Issue 2 | 2023

TRANSFORMED LIVES
Consider Your
Surroundings
BY KRISTI OVERTON JOHNSON
I’VE OFTEN SHARED HOW BECOMING
a champion starts with seeing yourself as
one. And why not? That’s how God sees you.
Experiencing victory, however, depends
on you. It takes commitment, courage, determination,
sacrifice, and surrender. You
must move out of your comfort zone and
do the work. Nobody else can do it for you.
As you move toward victory, it’s essential
to consider your surroundings. Here’s
a practical example from my water-ski
career. After graduating from high school,
I moved from North Carolina to Florida to
train year-round in warmer weather.
Moving, however, required me to leave
my familiar surroundings. No longer would
I have my parents to coach me or my brother
to drive the boat. Plus, I was leaving our
private facility, Lake Kristi, that my parents
had built for me. It was a perfect training
site. Nonetheless, I knew moving was necessary
if I wanted to train with the best in
the world.
So, with the help of my parents, I sought
out a healthy support system in Florida. I
found an elite coach who would push me
out of my comfort zone, and I made sure
his lake was challenging. Training in calm,
easy conditions wasn’t going to help me
win against the world’s best on the rough
rivers of the pro circuit. I needed to do
some tough training if I wanted to climb
the championship podium.
I also needed to surround myself with
people of excellence. That meant finding
training partners who would push me beyond
my current abilities—and boy, did
they! Those four guys didn’t cut this girl
any slack, and I wouldn’t have wanted it
any other way.
For years, I had trained with people at or
below my level, and I had grown mentally
and physically stagnant. I needed a push
from a fresh crew and a new training regimen.
Those top male athletes were just
the ones to do it.
Their performances were much higher
than mine, which was initially intimidating.
But once I embraced the challenge, I
found I could do so much more, on and off
the water. It was time to grow as an athlete.
These guys trained in unbelievably
tough conditions—wind, rain, and rough
water. And they trained just as hard off the
water, in the gym. Seeing their commitment,
courage, and success led me to get
off the dock when otherwise, I would have
stayed in the lake cabin eating Pop-Tarts.
Being surrounded by greatness fueled a
fire in me, and I started emulating how they
trained. As a result, I became the numberone-ranked
female water-skier in the world
and posted performances that ranked with
the top male skiers.
I say all that to say this: to be a champion,
you must place yourself in surroundings
conducive to greatness. And you must put
yourself in the company of winners—this
is true in every area of your life.
10 Issue 02 / 2023 VICTORIOUSLIVINGMAGAZINE.COM