Being injured is an inevitable part of an athlete’s life. A serious physical injury that limits your mobility and threatens your ability to play again is a nightmare that most athletes never want to wake up from. But not this phenomenal athlete. She did not let an injury stop her from playing and winning! 
Welcome to The Gold Standard Podcast. Today’s guest is Crystl Bustos, nicknamed The Big Bruiser. She is a two-time Olympic Gold medalist who holds the world record for home runs during an Olympic series. Crystl is a member of the 2008 US Olympic Softball Team, which won the Silver medal after losing to Japan in the Gold-medal game, the first loss for the US women in 23 straight Olympic games. But that didn’t make the team lose heart. On the contrary, they were determined to bounce back. Among Cryst;’s achievements is the Most Valuable Player in the WPSL for the Orlando Wahoos in 1998.
Join us as we talk about bouncing back from failure, giving your best in whatever role you are in, and living life according to The GOLD Standard.
“You play wherever the Coach puts you. You give your team whatever you can do.”
- Crystl Bustos
In This Episode:
- Meet Crystl Bustos, also known as The Big Bruiser
- Crystl shares how she started playing sports as a child until someone asked if she could play softball
- Did playing baseball first help Crystl excel as a softball player?
- What's the difference between boys and girls who play softball?
- How did Crystl become a powerhouse hitter?
- The school was a struggle for Crystl at first. How did she thrive as a student-athlete?
- Has it always been Crystl’s goal to play in the Olympics?
- What was the average pay for a softball player? How much did Crystl get as a rookie?
- Crystl had an injury that limited her mobility, but that didn’t stop her from playing and winning!
- Giving your best no matter what your role is 
- What can we learn from Crystl’s experience playing in that first international competition?
- Crystl talks about her creative side that most people are not aware of 
And more…
Resources:
https://www.majormedialeague.com/ (Major Media League App)
Connect with Crystl Bustos:
https://www.ruthlesssoftball.org/ (Website)
https://www.instagram.com/gotbustos6/ (Instagram)
https://twitter.com/gotbustos (Twitter )
Connect with Leah Amico:
https://www.leahamico.com/ (Website)
https://www.instagram.com/leah.amico/ (Instagram)
https://www.facebook.com/Leah-OBrien-Amico-1696616860662639 (Facebook)
https://www.facebook.com/groups/704655667406966 (Facebook Group)
https://twitter.com/leah20usa (Twitter)
https://www.linkedin.com/in/leah-amico-oly-7734531a6/ (LinkedIn)
https://www.tiktok.com/@theleahamico (TikTok)
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkcom9aDF5HYjxdrFhuMRbw (Youtube)