Vanessa attended Scotts Valley High School in Northern California and graduated a two-time Division IV State Champion in cross country. She fulfilled her childhood dream of attending Stanford and developed into one of the best runners in the program’s storied history. She was a seven-time All-American, where she helped the Stanford team to two runner-up finishes in the DMR. She capped her college career by contributing to Stanford’s third place finish at the 2018 NCAA Outdoor Track Championships and by setting the school record for 5,000m in Heusden, Belgium (15:09). She signed a professional contract with Nike in 2018 and joined the Bowerman Track Club, where she has since lowered her 5,000m personal best to 14:48. She came back from bilateral Achilles surgery in 2020 and became a finalist at the 2021 Olympic Trials in the 5,000m.
This week we talk all about mindset. Vanessa shares how she used COVID shutdowns to her advantage, and the mindset it took to get her where she is today. This episode will have you curious about fixed mindset vs growth mindset and will share what it means to have your own set of believing eyes.