin
Although she has competed in gymnastics from a very young age, the 2012 Olympic trials forced her to make a clean break with the sport after “falling flat” on her face during an event. “It was four years after I won the Olympics and tried to make my second Olympic team. And at the Olympic trials, I fell down,” he said. “Laying on that mat, I remember thinking, ‘OK, the dream is over.'”
He explained that he had failed to find a grip on the high bar and fell face first on the mat during the competition, which happened to be televised. “My parents always said, ‘No matter what you do, always finish what you start.’ So I got back up and finished my routine, landing on my feet during the ups and downs,” he said, adding, “And for the first time in my life in my entire career, I got a standing ovation for my worst routine. whole life.”
Instagram | Nastia Liukin
The experience made Nastia realize that she was more than just her performance. “I was like, ‘OK, I’m not defined by any placement, any routine, any of that,'” he said. “It really helped me … it was my last competition of my career and being able to go on with life, knowing that people will still love you even if you fall down or you’re not a gymnast anymore.”
On Tuesday, Nastia participated in a Cannes Lions panel titled “Axios Presents: Women in Sports Broadcasting and the Road to 2024,” which featured female sports personalities such as NBC Sports’ Maria Taylor and ESPN’s Holly Rowe, among others.
Nastia Liukin Praises ‘Special Energy’ At Cannes
Instagram | Nastia Liukin
On Monday night, the 33-year-old former athlete took to Instagram to share several photos of herself standing along the beach in Cannes in a backless white gown featuring spaghetti straps and a knee-high slit. She accessorized her look with dark sunglasses, a pink purse and open-toed sandals.
“So excited to be at @cannes_lions with @stagwellglobal this week! The energy here is so special, and seeing all the world’s leading brands activated in the most creative ways is so inspiring,” he wrote in the caption. “I’ll be speaking on a panel this week about sports marketing and influencer marketing, and I can’t wait to learn from industry leaders and the world’s most creative marketers!!”
Categories: Trending
Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
