Misty Copeland

And my doctors, you know, they were just like, I don't think this is a good idea for you to push for this performance.

And I said, well, I've already agreed to it, and I'm definitely not going to wait any longer to get back on that stage.

So what can we do to make it happen without, you know, further injuring you?

My hip.

So it's been a journey and I've been really good about pacing myself and in good health.

And then, you know, about a month before, a couple of weeks out, I think my hip was just like I can't tolerate anymore.

And it just got worse the closer I got to the performance.

And I actually was canceling rehearsals and pulling back on training up until the show because I was just, you know, trying to reserve my hip for performance.

Hmm.

I think that's something I learned as a child.

So many things in my childhood I feel like really, whether they're good or bad, they prepared me to be in this position.

I think about just always feeling uncomfortable.

whether it was in the living circumstances that we were in, in my own skin, feeling so much shame around not often having a home or food on the table, and so I didn't keep friends close.

I just felt like I was never comfortable and was always kind of dealing with that, navigating, but keeping a happy face on the outside.

I think anyone who knew me would say she was very quiet, but she was always very happy outside.

And, you know, I had severe migraines growing up.

And I remember I would have to leave school early sometimes, like to the point of vomiting.

And it was just like all this stress that I held inside, but somehow was able to still remain like very pleasant on the outside.

I think also just watching my mom navigate.

life and raising six children on her own and dealing with you know a lot and so I feel like my relationship with pain yeah it started very early like I can remember like seven years old probably and so coming into the dance world I