On this International Women's Day, we’re excited to feature Anne Riesling, the first female Canadian cyclist to complete the Cent Cols Challenge. Anne's journey of overcoming fear and self-doubt to achieve her goals inspires us to do the same and reminds us that taking time for yourself and using products like Before can help you be the best you can be. Anne also highlights that each of us has unique gifts and passions that are worth pursuing, and when we show up with confidence and alignment, we can make a significant impact in the world.
Let us honor the achievements of women around the globe and support one another in the pursuit of our dreams as we dive into Anne's experience with self-confidence and personal growth.
As the first female Canadian cyclist to complete Cent Cols, tell us how you built up your confidence, got outside of your comfort zone and became the best version of yourself to rise to the challenge.
We all have the power to achieve anything we want in our lives, but first, we must believe that we can. Self-confidence, to me, really equates to how well I know and trust myself. It’s about recognizing the value that I bring to the world and taking that knowledge and living that out on a daily basis. Self-confidence is something that is truly built over time and really plays such a pivotal role not only in our personal and professional lives but also contributes to our overall health and well-being. When we slowly begin to understand who we truly are and how we can best show up in the world, that is when we feel most alive, most joyful.
For so much of my life, fear stood in the way of the dreams I wanted to pursue. When I finally got to a place of better confidence and love for myself, I realized that I already had everything I needed inside of me to achieve my dreams. In 2021, I looked at the list of all of my dreams that I wanted to pursue and realized that I was no longer going to let fear stop me from doing everything I wanted to do in my life. I asked myself “what would I do if fear was not present?” From that moment forward, I decided to run towards all of the things that light me up and make me feel most alive.
In order to show up as my best self, I take time each and every day for myself. From writing in my Five Minute Journal to moving my body, or intentionally choosing products such as Before that help me be the best I can be, I know that filling up my cup first will allow me to show up for others better.
We are all on our own journeys of knowing ourselves more deeply and becoming the best we can be for ourselves, and for those around us. I truly believe that when we show up with confidence and know that we are living our lives in full alignment with our passions, that is when we have the ability to create the most impact. Each of us has our own unique gifts and dreams that are so worthy of our attention. I hope this can serve as a glimmer of inspiration to you to take action, follow your heart, and never give up on your dreams.