The Extreme Athlete’s Guide to Navigating Pain, Gratitude, and Relational Business Success with Athena Brownson
My guest today is Athena Brownson. Athena empowers audiences to navigate life’s challenges with grit, authenticity, and purpose. She teaches how to embrace change, build balance, and align your career and life with your values. Drawing from her journey, Athena inspires others to redefine success, build their "why," and cultivate the mindset needed to overcome adversity and achieve meaningful growth. In this episode we discuss professional skiing, lyme disease, real estate, chronic illness, mindset shifting and relational business.
Website - https://athenabrownsonrealtor.com/
IG - https://www.instagram.com/athenabrownsonrealtor_/
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/athenabrownsonrealtor/
In this episode you will learn:
1. Why losing your identity can be the greatest gift you never asked for and what a pro skier with 15 surgeries in 10 years discovered only after she lost everything she thought she was — Athena went pro at skiing at 15, traveled the world, and thought skiing was her entire identity. When injuries forced her to retire at 24 she fell into a complete identity crisis. What followed was the most important lesson of her life: there is a massive difference between what you do and who you actually are.
2. What chronic Lyme disease, EMF sensitivity, and living in an off-grid RV taught a former elite athlete about surrender, listening to her body, and the difference between pushing through and giving up — Diagnosed with seven out of ten strands of Lyme plus every co-infection imaginable, Athena went from nonstop athlete to barely getting off the couch. EMF sensitivity then caused electrical burns from phone and computer use. She moved into an RV, wore lead gloves to use the internet, and needed plasma transfusions every other day to begin healing. Her truth: your body will make the decision for you if you don't listen first.
3. Why your timeline is not supposed to look like everyone else's and the quantum leap reframe that changes everything about how you think about feeling behind — At 35, feeling like she'd lost a decade to illness, Athena was reminded that life doesn't move linearly. Quantum leaps can happen fast. The college-marriage-kids-house timeline was never meant to fit everyone. Burn it. Stay open. Your path looking different isn't a sign you're behind, it's a sign you're uniquely you.
“I learned how to ski when I learned how to walk. So I was just under two years old. " - 00:02:32
“You really have to do an analysis of everything that is incoming to you because we hold on to those things and our subconscious does." - 00:23:31
"Give yourself permission to be. Give yourself permission to show up in whatever capacity you're able to that day.” - 00:50:35
Your voice matters! If you’ve ever felt the pull to share your story, start a podcast, or step more fully into your power, this is your invitation.
At Empowerography, we believe stories change lives. Through powerful conversations, community, and empowerment-driven events like the Empowerography Live Conference, we help women turn their voices into impact because your story isn’t just yours…it’s someone else’s survival guide. Learn more at https://www.empowerographypodcast.com
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