For most of Diane Hurst’s life, basketball was more than a sport. It gave her community, helped her belong every time her family moved, and eventually became tied to how she understood herself.
But when basketball stopped going the way she expected, that identity began to fall apart.
In this episode, Diane talks about the pressure she put on herself as a young athlete, walking away from her first college midway through the season, learning to separate a coach’s opinion from her worth, counseling, faith, moving to Kosovo, and unexpectedly finding her way back to basketball again.
A conversation about achievement, failure, belonging, mental health, and learning to love something without needing it to tell you who you are.
Content:
00:00 Intro
00:49 How are you?
01:08 ATG Warm-up
02:38 What is mental health to you?
06:27 Who am I without my achievements?
08:39 The pressure to prove yourself
11:18 Basketball as belonging
15:08 When basketball was taken away
17:47 Choosing not to go D1
25:10 Changing her relationship with failure
27:36 Her first college experience
33:20 When basketball stopped being worth it
35:50 Going home and dealing with shame
39:19 Counseling and professional help
40:13 Wanting to play basketball again
42:35 Learning to trust another coach
44:36 Winning a championship
49:33 Choosing to end her college career
53:23 Why Kosovo?
57:07 The reality of moving to Kosovo
1:00:12 “It’s okay not to be okay”
1:03:31 Feelings are real, but not always reliable
1:05:32 Basketball comes back again
1:09:57 Diane’s question for the audience
Production: LinkAcross Video Production
Camera & audio: Sashko Petrovski
Montage: Sashko Petrovski
Editor: Sandra Mitrevska
Host: Gjorgi Georgiev
The content presented on this podcast is for informational purposes only. Please consult an appropriate professional for any health issues, diagnosis or therapy. The views and opinions expressed in the podcast are the personal views and opinions of the host and the guests.