Ellie Williamson

I would say to be strong in who you are and to be where your feet are at all times, because the sports world can get very busy and chaotic. If you're not where your feet are and you're looking ahead too far, you might miss what's right in front of you. Believe in yourself and be strong in who you are and your values, and make sure that you're enjoying every moment and every opportunity you're taking. Just be in the moment for every opportunity and be who you are to the fullest without apology. Never let anyone doubt your youth - that's actually a verse in the Bible that I love, Timothy 4:12, 'Let no one despise your youth.' Since I was so young getting started in a career path where many are older and it's male-dominated, I think your youth is a huge opportunity. No matter how old or how young you are getting started and what you're doing, you can do the same things as everyone else. Don't get intimidated by the factor of age, or gender, or whatever it is. Just know you could do the same thing as everyone else if you work just as hard, or do it your own way.

Right now, it's a battle between journalists versus influencers, and I think anything that you can tie your name to with credibility is huge, especially in this day and age of how many people are trying to get started. I'm in no way an influencer - I've had a following on the internet because I was young and on a successful national cheerleading team when everyone had cell phones and apps, so I did too when I was just young. But it just happened to work the way it did with my following. I think now it's important for others to see and for me to share what others have done to help me, getting their names out there and showing what paths people took. If I was getting started in this, I would love to see somebody that's already in the industry doing something and see some inspiration and the paths they took. I read stories all the time to stay inspired - there are so many different journals and broadcasters whose stories I read about how they got started. I love seeing the unique ways and interesting paths they took, how they went through adversity and got to where they are, and the little things they did. I would like to be somebody's path or somebody's story to read to help them on their journey.

Being strong in who I am and my values is fundamental to everything I do. I believe in being where my feet are at all times and making sure I'm enjoying every moment and every opportunity I'm taking, just being in the moment for every opportunity. I believe in being who you are to the fullest without apology. My faith is very important to me - I draw strength from Timothy 4:12, 'Let no one despise your youth,' which has guided me since I was so young getting started in a male-dominated field. I keep my personal and my sports work together because that's just who I am - my brand is my business, and I don't separate them. I believe in not getting intimidated by factors like age or gender, and knowing you can do the same thing as everyone else if you work just as hard or do it your own way.