Nastia Liukin Details the 3 Confidence-Boosting Tips She Learned From Professional Gymnastics

The Olympic athlete, who won gold in the Individual All-Around in the 2008 games, retired in 2012.

Nastia Liukin.Christopher Polk/Getty Images

Professional gymnast Nastia Liukin dedicated a large majority of her life to her sport. The Russian-born athlete shared a heartfelt Instagram post about how her confidence grew as an Olympic gymnast, and what the physically and mentally intense, yet rewarding activity has taught her over the years.

The 2008 Olympic Individual All-Around champion and five-time medalist secured nine World Championship medals before retiring from the sport in 2012.

“1. Confidence is a skill—as is a triple twist dismount off of a four inch wide balance beam. To master any skill—whether on the beam or in life—you do so with training. Lots and lots of training,” the designer, who launched a capsule clothing collection with Dillards last year, captioned a Feb. 29 post that she shared with her one million Instagram followers. “2. Confidence is being the best version of YOURSELF—rather than constantly comparing yourself or trying to simply be better than someone else.”

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She included a trio of throwback competition photos alongside the message, as she showed off her skills on the floor, beam and bars, striking difficult mid-air poses with perfect posture.

“3. YOU define/control your own confidence. Being in a very subjective sport, there were times when no matter how well I performed that day, the scores didn’t reflect my work on the competition floor,” Liukin, who has degrees in sports management and psychology from New York University, continued. “I learned that you’re not always going to be liked by everyone. Don’t let a judge, a friend, a relationship, or a competitor determine or validate your confidence. You don’t have to be everyone’s cup of tea 🧚🏼.”

Tons of fans, fellow gymnasts and moms of young female athletes chimed in to the comments to thank The Muse Collective creator for her inspiring words and dedication to the sport and its community.