An Underdog's Secret to Success: Transform The Way You Live: Sandy Zimmerman (Transcript)

Here is the full transcript of Sandy Zimmerman’s talk titled “An Underdog’s Secret to Success: Transform The Way You Live” at TEDxSpokane conference.

Sandy Zimmerman’s talk, “An Underdog’s Secret to Success: Transform The Way You Live,” is an inspiring narrative highlighting her journey from a challenging upbringing to achieving significant personal and professional milestones. She emphasizes the importance of changing one’s family tree, overcoming mental and physical obstacles, and the power of dreaming big.

Through her personal story, including her experiences with American Ninja Warrior and becoming a National Judo Champion, Sandy illustrates the effectiveness of three key techniques: dreaming big dreams, taking action despite fear, and listening to the right inner voice. Her message is a testament to the possibility of transformation and success, regardless of one’s starting point. Sandy’s heartfelt delivery and genuine examples serve as a motivational call to action, encouraging everyone to pursue their dreams with courage and determination.

Listen to the audio version here:

TRANSCRIPT:

Sandy’s Proudest Accomplishment

Well, if someone were to ask me, “Sandy, what accomplishments in your life are you most proud of?” Well, that’s an easy one. It’s not the Fulbright Scholarship to play basketball at Gonzaga University. It’s not being inducted into the National Teacher Hall of Fame. It’s not hitting historical buzzers on American Ninja Warrior, or even the title of National Judo Champion that I’m most proud of, although that one is a pretty cool one.

The accomplishment in my life that I am most proud of is that I’ve been able to change my family tree. You see, screaming, yelling, cussing, violence, that was the norm in my house growing up. I endured every form of abuse and neglect. I watched family members struggle with mental health issues and substance abuse.

So you can see why changing my family tree, statistically speaking, was a nearly impossible goal for someone like me. But here are my three kids: Brett, Lindsey, and Blake. They are the healthy version of me. No baggage, no scars, no triggers. Every day, Brett, Lindsey, and Blake are loved, cared for, and safe.

Overcoming Challenges

Tonight, I want to share with you three techniques that have led to huge success in the way that I live, love, work, and parent, that I know can work for you too. I was 12 years old, but I remember this moment like it was yesterday. I had just received my massive first place trophy for winning the National Judo Championship when my sensei came over to me and said the words that would change my life forever. He said, “Sandy, you could go to the Olympics.”

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I remember being so embarrassed at his words to the point where I could feel my cheeks get flushed and warm and thinking, “No sensei, girls like me don’t dream dreams of going to the Olympics. We just hope to get through the day and not get hit or get through the day and not have to go to bed hungry.” No sensei, girls like me don’t dream dreams of going to the Olympics. But as I let his words sink in, “Sandy, you could go to the Olympics. Sandy, you could go to the Olympics.”

Over time, my thoughts began to shift and I started to dream some really big dreams. In 2015, one of those big dreams was to compete on the world’s most challenging obstacles known as American Ninja Warrior. My very first ninja competition was in Boise, Idaho. I made the long seven plus hour drive from Spokane, Washington to Boise, and I just remember sitting in the car in the parking lot and having a little debate with myself as to whether or not I should go in.

You see, I have these two voices in my head. One is little Sandy. She is shy, quiet, timid, and insecure. She worries a lot about what other people will think of her and she has a huge fear of failure.

Listening to the Right Voice

I have another voice in my head which is big Sandy. She is strong and brave and confident and loves a challenge. I sat in that car in that parking lot for over five minutes letting little Sandy and big Sandy battle it out. Little Sandy would say, “Don’t go in there. You don’t know how this is going to turn out. You could fail in front of everyone and look stupid. You’re not strong enough. You’re not ready. Stay in the car. Go back home.”

And then big Sandy chimed in, “Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait a minute. You are strong and brave and this is right where you’re supposed to be and this is right what you’re supposed to be doing. This is how you learn and grow. Get out of the car.” Which voice do you think I listened to that day? Well, you guessed it, eventually big Sandy won and I mustered up enough courage to get out of that car.

So I’m walking up to the gym. I open the front door and I walk in and on this side, it’s like a big massive McDonald’s playground set where parents can drop their kids off, go run errands and then come back and pick them up later. And on this side were all the ninja obstacles and it was amazing. Replica of obstacles just like ones you’d find on the show.

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So I’m walking up to the counter and I’m just about to tell the young lady that I’m there to check in for the ninja competition and she says, “Oh, are you here to pick up your kids?” I thought, “Oh, geez, Sandy, what are you doing here?” I let out a nervous laugh. I said, “Well, no, I’m actually here to check in for the ninja competition.” To which she said, “Oh.” And there was a long awkward silence.

Well, eventually she checked me in and I competed in my very first ninja competition that day.

Now I didn’t crush it, but I didn’t suck either. After all the runs were through, the owner of the gym waves a $10 bill in the air and he says, “I’ll give this to whoever can dead hang the longest.” Well, dead hang is just where you grab onto a bar and you just hang as long as you can.

Now all the 20-year-old guys, they jumped at the chance. They were like, “Yeah, dead hang contest, let’s go,” but I was hesitant. I’d actually never tried to do a dead hang before, but reluctantly I decided to give it a try. So the owner of the gym says, “Ready, set, go,” and we all hang.

Well, one minute goes by and some people drop. Two minutes goes by, more people drop. And at the three-minute mark, to my shock and surprise, I’d gotten my goal to get to the three-minute mark. And I was the last girl left hanging from the bar. “Woo, I did it.” And I remember thinking, “Well, might as well see how long I can go.”

So four minutes goes by, five minutes goes by, six minutes goes by, seven minutes goes by, eight minutes goes by, and at the nine-minute mark, I look around and it’s just me and one other guy left hanging from the bar. And I could tell that I actually had a chance to win this thing. In desperation, he started some friendly trash talking. He said, “Boy, I feel great. I feel like I could hang up here forever. But you look kind of tired. You look like you might be falling soon.” I just smiled. I didn’t say a word until he asked me a question.

He said, “How much longer are you going to be able to hang?” With that, I looked that turkey right in the eyes, I dropped one arm, I flexed, and I said, “We’re going to be here a while.” “This is that $10 bill, yeah!” It still sits framed on my dresser today as a reminder to listen to the right voice.

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Recap and Encouragement

Well, I want to take a moment to recap those three techniques. Number one, dream big dreams. It turns out sensei was right. It doesn’t matter where you come from, what you’ve been through, or what you’re going through. We can all dream big dreams. When I look back at my life, one thing that I can see and understand now is there have been many times in my life when I have had to borrow other people’s belief in me, like I did from sensei that day, until I could grow and develop that belief in myself.

So today, if you need to, let me be your sensei. Because I believe in you, and I believe that you are here for a reason, and that you have big dreams to accomplish.

Number two, get out of the car! Stop waiting! Do you know what the biggest killer of big dreams is? It’s the word “someday.” Here’s the hard truth: You are never going to feel ready, but in order to succeed, you must move towards your big dreams and goals one small step at a time.

And finally, number three, listen to the right voice. Now I probably should have told you this earlier, but the whole dream big dream thing, I guarantee you it is going to absolutely scare the crap out of you. And when we get scared, it puts a megaphone to your version of that little sandy voice in your head. And it will flood you with doubt, fear, insecurity, and a million reasons why you should stop chasing your big dream. When that negative voice rears its ugly head, whether from you or from someone who doubts your ability, remember to listen to the right voice.

Well, if an underdog like me, with the cards stacked against them, can defy the odds and transform my life using these three key techniques, so can you. Now go dream big dreams. Thank you all so much for being here tonight. I love you!

An Underdog’s Secret to Success: Transform The Way You Live: Sandy Zimmerman (Transcript)

Sandy’s Proudest Accomplishment

Overcoming Challenges

Listening to the Right Voice

Recap and Encouragement

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