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7| How To Live Alone In Italy At 14yrs old & Now The USA At Florida State University with Milica Kubura (Part 1)

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How To Live Alone In Italy At 14yrs old & Now The USA At Florida State University with Milica Kubura (PART 1)

How many 14 years old leave their country to study abroad? Well Milica KUBURA is one of them…

She contact me through my sports agency Elite Volley Agency & non-profit Elite Sport Students project.

She asked for help getting to a US college. I told her she shouldn’t have to pay an agent OR ANYONE for doing any of this because her education is MOST important. We put together a CV with her transcripts & all other documents. I sent it off to my network in the USA of over 1400 coaches and she received in the next weeks a TON of interest. JACKPOT!

Well what made her decide to go to the US? Why did she live alone in Italy as a Serbian girl at the age of 14? Find out in this episode.

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Ep7 LISTEN BELOW NOW :) (31m:28s)

PART 2 HERE: 11 | Don't Be Afraid To Change Your Life Before Going Pro with Milica KUBURA (Part 2)

About Milica KUBURA

19 years old & a freshman @Florida State University playing both sand & indoor volleyball.

Born in Belgrade, she wanted to be actress.

Attended drama school. Physically she was destined for sports. One sibling, her sister, who was the inspiration for her to start play volleyball.

Also she had amazing support from both of her parents.

Lived ALONE in Italy, on her own will and decision, to learn Italian and study at the AGE OF 14!

She decided to continue her education in USA… Find out how she got there by listening!

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Ep7 LISTEN BELOW NOW :) (31m:28s)

Key Discussion Points:

  • What’s her story and how she got into sports?
  • What else she’s interested in?
  • What did she struggle with in sports?
  • Why was it important that she go to a great school while playing volleyball?
  • What is her advice for international students that want to go to school in America?
  • What are her goals?

Key Lessons:

  • How she made her own decision to play volleyball in the future….

  • That she will struggle but must push harder….

“In sports there are always obstacles and we always have these moments when we think, ‘What is the purpose of this?’ Because in sports you have first to work hard & after that it’s all worth it.So we have to be patient all the time.”

  • She learnt to do everything in her life by herself at 14yrs old…

  • Why she had to learn Italian in first 3 months …

  • She couldn’t imagine her life without school and her sport...

“In my family a college degree is REALLY IMPORTANT… both parents have it.. my sister has it…”

  • Why SHOWING your team your ambition for a better education necessary…

"You just need to show what is your plan for future and to be persistent"

  • She defines what success means to her…

“Find what you love and let it kill you.” ― Charles Bukowski

  • How not being a starting player for her team was a HUGE challenge…

  • That you shouldn’t be afraid of chasing your dream…

"Don't be afraid to make changes in your life... listen to your heart, don’t overthink everything... chase your dream & everything would be ok."

  • How goals play an important part in her success...

“Now is the right time” - Lotus Sutra

 

INFO

Charity/Organizations They Add Value to:
 

Business/Work:
 

Past Teams: Red Star (Crvena Zvezda, Belgrade, Serbia)
 

Past Schools:
 

Recommended Guest:

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10| How to Run For Charity From NYC to San Francisco... Alone! with Christina LEE

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How to Run For Charity From NYC to San Francisco... Alone! with Christina LEE

Who runs across America?

Christina LEE does and she does so at a pace of about 30 miles or so per day!

I first heard about Christina LEE from a dear friend and the one and only contributor (at the point of typing this November 22nd, 2014) to my fundraiser so far on Indiegogo to raise funds for this podcast. DONATE HERE :) THANKS!

I asked if he knew anyone that was a former or current athlete doing great things. First thing he said was go type Running America into the search bar of Facebook.

I thought, hmm, ok strange. I did. As I landed on the page he starts to say how he met this incredible girl running across America recently and she is awesome.

Took me 5’ of digging on her page and researching to see I HAD TO HAVE HER ON THE SHOW! I knew no one does that without having a great heart, spirit and mind! Well my buddy, Ryan Dewitt, had great judgement.

Christina LEE defines #BeyondAthletic!

Leave a Review & Subscribe to #BeyondAthletic in iTunes so other can find us too! Share this with one person you think could benefit the most...

Listen To The Episode Below (58:03)

About Christina LEE

23 yr old raised in California & self-proclaimed nerd. :)

Former high school cross country runner & standout in soccer (Forced to stop so listen to find out why..) had soccer scholarships across the country.. Top choice was Georgetown.

Graduate of two universities simultaneously

  1. New York University (NYU) with majors in Computer Science & Math

  1. Stevens Institute of Technology with major in Engineering with focus on Robotics and Automation.

Worked for Google. Currently not employed but seeking employment. ;)

Decided to knock a goal off her bucket list by RUNNING ACROSS AMERICA ALONE & raise $100,000 USD by doing so for the Navy SEALs Foundation benefiting SEALs and their families.

She’s raised over $30,000 so far… DONATE HERE AND/OR SHARE WITH A FRIEND

She’s a cover model, one of my personal role models and will be running the football out for Jerry Rice and the San Francisco 49’s on game day of week 12 in December!

Key Discussion Points:

  • What’s her background & story until HS?
  • What was her biggest obstacle in life?
  • Who inspires her?
  • Why she helps others?
  • What has running across america taught her so far?
  • What are her morning rituals before runs?
  • What a personal habit that contributes to her success?
  • How does she add value to others?
  • What are her future plans?

Key Lessons:

  • She knows now the life she wants...
  • When a door closes others open when you look closely…

“I need to make the best of what I have… I had to look away and never look back”

  • How she believes she can create awareness as a symbol for others…

“...I’m not the one doing great things... I’m just out there as a symbol trying to raise money for the people that are doing really awesome stuff!”

  • Why the person she is most inspired by... is a life coach…

  • How mentoring and helping others is rewarding…
  • How running is the vehicle for the biggest changes in her life…
  • Why morning rituals are so important…
  • What her secret sauce is to her success…

“If you don’t want to make your life harder.. (LISTEN TO FIND OUT) is the easiest thing you can do. It’s free that’s the best part!”

  • Why she plans to work on Green Energy Initiatives & in the Tech industry

Follow Christina on FACEBOOK 

INFO

Charity/Organizations They Add Value to:

DONATE HERE: Navy SEALs Foundation / Running America

Business/Work: Seeking employment with/ Comp Science + Math + Engineering + Robotics Degrees

Past Teams:

Past Schools:
NYU
Stevens Institute of Technology

Recommended Guest:

Links 

State of Mind: The Psychology of Control (2013)

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2| The People Saying America Wasn't A Strong Option were 100% Wrong! with Sanja Tomasević

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The People Saying America Wasn't A Strong Option were 100% Wrong! with Sanja Tomasević

Imagine.

In 2007 or maybe it was 2008... I was scouring Facebook...

I was looking for young athletes that were business minded.I contacted several people online that I had spoken to through my agency, Elite Volley Agency, and found it hard to find many at all.

One of the few that responded IMMEDIATELY was Sanja Tomasevic. She responded in short with…

"Oh, heck yeah, I’m in! Let’s talk! (Or something similar.. ;)"

Funny how ambitious people show themselves quickly and take action fast!

Fast forward 6 years Sanja’s entrepreneurial inclinations have her working on a super project and on her 2nd post as an assistant coach at the D1 level for UTSU in Texas and now University of Miami Canes. There’s much to come from her in the future because she has big goals and has accomplished many of them already.

Find out in this episode what she has done as an athlete and student along with her story coming from Serbia to America to play and study!

Leave a Review & Subscribe to #BeyondAthletic in iTunes so other can find us too! Share this with one person you think could benefit the most...

ABOUT| Sanja TOMASEVIĆ

Sanja grew up in Serbia and played volleyball for Jedinstvo Užiće.

Went to college a U of Washington earning a National Champion title and was a 2x All American.

She played for top pro teams in Italy, South Korea, Puerto Rico, Greece, Azerbaijan & Switzerland.

Helped the Serbian National team qualify for the 2008 Beijing Olympics (Didn’t go because she moved to USA because of green card offer and chance to go to a NCAA school!)

Currently coaching for a top Division 1 NCAA team, University of Miami and previously for UT San Antonio.

Key Discussion Points:

  • What’s her story?
  • How she got into sports and volleyball?
  • Why she became a coach?
  • What made you consider to go to USA school and how that happened?
  • What benefit did you see from going to school in America?
  • What was your biggest failure?
  • If there was any a-ha moment in volleyball, what it was?
  • As a player have you had any rituals that can be helpful
  • What qualities she looks for in players for her school as an assistant coach?
  • Greatest challenge in coaching?
  • What are your major plans?
  • Who she would interview and why?

Key Lessons:

  • The opportunity to study in the USA was better than being an Olympian…

  • She had to consider the advice of others...

  • Getting injured in her country didn’t stop USA schools from recruiting her…

“What makes me mad about Serbian perception about American volleyball… They all think...people & coaches (whom) are mentors to these young kids tell them that ‘volleyball is bad (in America)’... USA is the top 2 powerhouses in the world. Who do you think plays for the American national team? Serbians?! I just wish people would give more credit, where credit is due!”

  • Going to a USA opened doors that never would’ve been open like.. (Listen Now :)

  • How NOT training in the off-season & during breaks almost COST HER EVERYTHING…

  • Why failing made her stronger and helped her become a leader…

  • What she can learn from losing…

“SOMETIMES WHEN I CONSIDER WHAT TREMENDOUS CONSEQUENCES COME FROM LITTLE THINGS, I AM TEMPTED TO THINK THERE ARE NO LITTLE THINGS.” - BRUCE BARTON

  • Why having rituals was important as an athlete…

  • How she must be if she wants to be a great coach...i don’t have control

“...I don’t have (total) control.”

  • It’s rewarding to keep her sport in her life while coaching…

INFO

Charity/Organizations They Add Value to:

Business/Work: Entrepreneurial Project In-Progress & Assistant Coach @ U. of Miami Canes Women's Volleyball

Past Teams:

Past Schools:

Recommended Guest:

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1| A 7x Champion Says Your Education Should Come First with Anja Spasojevic-Pesic

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1| Anja SPASOJEVIĆ-PEŠIĆ

A 7x Champion Says Your Education Should Come First

Imagine.

It’s 2008/2009… In Northern Italy and I am living in Vicenza, Italy trying to recoup some money from a team for a former player of my agency, Elite Volley Agency, when I first met Anja.

The first thing I noticed about Anja after her presence (She’s very tall, beautiful and strong) was her warmth with a glowing smile and all the care in the world for how I was even though we didn’t know each other yet.

Anja was in Italy handling business and took a couple days to show me her region of Italy where she’d played and her friends hosted me. I remember a long night of chatting and wine and can remember waking up in the middle of the night on an air mattress that didn’t want to keep it’s air inside… ;)

Fast forward to 2014 when I asked if Anja would like to be one of the key mentors for a global project I'm building, called Elite Sport Students. She, being an incredibly selfless person, answered all too eagerly with a....

“Whatever I can do, yes!” 

So here we are starting off one of the elements of the project with this Beyond Athletic Podcast to bring mentorship, knowledge and so much more to athletes worldwide in on-demand format. 

She had to be the first interviewee in my eyes. Her husband joined us in the woods of Lake Ada just outside Belgrade, Serbia for this chat.

Leave a Review & Subscribe to #BeyondAthletic in iTunes       

This way others can find us & Share this with one person you think could benefit the most…

Listen to the Episode Below (01:05:32)

About Anja Spasojevic-Pesic

Anja started volleyball at 12.

Played for Red Star in Belgrade, Serbia for 6 years and afterwards in 5 countries as a pro for ten years earning 7 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS. 

As a standout player on the Serbian National Volleyball Team 2000-2008 she earned bronze and silver medals in major international competition. This was until unfortunately internal team issues kept her from continuing with Team Serbia. 

She is now married to Milos Pesic (Former Handballer), retired,  planning a family & entering a family business.

Key Discussion Points:

  • What’s Anja’s life story & how she got into sports?
  • What role does sport play in her life?
  • Why does an education matter for her?
  • Who/What is she inspired by?
  • Why she feels mentors are so important? 
  • What’s her advice to play at a high level?
  • How should athletes think about mistakes & failures?
 
 

Key Lessons:

  • How finding a team that will give you a great training environment and exposure to more great teams is vital.

"You get prepared physically and mentally to go and to get your carrier on another level." @5min

  • How her parents support and never pushing her allowed her to fall in love with her sport...

  • Why a private life outside of sport is so important…

"Volleyball was not everything to me, but I can't imagine my life without it."@14:30min

  • How sports can help shape you as a person but not define you…

  • Why educating yourself at a high level is more important than focusing on just being a great athlete…

  • How to be inspired by others but allow your emotions to flow freely while playing...

  • Why mentors are key to your success in LIFE and SPORT…

"I always had great support from my parents at everything, but I would have benefited for sure. Mentoring like (Elite Sport Students), showing other options, how you can get your degree and improve skills it is beneficial for younger players."