It takes copious hours of unseen hard work to even figure out if you have what it takes to reasonably dream about competing on the biggest stage in the sport, and that’s when the real work truly begins. Aches, pains, regional fights for no money; limited sleep, even less of a social life, and still, it’s all just a dream, a hope, an “if the stars align” possibility.
But what happens in the days, weeks, and months after that pipe dream becomes a reality? How do things change when you reach that goal that so many people told you was unrealistic, and even those who believed in you fully were anxious you wouldn’t be able to achieve it because so few actually do?