Cathy Spaas was a professional equestrian show jumper at a young age and knows what it’s like to suffer from pressure.
Spaas was riding international shows at the age of 14, but, in response to pressure from her dad, began to feel like she was never good enough.
“I think I gave away too much of my own power because I felt so dependent on my dad’s approval for a really long time,” she said. “When I was 16, it all started to go downhill and I lost all confidence.”
Her goal as performance coach at Cathy Spaas Academy is to ensure that athletes avoid her experience and find “sustainable success” in sports, she said.
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