Women Who Win: Amanda Albanese
June 27, 2018
The D10's Women Who Win series, brought you in collaboration with ADAY, spotlights some of the incredible female athletes who take to The D10's playing field each year. Meet Amanda Albanese of Fat Llama.
Six months ago, I could not even imagine the thought of competing in The D10. Yet here I am, a few weeks after the event, proud to say I competed and placed ninth among female athletes for Goldman Sachs' Fan Four team.
Training for The D10, I found myself pushing harder than I had ever anticipated, fighting through the pain to hit goals that were initially way “out of reach." I remember practicing my row and repeating to myself (in my head of course): “life is hard…keep pushing.” Whenever I beat a goal, it was because my mind (not my body) told me I was capable.
I can honestly say competing in The D10 - the community of people, the drive you're made to develop - has had and will continue to have a lasting impact on my life. Watching myself push through the pain during training was what motivated me to take a leap and change my professional trajectory. After four and a half years at Goldman Sachs, I decided to leave (though I was terrified) and make every effort to find a new professional path. I am now working full time at Fat Llama, the largest online rental marketplace in the world. Was this an easy choice? No. But nothing worthwhile in life is ever easy.
Recovery has always been a big part of my life – physical, emotional and spiritual recovery will forever be focuses of mine. I have always been passionate about fitness; however, over the past four years I have also developed a passion for community engagement and nonprofit work. For one thing, I started a nonprofit, Fight Anorexia Network, for eating disorder recovery. Through personal experiences, I have discovered that the best way for me to help myself was by helping others.
Competing in The D10 NYC leaves me feeling thankful...thankful to have had the opportunity to do what I love, while simultaneously raising money for Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. I am not sure I will ever understand the pain the children battling with pediatric cancer and their families feel, but I am thankful that – even if just for a little – I was a part of something that would attempt to alleviate that suffering. I feel accomplished and proud to be part of such a beautiful cause.
Equally, I am proud I made the choice to take a risk for my own growth. I can thank The D10 for giving me the courage to create positive change in my life. I was so afraid to compete, afraid of failure…but I did it. Successfully completing all 10 events this year instilled a sense of courage that I did not know I had. And now here I am, making major changes in my life all because The D10 taught me that taking a leap of faith is always worth it…even if you may fail.
In closing, I must take a moment to appreciate the other women who compete and their positive, inclusive attitude. I look forward to continuing my D10 journey and to motivating other women to participate. The D10 was worth every minute of training and fundraising, and I cannot help but encourage others to take the leap – fight the nerves! – and do what may now seem like the unimaginable.