A Personal Note From Orion
Welcome to another exciting episode of Stellar Life! Today we have an extraordinary guest, Whitney Jones. Whitney is a powerhouse in the world of extreme sports and fitness, having competed in ten Olympias, often while injured, and winning numerous titles, including Miss Fitness Olympia three times.
She’s here to share her incredible journey of resilience, having overcome significant injuries—18 surgeries to be exact—including a broken neck. As a single mom, business owner, and athlete, Whitney balances an exceptionally demanding life with grace and determination.
In this episode, we’ll delve into Whitney’s mindset that champions a positive outlook on life’s temporary challenges and the power of gratitude. We’ll also explore how she juggles raising her two boys, running six businesses, and staying at the top of her sport. Whitney’s story is a testament to the strength and resilience of women, and she offers invaluable advice on maintaining motivation, managing pain, and finding joy in the everyday.
Buckle up for an inspiring conversation filled with insights on overcoming adversity, the importance of a supportive community, and how to live a truly stellar life. So, without further ado, let’s dive into the show!
In This Episode
- [03:36] – Orion introduces Whitney Jones and asks her to share her favorite childhood memory.
- [09:14] – Whitney reflects on how she discovered her passion for fitness and the journey that led her to pursue fitness competitions.
- [14:35] – Whitney recounts her first competition win and how she achieved victory while raising two young boys as a single mother.
- [21:38] – Whitney opens up about the sacrifices and challenges she faced to reach her goals. She also reveals the mindset and lifestyle changes she embraced to stay dedicated to fitness.
- [33:35] – Whitney delves into overcoming pain and injury after enduring 18 surgeries.
- [46:57] – Whitney discusses her current ventures and business projects.
- [50:07] – Whitney offers her best advice for living an extraordinary life.
About Today’s Show
Hello, Whitney. Welcome to the Stellar Life podcast. Thank you so much for being here.
Thank you. I’m loving it. I’m honored to be a guest, and I appreciate you asking me.
Yes, I actually asked you a few years ago, and it never worked out. I don’t know why it kind of didn’t happen, but thank God today, it happened because when I heard you speak at Genius Network, I was mesmerized by you. I was mesmerized by your story. I was mesmerized by your authenticity and your willpower. Overall, you are very much a unicorn. We’ll dive deep into your life story in a second. But before we begin, what was your favorite childhood memory?
I have so many. I was very fortunate to grow up with my parents and two older brothers in the house. I was the youngest. We didn’t grow up with money, so we always had to be super creative and just do anything fun or vacations. My favorite memory was trying to do something like, “What are we going to do this weekend?” You have all Saturday and Sunday as a family.
We weren’t fortunate to be like, “Oh, let’s go out to eat and go to some trampoline park.” So we used to be so creative, and we would change out. It was my weekend to pick games and do scavenger hunts or simple things like uno, but we would switch off between who got to decide. It’s one of my favorite memories: having time together, connecting, laughing, and enjoying my family. We’re very close. So, all my favorite memories are of just about us spending time together.
Wow, that’s amazing. I didn’t grow up rich. I grew up actually very poor as well. I remember being more creative with my time. It leaves you more time to imagine and think. I used to spend a lot of time in the backyard watching feral cats and imagining myself as a zoologist climbing trees.
I love it.
You need enough things that excite you and make you smile, so even when some things suck, you can still say, “These things are amazing.” Share on XYeah, it was really cool. I actually had a conversation with my four-year-old, and I explained to him that when I grew up, things were different, and we didn’t have money. He didn’t understand how my life could be interesting without going to interesting places. It was a good conversation with him because I tried to teach him, even from this young age, to really value and be grateful for everything he’s got. It’s so important.
It’s interesting because I have two boys. My oldest is 18. He just left for college. My youngest is 15, and the same type of thing; we kind of drawback on our own childhood and our own favorite memories and how we want to be as parents. I was unfortunately divorced pretty early on. They were three and five and went through some very difficult financial times. It was like, “Oh, my gosh, how am I going to provide for my kids in this day and age when everyone has PlayStations, and they’re going to all these amazing things every weekend?”
My boys and I were talking before my oldest went to college, and we started saying, “What were some of your favorite memories?” They actually said, “We know you didn’t have money, but every weekend, you would be so creative, and you would have things planned, and it would be going to the park and putting together obstacle courses, or we would have whatever it was in the backyard at an event and crafts inside the house.” I always thought, “They must be going, ‘Gosh, this sucks. Why can’t I have XYZ?’”
But you do the best that you can as a parent, right? However, some of their favorite memories were of being creative and doing things that none of their friends were doing. We would spend a day trying to learn how to skateboard, or I was trying to google how to throw a spiral football. And just all those things I did with them that did not involve any, not even a penny.
Be grateful for the temporary challenges you face.
It’s some of their favorite moments, and it goes back to what you do and not what you have and, of course, gratitude. But to hear them say those were some of their favorite memories, as a mom, it’s like, “Oh.” Cause you just think, “Gosh, I’m failing you, raising everyone else.”
No, you raised them right. You go to a trampoline park, kids play, and you see moms on their phones. It’s like, “Let me delegate my parenting to the trampoline park and, “Have fun, kids.’” Sometimes I do the same. But I also try to be very conscious. My son was homeschooled for three years. I was very creative then, but now that I put him in the school system, I get really, really lazy. It’s a good reminder for me. Thank you for that. I want to dive into your life story. How did you discover this passion for fitness? Your story is incredible.
Well, thank you. Growing up with two older brothers, I was always active. We were always outside, just trying to do anything. And, having them as my role models, they played sports. Growing up, our parents let us play any sports that the school provided. So I tried literally everything from soccer to softball to track and field to recess to monkey bar activities, whatever it was. I was always an athlete growing up, even through high school and some in college.
But as I got older, I would do marathons, triathlons, and endurance events just to stay in shape, giving me that creative outlet. But I got into this world of fitness. I do fitness competitions, and a lot of people don’t really understand, but what it is, I compete in the fitness division. That is one division under the bodybuilding umbrella. So I don’t get on stage, flex, or don’t do any of that stuff like Arnold Schwarzenegger. But I do a division where you do a two-minute performance that includes dance, choreography, gymnastics, backflips, and plyometric push-ups. You can do anything. So that’s the division I compete in. But I got into it randomly enough out of the dare.
Someone at the gym said, “You would never be good at this.” I had no idea what they were talking about. I just kind of turned around. I’m like, “Good at what?” And they were talking about this fitness competition, and I’m like, “Yeah, I could do it.” They’re like, “There’s no way.” It was just trying to tell me I couldn’t do something. Well, I love a challenge. So I was like, “I can do it. I’m going to do it. When is it?”
It was four months later. So I said, “Yep, I’m in.” And then, as soon as this guy walked away, I turned to my friend. I’m like, “What are they talking about? What did I sign up for?” I had no idea if it was underwater basket weaving or cage fighting. I had no idea what I signed up for. So I learned about it and was like, “Oh, okay, well, this could be fun for me.” It’s always been; things in life that have always been challenging.
But I’ve learned that I thrive under a challenge. If it’s easy, I’m not usually interested. If it’s hard and will take focused effort, work, and true dedication, that’s what fires me up. So I knew nothing about it, and I’m like, “Okay, cool, this will be fun.” I just pretty much assumed it would be one-and-done. I have no gymnastics experience. I am not a trained dancer, so this is completely out of my wheelhouse.
Were you at least flexible?
I thrive under a challenge. If it’s easy, I’m not usually interested. If it’s hard and takes focused effort, work, and true dedication, that’s what fires me up.
I was flexible, so I loved to do stuff. I was a cheerleader in high school, but we didn’t have cheerleading back then. For me, it was like, you try out for the team, and it’s like, “Hey, go, team” with pom pom. You didn’t have to do backflips or tumbling passes.
At what age did you start?
To the fitness competitions? 34.
You’ve never done a backflip until you were 34?
I’ve done them when I was younger, again, just in my front yard with my brothers, who would dare me to do stuff, and I’m like, “Okay.” We had a neighbor who was an amazing gymnast. She actually made it. She was an alternate on the Olympic team one of the years back in the 80s, so we would see her practicing all the time at parks, and I was always just in awe. So I had seen it but was never taught how to do anything. But I was a daredevil, so I learned how to backflip or frontflip or do things when I was in high school and younger because my brothers would dare me to. Now, it wasn’t the right form. And if you go on a gymnastics floor, they’d be like, that is not how you do it. But in the world of fitness competitions, it’s not judged like that. It’s judged on a performance.
You can do whatever kind of stuff, in any style you want. Just don’t land on your face. I have done this several times, but I loved it. I like the fact that this aspect is going to be hard. It has been years since I’ve done these things. I wonder if I can still do it. The thing is, even if I couldn’t, it wasn’t a requirement. You don’t have to do backflips. There are girls who compete in our sport, and they don’t have any gymnastics background, but they’re phenomenal dancers or amazing martial arts.
They’ve got some martial arts background and can create a cool choreographed routine around it, or they’re super strong and can do strength holds and strength moves. There are a bunch of different ways you can do this, and I like that option. So I did a show. I loved it just because it was such an amazing creative outlet. I didn’t care if the judges had me first or last. I didn’t care about the placement. I liked the challenge and having that goal and something to focus on.
Tell me about your first win. What was it like?
There’s always room for improvement. There’s always something you can work harder on.
I did not go into shows with the goal of winning. I went in, and it was me against me because I didn’t have the talent all these other girls had. I didn’t have years of training in the background, so I went in. I was very different, which is what allowed me to do well. I stood out because I was so different. So the first time I won, I was in shock, like, “Oh, gosh, they made a mistake, and who will tell them? This is embarrassing.” I remember my friends in the audience, like, “Why are you standing there? Go up and get the award.” But I think I was just in awe.
Even to this day, in all my competitions, I determine if I’ve won right before I step on stage. There’s always this elevated stage, this platform, and you walk up the stairs. I have this ritual. I have to know that I have one before I step on stage. I never allowed the judges to have the control to tell me if I won or not. So, I have won plenty of times already. But officially winning that first-place trophy was my first time.
It was like, “Oh, my gosh.” “Oh, this is what you do. You go up, get the award, and actually do this interview.” It was kind of shocking. Obviously, I was very excited, but I’ve never been about the outcome. I’ve always been about the journey. Then, I determine whether I have won or lost. When it comes down to me, I don’t always win. I have done plenty of competitions and said, “I could have done better. I failed myself. I didn’t give it my all on this day and didn’t follow the diet as well as I should have. I should have pushed harder in my training.” I’m very realistic with myself. There were plenty of times I didn’t win, but there were plenty of times that I did win. “How did the judges score me? Did I end up with the actual first place trophy?” That’s to be determined. I lost track.
I’ve done so many competitions and almost 40 since I started, so it’s hard to keep track of which ones I won or lost. But again, no matter what, if you win, there’s always room for improvement. There’s always something you can work harder on. There’s something that you need to improve on for that next competition. So, it was never like an endgame. It was “Okay. That was cool. Win or lose, what are we going to do next?”
How were you able to do all that, being a single mom to young boys?
It’s funny because I get asked that question a lot. The only way I can explain it is that I did love it, and it makes it a lot easier. When you love it now, your time is entirely limited. So, most of my competitors were in their twenties. I’m definitely older. They don’t have kids. Some don’t have jobs. So, literally, this is their life. Some of them have husbands who support them.
You can’t control bad days that are completely not your fault. What you can control is the things that make you feel good at the end of the day.
I’m a single mom of two boys, running my own company and then trying to do this crazy sport. But again, for me, it was my outlet. It was what helped me focus on myself. That was my time to focus on having that ability to give me a win each day. In life, we’re thrown 800 things, and you can’t control bad situations. You can’t control bad luck. You can’t control bad days that are completely not your fault. What you can control is the things that make you feel good at the end of the day.
Just going through rough patches in my life, I needed to be able to control myself at the end of the day so that I could say, “I did good for myself and my boys because of XYZ.” That’s why I honestly loved this. It gave me something that I could control. “Did I put in hard work towards my goal and give it my all now? Was it enough?” Clearly, there were people who had plenty more hours than I had dedicated to it. But again, my goal was just to have something positive to focus on, a stress relief, and a creative outlet. It helped me be a better mom. It helped me be a better business owner. That’s why I did it.
I wasn’t worried about where I was going to get in this sport. “Would I win a championship?” It was doing it for me. And each day, I could say, “I did well because I was exhausted.” And I could have said, “I’m not going to the gym,” or “I could have eaten horribly bad all day long.” I knew when I could control certain elements of my life, I could go to sleep at night and feel okay because I can’t control 80% of what is around me. Naturally, as humans, we need control. We want control. When you don’t have control over certain things, find stuff you can control positively in your life. That allowed me to say I had several wins today despite whatever craziness happened.
It was always a balancing act. And again, being a single mom and a business owner, I had a plan every day. It never ever goes the way it’s supposed to. But that’s okay. I may have had a day where it’s like, “Okay, I have 2 hours dedicated to doing some routine practice, getting in a workout. Well, guess what? My son forgot his lunch. Then something happened at work, and now I have 20 minutes.”
I need to figure out what to prioritize in that 20 minutes. And you can’t dwell on it. You just give it your best. Tomorrow’s a new day. And again, the amount of time I dedicated compared to others probably doesn’t even compare. But at the end of the day, I am way more efficient on a schedule. There have been days where I’m like, “I have more of a relaxed day, and I have more time to myself. I always find I am way less efficient.” I just kind of lollygag, and I waste time.
Sometimes the pain can feel overwhelming, but taking baby steps—like yoga or even a short walk—can make a huge difference. Keeping moving is key.
Sounds like somebody I know personally.
It happens.
So you’re more efficient when you have more on your to-do list and living your life. You probably had to go through so much sacrifice to get to your goals. What were some of the things you had to sacrifice or overcome?
It’s funny because there are always sacrifices, but there are some non-negotiables. I could never sacrifice time with my boys or any of their needs. I couldn’t sacrifice my work life because I needed that to pay my bills. Some of the things that I sacrificed are my quiet time or my downtime because I filled it with trying to prepare for competitions. I sacrificed some of the social aspects of my life and some friendships because some people just didn’t understand what I did or why I didn’t want to go to the bars with them every weekend. There were some sacrifices, but at the end of the day, you weigh it out and go, “Okay, gosh.” At that time in my life, my best friends were all busy, so we all had to say, “Okay, we can get together once a month. Let’s do a girl’s day.”
We would put it on the calendar. We would make sure the kids are taken care of, and we get together and just laugh and relax or do a spa day. But your true core friends get it. They knew running a business and having kids alone is to monopolize your time, and then they understood why I wanted to do this sport and why I had this goal. My core network supported me, and they loved me for it. The people who didn’t or tried to be that negative voice, I separated myself from them.
Having kids is a sacrifice. You sacrifice parts of your life that will forever be changed.
At the end of the day, it always ends up that people show their true colors, and if they’re in your life, they should be there for the right reasons and support you. Now, if I was doing something bad, if I was like, “Hey, guys, I’m going to be a heroin addict. Who wants to support me in that?” Clearly, I don’t expect you to disappoint me, but I wasn’t doing anything bad or wrong, so it was just sacrificing more than anything—days off. I now live my life that, like I said, I dislike downtime too much. I feel like I get lazy.
I like having stuff to do. It’s kind of just the way I make it. There are sacrifices. Plenty of times, I just couldn’t eat whatever I wanted. Plenty of times, I had to get up early in the morning, sometimes at 3 in the morning, to get cardio in and get some work done before I had to get the boys up and get them to school. And so there’s a lot of sacrifices, but at the end of the day, they were good.
It’s like people say when you’re in that stage, “Are you going to have kids?” Having kids is a sacrifice. You sacrifice parts of your life that are always and forever going to be changed. But it’s the best sacrifice. That’s being a mom. For me, it’s been the most amazing job, the biggest honor and the greatest accomplishment. Some people say the sacrifice of being a mom is like, “Gosh, man, I wouldn’t change it for the world. I would give up more sacrifice. I would sacrifice more, honestly, because I love being a mom.”
Me too. Especially because I had fertility struggles that I had to go through, and doctors gave me a 5% chance to conceive. He was a total miracle and still is. I totally get it. And I love that you’re such a dedicated mom and so creative. You did all those beautiful games and stuff for your sons while competing, trying to keep your head above water, paying the bills, and doing everything else. That’s incredible.
Women, we can do anything. I honestly, truly believe that. I think that’s why God made us the gender that can have kids. We can do anything. I work with many clients, primarily women, and you could have one client who doesn’t have a job and a husband who pays for everything. They have no kids. Their daily life is pretty open. And then, I have another client who works two jobs, is a single mom with four kids, is training for a marathon, and has all these responsibilities.
Women can do anything.
They both think their life is so overwhelming. So I’ve always experienced this, and I experienced it just throughout my life, too. We always find a way to manage what’s on our plate, and we usually feel maxed out or like we’re doing a lot. It doesn’t matter if you have one thing on your plate or if you have ten. We always find a way to make it work. That’s why I think women are so amazing, badass, and strong: we always find a way.
But there is a shift in mindset between the woman who doesn’t have much going on in her life and feels overwhelmed to the person who has so much going on, and they still find the time. What was that shift in mindset, or what changes in people made them so committed to fitness and this type of lifestyle? It’s not easy.
It’s definitely not easy. When I’m working with clients who are struggling in their lives in general, it’s taking an audit of everything they have going on in their lives. Typically, when people are in this rut or having a hard time, there are many negative things or things they don’t want to do or responsibilities they don’t love. So, the way you can shift is to even it out.
Now, again, who loves paying bills? I don’t know anyone. That’s one thing that will always be a negative, right? We can’t ever get rid of that. But you need to have enough things that get you excited, that make you smile, that you’re passionate about or that you love. When you can bring it here, and you at least are like, “Okay, these things suck, but these things are amazing.”
It makes your mindset more apt to handle the day and have a better perspective. So a lot of times, too, that’s where it’s like, “Okay, let’s make some.” Even if it’s simple things, take five minutes, for example. I work with a lot of women who have just recently had babies post-pregnancy. And as you know, it’s like we go through major changes, and life is crazy, and you’re not sleeping.
When you shift your mindset from 'have to' to 'get to,' everything changes. Gratitude turns daunting tasks into opportunities and blessings. Share on XSo, tell a new mom, “Give yourself five minutes to go and sit in a room and just close your eyes,” even if that is during the baby’s nap time or you have a neighbor or a family member or a friend who comes and do it does that to help you out. Five minutes can actually change your entire outlook and your entire perspective. To just sit and do nothing, shut your eyes in a dark room, go for a walk, or even sit on your phone and look at memes and make yourself laugh.
Five minutes can be a huge thing. It’s a matter of allowing you to have some of this joy to offset the craziness, the chaos, the frustration of life. I live by this motto. You’ve probably heard me talk about it. I have h2g2 all over my house. I have it on every mirror. I have it in my boy’s rooms. I am constantly talking to people about this because it is an instant way to take that negative voice out of your own head. So whatever it is going on in your life, if you replace that have to with get to, it totally changes everything into a positive presentation and perspective.
I still practice it daily. I say “I have to” a lot, and it’s like, “No, I don’t have to.” For example, “Oh, I have to go do this podcast. No, I don’t. I get to. I’m lucky enough to be a guest.” “I don’t have to take my boys to school. I get to. I am so lucky that I actually have children when several people can’t have. I am so lucky I have a vehicle to get them to school.” If you can even flip your mindset on a bad day and go back, “Look at all the things I said I have to do today.” It shows a gratitude. It shows appreciation and makes you realize there are people who would love to have this.
When people are having a hard time, it means there are many negative things they don’t want to do or responsibilities they don’t love.
I need to be grateful for where I am. It helps you just kind of change. It’s a lot of times, an instant way to go. Shift your perspective. Take a deep breath. No one’s forcing you to do this. So that’s one quick, easy thing when people are in that bad state. Like I said, my days are not perfect. They never have been. They are far from perfect. But I do this exercise myself all the time.
If I’m just like, “Gosh, this day, it’s just dragging or chaos. Can it get any worse?” I have to do a quick audit of myself and ask, “Is it that bad? What are you frustrated about? Take a deep breath, step back, and then jump back into life and realize you are very lucky.” It doesn’t matter your circumstances. I guarantee there is always someone who has it harder than you and is in a way worse situation than you. So, would you rather trade places? No. So, even though it may look hard right now, if you can flip your mindset, that will be a stepping stone to get you out of the hole you’re currently in.
That’s beautiful. I need to tape you and listen every night before I go to bed.
If that’s the case, I will tell you some jokes and funny memes because I’m all about laughter.
I had a c-section, and since my c-section, I developed this painful sciatica. You probably heard of Steve Ozanich. He was a genius, too. And he talks about how all spine injuries are basically a mindset and a trauma. Talking to people helps them get rid of their chronic back pain, even if, on the x-ray, you can see discs that are compressed or even completely broken. He helps people get over that pain. But for me, I suffered from sciatica so badly that I stopped going to the gym and neglected my body. Then I went back, and I used to take a little bit of pole dancing classes in the past, and I got back into it a little bit, but not a lot.
I also did a DEXA Scan, which said I need to get to the gym, increase my bone density, and do everything. I find it quite hard to get started just to get over those first two to three weeks because I’m good after two to three weeks. But dragging yourself to the gym for two or three weeks is my hardest. So, two questions: how do you get over pain and injuries? Because I know you suffered a lot of pain, and you competed with a broken limb or something crazy. I heard that story. I was like, “She’s amazing. She’s the real Wonder Woman. She’s like Nadia Comăneci.” So tell me about that. Tell me how to get over pain and injury and how to get into the mindset of getting over that. Go to the gym obstacle.
Injuries and surgeries are just temporary setbacks.
I’ve broken almost every bone in my body. I’ve had 18 surgeries competing at Olympia. Olympia is like the Super Bowl for our sport. It’s what Arnold Schwarzenegger has won. That’s where he won it in bodybuilding. I’ve been fortunate to win it in my division three times.
By the way, your division is so much more difficult and badass than just like those guys. I respect them. Bodybuilders were good in terms of diet and discipline. They stand on stage, and they look good. But you don’t only look good. You are performing, you’re flexible, and you’re doing things.
I do know Arnold. I’ve been around him for years, traveled to many events, and done his shows all over the world.
I met him at Gold’s Gym in Venice. I have a selfie with him. He’s a cool guy.
It’s crazy when he’s there, too, because that’s the Mecca. That’s his home. But he is so cool, so down to earth.
He was very kind to me. He had this very masculine presence. I remember it was when I was working out hard and was really fit. I remember I took a pre-workout, which I won’t do today because I know what’s in them. I was half high on the pre-workout, smiling like, “Hi, can I have a selfie with you?” He took the selfie with me, so it looked like we were buddies—pretty cool guy.
Women are incredibly resilient. No matter how full our plates are, we find ways to manage our responsibilities and keep moving forward. Share on XSuper nice. He actually said he goes to our division. He’s like, “You guys are the real athlete.” Coming from him, it’s like, “Thanks.”
They just stand there and look good. You look amazing, and you’re flying in the air doing all those crazy things you need to be.
Our division is absolutely an extreme sport. You’re doing crazy flips. You’re on hard floors. We don’t have the gymnastic spring floors. We are depleted. We’re lean in prep. They judge your physique. But primarily, our scores are based on our routine and the work it takes to prepare for these big worldwide competitions. You’re going uninjured. I’ve done ten Olympias. I have only competed at one Olympiad when I wasn’t injured, and I’ve always had something. I competed for one year. The year you’re talking about, I broke my leg three days before, which is crazy, but I ended up winning. That was my third win.
How do you do that?
I had one good leg; one was broken. So you’ve worked so hard. It’s like, I’m not tapping out. So I have to just go in and give it my all. It’s two minutes. The pain obviously was bad, and towards the end, I couldn’t hardly do any of the moves I took out. Now, granted, it was three days before the competition, so I never got to practice anything.
With injuries, the hardest thing is obviously going through 18 surgeries. But the one good thing about stuff like that is it’s temporary.
I just had to change my routine visually, modify it, take out the stuff I couldn’t do with two legs, and hide that it was broken. It was a crazy ordeal. It’s two minutes. It’s already broken. It can’t get broken. I mean, I guess it technically could, but I was going in for my third world championship title, and I thought it’s not the first time I’ve been injured. I’m just going to give it my all, and what happens, happens.
I know I’ve got a broken leg, so I’m just going to try my best. So I was doing my last practice. I was already in Florida. I had a room that I could practice in. It was just a hotel conference room, so no padding, nothing. And it was a very small area. I went to do this crazy backflip, this one-legged diagonal backflip. I saw the wall in my peripheral, and I thought I would hit it because I wasn’t used to practicing in such a small, confined space.
So when I went upside down and kicked, I thought, “Oh, no, I’m going to kick the wall.” So I pulled out of my backflip midair and came straight down and landed. I thought I tore my knee because I’ve torn my ACL before. So I thought I tore my knee again because it blew up huge black and blue. I pulled out, and then I thought, “Oh, man, this is a broken leg,” or I actually wouldn’t go to the doctor. So, I didn’t officially know it was broken until after the competition. I know it’s not going just to heal, and I know there’s something wrong, but it’s not changed before the competition, so we’re not worried about it. We’re going to act like it’s not here.
Did you tell anyone?
Yeah. You travel with your team and core people and have your trainer. I had one of my assistants, my best friend, there, so they knew. But I said, “Do not tell anybody this.” I had to obviously do all the press interviews and the meet and greet, so I was just walking with massive, and I’m kind of goofy, so it didn’t look that weird. People were just like, “She is being crazy. Look at her walking.” Because I just tried to play it off and be goofy.
I told my team, “No one looks at my leg. No one asks about my leg. It’s not going to change it. So we’re not going to give it any energy.” And to answer your question, with injuries, the hardest thing is obviously going through 18 surgeries. I feel like I’ve kind of become a pro. The one good thing about stuff like that is it’s temporary. I have the gratitude that this is temporary.
Focus on what you can do, which is the way that you can come out of any injury-type situation with a much better mindset.
So, for example, when I tore my ACL, there wasn’t much you could do when you’re in this huge knee brace and you’re on crutches for weeks. But I could do upper body stuff or figure out ideas for my next routine. When you’re dealing with an injury, you have to literally reprogram your brain to stop focusing on all the things you can’t do because there’s going to be a long list. But what can you do for me, too?
This is a time that I now get to focus on this new business venture or this new project. Since I can’t be the normal athlete I want to be, I need to rehab. I’m going to focus on my personal life and stuff I wanted to do, maybe a project that I had been, didn’t have time to do for my kids or, again, focus on an improvement I wanted to make within my work. Focus on what you can do, not what you can’t do.
That gets people in this state: “Oh, my gosh, this injury is tough.” It makes the pain worse. Your mental game is completely off. You get depressed. So you have to focus on, “This is temporary. I will heal. But in the time period that I need to rehab, what can I accomplish and create that as a new challenge? What do I want to do?” Maybe it’s something like, “Oh, I want to learn to be a master at wordle or crossword puzzles.” Maybe you want to learn cooking. Maybe it’s a new hobby. But focus on something so that you have a goal to distract your brain from the sadness and defeat of an injury. I know I’m going a roundabout way to answer these questions.
It’s amazing. It’s very inspiring.
Again, it goes back to the h2g2. Some people are permanent, like, I looked at all my injuries, and I thought, “Maybe I’m going to be in crutches for a while, but guess what? I get to walk. There are plenty of people who are going to be in a wheelchair for the rest of their lives.” I also broke my neck six years ago, and I didn’t know if I was going to be paralyzed.
So it gave me another big wave of motivation and appreciation to say, “You know what? I could have been paralyzed. I could have been paralyzed from the neck down. I was lucky enough to recover.” I have a twelve-piece metal cage they put back together in my neck. So again, that was still temporary.
You’re bionic.
I do have a lot of metal in my back. That is true, yes.
Wow.
But, you know, it goes back to some people who don’t have the ability to recover, don’t have the ability to rehab, or they’ve been given a life-threatening diagnosis. Maybe they have cancer. That is their life. So when you’re sitting and having a pity party because of an injury, that’s just a waste of time and energy because you could be in their shoes. They would love to be in your shoes, where you are going to be healed and able to do something in a month or six months. So, knowing it’s temporary and not allowing yourself to focus on what you can’t do but on what you can do is how you can come out of any injury-type situation with a much better mindset.
I had a sciatica, and I was crying about it. Every time I worked out, I would come back home with excruciating pain. After that, I don’t want to work out. It’s hurts too much. So, how do you get over the pain? How do you overcome it? You just talk to yourself. What do you do? And actually, I think now I know that the best thing for my body was to move regardless. Even though my physical therapist said, “Don’t do lateral movement, don’t do forward movements, don’t bend over, don’t backward.” I was like, “So what can I do?” “Nothing. Just do nothing.” And doing nothing is not helpful.
As hard as it is, sometimes the lack of activity and the lack of any movement is going to make your pain way worse.
No. That’s truly one thing that I’ve learned from all this. As hard as it is, sometimes the lack of activity and the lack of any movement is going to make your pain way worse. So, it depends on injuries. You do have to be safe. There are massive injuries. So, like, what you’re saying, back pain is awful.
There is no doubt that you have been in incredible pain. For someone who’s listening, if you’re currently dealing with back pain, you have to take baby steps. Don’t say, “Oh, I’m going to try running for the first time, or I’m going to try something crazy.” You need to take some baby steps, but it could be something like yoga. Yoga is good for stretching and mobility. That’s not very intense. Maybe I’ll jump in the gym and try to do deadlifts or squats. Massive weight is not going to help your back, but maybe walking, going to yoga classes, and seeing PT who can help build up the muscles surrounding that injured area to stabilize and build that core strength.
There are a lot of things that can be done. The thing is, don’t give up and allow your body to move. It is very frustrating because there is real pain. I know Joe Polish. She talks about him a ton. I do believe there’s a massive amount of psychology that goes to your brain telling your pain, “But it’s stress, and it’s anxiety that creates pain.” On the flip side, actual acute injuries need to be addressed. So you never want to discount somebody, but it’s working through it.
What’s the alternative? Doing nothing and this being your life? That sounds horrible, right? That’s where people go, “No, I have to do something about it.” Good. You sure do. Do something about it. Do not give up. Keep searching for solutions. Talk to doctors. Maybe it’s certain medications that can help kind of alleviate the inflammation or peptides or dietary changes that you can make. There are always options. Don’t give up on trying to find solutions.
You’re amazing and very inspiring. I pretty much covered about 20% of the questions I wanted to ask you. I want to know much more about your daily routine, diet, and general fitness, but hopefully, another time when you have time. Please share a bit about your nearest and dearest projects and how you help people.
Laugh often, reevaluate your priorities, and take care of yourself so you can be better for others. Share on XI now own six businesses, which is kind of crazy even to verbalize. But again, when I’m passionate about something and opportunities come, I just jump on it. So, I love helping women. All ages, all athletic abilities, mindset, professional development, personal development, fitness, nutrition, you name it. I had an opportunity to come together with this group. It’s called Unstoppable 365, and I lead the women’s division, bringing all women together. We focus obviously on fitness and nutrition, but more importantly, truly leveling up, working on your mindset, developing that championship mindset that allows you to think big, setting crazy goals, and having a blueprint and a strategy to accomplish those goals.
I’m leading this group of women, and we meet once a week. We do a Zoom call. It’s a different topic each time, helping us dive in. People share, and we learn from one another. It’s been so fun to watch these women who, in even a very short period of time, can literally change their lives drastically. It’s just knowing you have that support. In this day and age, there’s just not a lot. There are plenty of people who want to tear you down.
So many want to tell you you can’t do it. Where are the women to say, “Oh, hell yeah, you can. You can do it. We’re here to support you. We’re going to be your biggest cheerleaders. What can we do to help?” So I am loving this group, this Unstoppable 365 women’s group. Watching these people completely transform in all aspects of their lives is nothing more rewarding than knowing I can make a positive difference in someone’s life. They’re leading better examples for their children.
I love having the opportunity to share my own personal experience and what I’ve learned.
They have happier marriages. They’re achieving things professionally that they never thought of because they lived in fear or had doubt and didn’t have that constant motivation and that push to reach higher shoot for bigger goals. Once you conquer that, what’s next? That’s where we get our true, genuine happiness. That’s where I feel that I’ve had to figure out my own way just through my life, my life’s journey, and my life’s obstacles. And now, I love having the opportunity to share what I’ve learned from my own experience.
I’m constantly learning, too. So it’s been an amazing thing. Anyone who just feels like they’re made for more if you feel like you’re in a rut and have that desire to level up and need that support and accountability, I’m your girl. Our group is incredible at motivating and inspiring each other, too. That’s what I love. There needs to be more of it in the world.
Thank you for being so kind and so hard-driven. You’re the real deal, for sure. What are your three top tips for living a stellar life?
Find joy and happiness every day, whatever that looks like to you. That easily, for me personally, means even taking a step back. For me, laughter. Laughter is my golden sun. Every day I have to laugh multiple times a day. So just make sure you’re driven by happiness and passion, and reevaluate your priorities. You have to do that regularly because when we get off the path, our priorities are out of whack. What is most important? What makes you feel good internally? What do you love doing? Is it giving back? Is it being a good mom? Is it being a good spouse? Is it giving to others? Whatever it is, make sure your priorities are in line and constantly refocus that.
And then you’ve got to focus on you. You’ll never be good for anyone else if you’re not good with yourself first. I know that’s so cliche, but we, as women, are so good at helping and doing for others. We always just put ourselves last. I did that for years, too. Once you put yourself as a priority, you can’t make it all day, that’d be great. But let’s be real, that’s pretty selfish. When you align yourself, take care of yourself.
Me every day, all day, everyone’s funny.
But when you are taking care of yourself, that levels you up to be so much better for everyone else, and you’re happier internally. Those are the three things that I would say. That’s my recommendation. Those are things that I do personally, and I encourage everyone else to do them as well.
Thank you so much, Whitney. You’re amazing. I’m so happy we finally got to have you on the show. I’m sure everybody got so inspired. Thank you so much for being here. Thank you for your time. Thank you for being a light in the world.
Well, thank you for having me. I’m happy to come back anytime.
Please do. And thank you, listeners. Remember to be driven by happiness and passion. Refocus your priorities, focus on yourself, be the best you can be, and have a stellar life. This is Orion till next time.
Your Checklist of Actions to Take
{✓}Focus on what you can do, not what you can’t. Use injury recovery time to pursue new goals and hobbies.
{✓}Turn “have to” tasks into “get to” tasks. This mindset change can elevate your daily experience and foster gratitude.
{✓}Seek happiness in small moments and laughter. Regularly identifying these moments can boost your overall well-being.
{✓}Be engaged in activities, especially with loved ones. Presence can transform simple moments into meaningful memories.
{✓}Prioritize efficiency with limited time. Achieving daily wins keeps you motivated and on track.
{✓}Surround yourself with positive influences. Distance yourself from negativity to maintain a healthier mindset.
{✓}Counterbalance stressful tasks with joyful activities. Short breaks, even five minutes of quiet, can reset your outlook.
{✓}Focus on building core stability around injuries. Strong core muscles can alleviate pain and enhance recovery.
{✓}Adopt a mindset of resilience and perseverance. Embracing challenges fosters growth and ultimate success.
{✓}Take care of yourself to be better for others. Prioritize personal well-being and happiness for balanced responsibilities.
{✓}Connect with Whitney Jones through her website, fitwhitjones.com and consider joining her Unstoppable 365 group.
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About Whitney Jones
Whitney Jones is a 3x Ms. Fitness Olympia, single mom of two teenage boys, and owner of six fitness-related businesses.
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