Nastia Liukin: A Fall, Not a Fail

Olympic champion Nastia Liukin joins the Lautners to discuss rebuilding yourself after success at a young age and the pressure that comes with competing at the highest level of a sport centered around perfection. Despite being gymnasts themselves, Nastia’s parents tried everything to keep her away from the sport, but her passion and talent were undeniable. Nastia talks about the effects of achieving her “life-long” dream at age 18 and the years trying to find her identity following her “retirement”. She speaks to her 2007 injury and the toll it took on her confidence, as well as falling on her face—a fall she calls the defining moment of her career, and a fall that earned her a standing ovation for the first time. Nastia also discusses her time on Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test, and talks about the Nastia Liukin Cup, an annual competition offering gymnasts an opportunity to be mentored and to feel proud of their accomplishments—a joy Nastia says shouldn’t be reserved for just the 5 girls on the Olympic team.  Be sure to follow Nastia @nastialiukin and check out nastialiukincup.com  Thanks to our awesome sponsor for making this episode possible:   Babbel — Go to babbel.com/thesqueeze to get up to 60% off your subscription  To email us your questions or share your story, you can reach out to [email protected].  Be sure to rate, review, and follow the podcast so you don't miss an episode! Plus, follow us on Instagram, @thesqueeze and personally @taylautner and @taylorlautner. To learn more from The Lemons Foundation, follow @lemonsbytay on Instagram and visit lemonsbytay.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Om Podcasten

When life gives you lemons, what do you do with them? Over here at The Squeeze—we talk about it—"it" being our mental health and well being. Host Taylor Lautner's (no, not that guy, but she is married to that guy) introduction to mental health was at a young age, witnessing friends and family suffer in ways she couldn't fully understand. She started a nursing career in the peak of the pandemic and has been struggling with her own mental health ever since. Tay is joined co-host, husband Taylor Lautner, in addition to celebrity and expert guests to further the conversation surrounding mental wellness. At the end of the day, we're all pretty similar; even those living in the lime-est of lights can be weighed down by sour lemons. In addition to sharing coping strategies and stories, we hope that above all, this podcast offers the comfort of knowing you are not alone.