“To be the best, you have to demand the best from yourself.”
— April Ross
April Ross is a 3x Olympic medalist in beach volleyball. She won silver in 2012, bronze in 2016, and gold in 2020, and won the 2009 Beach Volleyball World Championship.
Ross' success didn't come from nowhere. In high school, Ross was the nations top recruit, as she won Gatorade National Player of the Year her senior year. Ross then attended the University of Southern California and played indoor volleyball (they didn't have beach volleyball yet) for all four years. She was named Pac-12 Freshman of the Year, 2x first-team All-American, Pac-12 Player of the Year, 2003 Honda Award winner, 2x NCAA National Champion, and broke school records for points and points per game.
April Ross has seemingly demanded the best from herself for her entire life. Even during the heat of the COVID-19 pandemic, when all gyms were closed and she couldn't train with a coach or partner, Ross made her own makeshift partner. She would hit the ball against two pieces of wood that were leaning against a tree. She knew that if she wanted to continue to be the best beach volleyball player in the world, she couldn't let even a pandemic get in her way.
Instead of making excuses, go out and get ahead. You aren't going to get anywhere by sitting on the couch all day (unless you are an esports player). If you have to think out of the box to get your training in, do it. You will surely be getting ahead of your competition.
