WEEK #18: JAIME BOSS

 

Please tell us a little bit about yourself. 

 

I grew up in athletics, from softball and volleyball to track and cross country. I loved sports and being included in a team environment.

 

I stopped playing sports after high school. I moved from a small town to a city and didn’t know how to get involved. After a few years, a friend of mine asked me to join her coed ultimate frisbee team. It was a life changing experience.

 

I have now been playing Ultimate for over 20 years – both recreationally and competitively. Ultimate has become a major part of my life. I have made the most amazing friendships and even met my husband. Ultimate is a community. Teammates become lifelong friends locally and around the world.

 

Fitness has always been very important to me. I was a personal trainer for 20 years and transitioned to massage therapy over 6 years ago. The human body fascinates me. How it works and just how complex it is. Staying fit well into my forties is very important and a constantly changing and challenging experience.

What is an issue or topic you are passionate about or would like to see changed?

 

I am all about empowering other women. Be it in sports, careers, or life.

 

For years, as a woman, I was always comparing myself to others. Why didn’t I get that job? Why didn’t I make that team? Why is that person regarded better than me? I grew a little chip on my shoulder that often made me doubt myself and resent others. I felt I had to be aggressive to show I had worth. I had to prove that I was good enough.

 

Two years ago I was diagnosed with Stage 2 breast cancer. I was devastated. I was afraid. But I didn’t ask “why me?” I approached my diagnosis as one of life’s lessons. I had lost focus of my own health and needed to place myself and my health at the forefront of my priorities.

 

I went through over a year of chemotherapy and surgeries to beat cancer. There were ups and downs but I know that I am stronger for it today.

 

Cancer is something that affects all of us, whether we experience it directly or through a loved one. I was pretty healthy before my diagnosis. I ate right, exercised a lot. I was fit! I strongly believe that my mental and emotional issues encouraged the growth of cancer in my body.

Now my goal is to encourage others to ensure they have sufficient self-care. Not just the physical, but all things that help them to reduce stress, increase self-esteem, and to love themselves first.

 

What specific strategies would you like to see parents, coaches, or sport administrators do to improve diversity in sport or progress your cause?

 

I have seen toxic culture in women’s sports for years, as a coach, team captain, player, and observer. Teams suffer from clique formation, unhealthy competition with peers, and jealousy of teammates.

 

I would love to see parents and coaches teaching young humans to appreciate the value that each of them bring to a team or other group environment. There is room for everyone and there is value in everyone.

 

What is your favourite leadership quote?  

 

Years ago a friend of mine told me, “comparison is the thief of joy”, a quote from Theodore Roosevelt. I feel that these words ring even more true today. People are constantly comparing themselves to others, often in excess. I remind myself of those words at least once a day.

 

Another wise human being once wrote, Today you are you, that is truer than true. There’s no one alive who is Youer than You” (Dr. Seuss).

RESOURCE RECOMMENDATION

 

As a mom and a coach of young women, I love listening to the podcast, “We Can Do Hard Things” with Glennon Doyle.

 

She’s not afraid to touch on difficult to discuss topics. She is also the author of some excellent books that I really enjoyed.