SPORTS helped save my life with Keri Potts
Show Notes:
- Keri is paying the price now for her scholarship as a volleyball player at Syracuse with the wear & tear over the years on her body
- Having upcoming shoulder surgery after playing dodgeball and realized that she couldn’t throw the ball as she could in the past
- Even at an early age was athletic and enjoyed sports and any type of physical activity
- Started gymnastics but quickly outgrew the sport and eventually fell in love with volleyball and always wanted to compete with the boys
- Sports was a way to bond with her dad
- She loved the recruiting because she could explore schools outside of the northeast but felt pressure to state in-state for financial reasons and attended Syracuse University
- Her coaching experience at Syracuse was not a good experience but knew that there would be more than volleyball later in life
- Started writing while at Syracuse and fell in love with earning an undergraduate and master’s degree
- Began her career at the NCAA but soon felt like she was trapped and sought for a way out with the help of Jim Boeheim, Syracuse Men’s Basketball Head Coach
- Started with ESPN in 2003 as a Senior Publicist and currently serves as Senior Director Communications
- Life changed for her in 2008 while vacationing in Italy where she survived a violent rape attempt
- Still battles with the thought that she didn’t trust her gut and say no to the invitation to visit her assailant’s apartment
- In the moment of “fight or flight”, she knows that there’s a third component of “freeze” but due to her sports background she was so confident in her body that when the adrenaline started she knew how to handle her body
- Keri believes that sports saved her life because she knew her body and how to react
- Words of Wisdom from Keri Potts: “To thine ownself be true.”
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Featured Image Photo Credit: Keri Potts (via TEDx)
About the author, Richmond Weaver
Richmond, a graduate of Clemson University has been involved with sports for most of his life and developed a passion for basketball and sports at an early age. He currently lives in Greenville, SC with his wife Karen, founder of Upstate Esthetics and their three kids.