Hi there!

I'm Danielle Gray. I help former athletes regain confidence in their identities so they can show up as their best self in all areas. What does that mean? It means I can prove to you just what a superhero you are.

I hear things after working with clients all the time like:

I've taught gymnastics fundamentals to people of all ages... from 3 year olds to people over 80. 

It doesn't matter if you were a dancer, volleyball player, basketball player, swimmer, track athlete, or even a gymnast. Funny enough, there are a few common threads among all the former athletes I've ever coached.

They all describe themselves as dedicated, but struggle with consistency. They say they're kind, but they at times are not kind to themselves in their own head. They claim to be adventurous, yet their tail hides between their legs at the thought of trying something they've never done before.

I have become obsessed with showing former athletes just how capable they really are. When people come to me ready to learn one skill, they walk away with tremendous confidence which trickles into their personal and professional lives. I am your biggest cheerleader and watching you break through mental, emotional, and physical barriers sparks joy in my life.

When you commit and do a skill you never thought was possible, you start thinking, "If I can do this in one day, what ELSE can I do that I didn't think I could!?"

And guess what? There are skills I can do now that I could never do 10-15 years ago. When I realized I'm even stronger today than I was then because of my improved mindset and life experience, my belief in myself for everything skyrocketed.

Your identity is not gone just because you're no longer competitive. You are still an athlete at heart.

It took years of being away from the competitive aspect of my sport to realize my potential.

How often do you think, "Man, how much farther could I have gotten if I had tried harder, been more dedicated," etc... 

What would you tell yourself as a young athlete if you could go back in time?

Whatever you're telling yourself, tell it to yourself now. You hear your own voice most often, so why not let it build you up with positive advice instead of tear you down with negative criticism?

I, for one, know that athletes as a whole are some of the toughest on themselves.

You were taught to have high expectations. You managed your time well. You worked hard in school.

You also tend to pick up concepts and skills faster than most. 

When you're met with something that doesn't come easily, it can be frustrating.

Let's say you weren't a gymnast, but you did another sport and retired in high school or college. You used to consider yourself an athlete, but something changed. Life got in the way. You feel like you lost that identity when you stopped competing or training consistently. 

We have a tendency to define ourselves by what we do, so if someone came up to you and asked you, "Excuse me, who are you?" In the past you may have said, "I'm a dancer" or "I'm a student," and maybe now you say, "I'm an accountant," or "I'm a mother." Our identity, or the way we perceive ourselves, has a huge impact on the decisions we make and the way we live our lives. 

So if you have lost the identity of an athlete, you may not feel as competitive anymore. 

You may not feel as motivated without having your months segmented with pre-season, season, and post-season. 

You may not feel as confident without your teammates, coaches, parents, and a crowd hyping you up. 

You may not have as much accountability without a coach standing over you. 

You may scroll through Instagram and fall into a comparison slump against pro athletes or teammates who made it further than you.

You may see people doing flips and crazy beautiful tricks and think, "That's badass. I wish I could do that."

But then self doubt creeps in and the shame gremlins take over.

Most people live their entire lives without ever developing the curiosity for self improvement. But you're not most people. You're here. You crave more. Athletes by nature seek constant improvement. #OnceAnAthleteAlwaysAnAthlete. 

I work with so many extremely smart individuals who just can't figure out how to get over a fear or obstacle that is holding them back. Most of the time, they're not even sure what the obstacle is. And if you've been an athlete, you know physical ability starts with mental mastery. You have to know how to ask yourself the right questions.

Try to imagine someone who feels like they've been stuck forever. 

They get inspired and start this cycle at the top right. The Motivation Phase.

Alright, so who do you know who has been in this cycle?

Now real talk. When have YOU been in this cycle?

It's easy to laugh at this or see the simple fix others should make to step outside of this cycle. It's different when you're the one in it, isn't it?

"It's not that easy. It's complicated. I'm trying my hardest. I'm just burnt out. It's not fun anymore."

Any of that seem familiar? Even former professional athletes can get stuck in this plateau cycle. Even your favorite fitness influencers do. But there's something different about their mindset that allows them to stay successful. 

Their success comes from a deep understanding of their purpose and what movement means to them. They are not just living life on the surface or for aesthetic reasons like so many people. They focus on performance and what they can do. They have done the deep work that it takes to become masters of their mind and body. They are not only superhuman, they're regular humans just like you and me. And that's why I want you to realize that anything you see another person do is humanly possible. 

That means you have the same potential within yourself.

There are so many quotes I could throw at you right now, but I'll leave it at three:

Instead of believing you can't do something because you've never tried it, why not believe that you CAN do something if you went for it?

I've worked with hundreds of people in hands-on scenarios, and fear is such a huge barrier for peoples' success. Young and old. When I work with adults, I notice I am speak to their inner child who is afraid. 

We base what we think we can do on what we've done in the past.

But to level up, we must do something we've never done before.

This happens countless times with athletes. Really strong athletes... Who are perfectly capable and strong enough to go for so many things. Overthinking is real. Fear is real. But guess what? Those are mental. Doing a skill is physical.

Look, I'm a professional. Your results are my results. I want you to succeed!

Why would I ask you to do something if I didn't have confidence in you to succeed?

Take Jennifer for example. I met Jennifer coincidentally while working on an ESPN commercial. We were both cast as cheerleaders. While waiting for our scenes, we discussed my upcoming workshop and she became interested. But I had no doubt with her athletic background (cheerleading, dance and volleyball), her curiosity, and her attitude that I could teach her to flip in one day.

Jennifer was afraid. She was never a fan of going backwards. She had never tried anything like it before. 

That's when she decided to register for the workshop at the last minute. She even brought a friend for support. To prove to her that she could do it, I was able to teach her AND her guest a backflip in 20 MINUTES. (Along with everyone else who attended that day, and some even did one on their own without a spot!) Jennifer left feeling thrilled and encouraged by every participant and she got to a place where she never thought she would be.

Listen to how she felt safe and encouraged throughout the day:

Confidence In Yourself

Unwavering Focus

Commitment To Go For It

Ability To Take Corrections

A Celebration Dance

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