Rehna Saalinger, a current senior in high school committed to Brown University for Division I gymnastics, has overcome many obstacles to get to where she is now. Saalinger started gymnastics when she was eight and is now entering her second year of Level 10 gymnastics. Throughout the years, she has faced growing pressures and many roadblocks.
When she was younger, Saalinger didn't struggle as much with pressure. She felt that "even when it was a high-pressure situation [...] just focusing on gratitude [...] would always take off a bunch of the pressure." However, with the pressures of college and recruiting looming over her, she felt like she wasn't performing to the level she would like. Now, coming out on the other side of it all has allowed her to see that "regardless of how much external pressure there is, it all depends on your mindset and how much pressure you're individually putting on yourself." She's learned that focusing on gratitude has allowed her to ground herself even in high-pressure situations.
Saalinger reinforces this mindset by journaling the month leading up to a competition. She discusses how writing down her blessings allows her to "get into the right mindset going into a meet [...] so that it's easy to get into that mindset when [she's] on the spot [competing]."
Saalinger's skills and convictions were put to the test in her
sophomore year when she faced the toughest season of her career. Saalinger struggled with injury for most of the season, forcing her to miss out on the first half of the competition season. Despite it all, she worked hard during her time off and pushed herself to be healthy and ready enough to qualify for States. She fought through it all and eventually even qualified for Nationals. Saalinger said that she was "just so grateful to be there and feeling blessed for [her] health as [she] was competing."
With a remarkable feat, Saalinger won the all-around title for Nationals that year, exceeding all her expectations and bringing her one of the biggest wins of her career.
When asked if she considered herself religious, spiritual, or neither, Saalinger revealed that she was spiritual. As an athlete, she is driven by the belief that "the world has a plan for [everyone]" and that "everything happens for a reason." This mindset has carried her through tough seasons, especially ones plagued with injury. She fights through tough losses by standing by the belief that "if you have a bad competition, that was supposed to happen. If you have a good competition, that was supposed to happen. It's all a part of the process."
Incorporating this mindset has allowed Saalinger to focus on what she can control, making her a better competitor. With any injury or unsatisfying competition, her convictions have "helped [her] be at peace a little bit more," allowing her to be adaptable and work through the obstacles as she encounters them.
These beliefs don't just come from nowhere. Saalinger emphasizes how her biggest inspiration is her mom. Her mother's optimistic attitude, "mindset [...] about being grateful, being grounded, staying humble," her faith in Saalinger, and "her faith that everything is gonna happen how it's supposed to happen" have reinforced Saalinger's spirituality and self-confidence. She's adopted her mother's convictions and applies them in competition. Saalinger says that it's a combination of "how she raised me and how she is as a person, along with my spirituality that has [...] helped me, [and] has shaped me [...] into who I am today as a person."
Today, Saalinger is officially committed to Brown University for Division I gymnastics. Her journey, as seen, was a tough one filled with injuries and roadblocks, but it was all meant to make her into the gymnast and person she is today. Saalinger's humble and grateful attitude inspires all and highlights how hard work and mindset are the keys to success in life, especially in athletic competition.
Some final words of advice Saalinger leaves us with:
"Trust in your journey, and don't compare yourself to other people because you never know what's going on behind closed doors."
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