Artist Statement

Rooted in my background in athletics, including gymnastics, volleyball, and coaching, this project reflects firsthand experience with a sports culture that often prioritizes achievement over the unseen discipline and resilience behind it. Titled Grit Over Merit, it shifts focus to the human side of athletics through four main posters, each representing the lived experience of an athlete I interviewed. Using their own words as the foundation, the typography becomes a visual extension of their voice, translating themes of work ethic, repetition, mental health, and growth into expressive, type-driven compositions. My role is to amplify their experiences, using design as a speaker. By emphasizing voice over statistics, the work highlights athletes as individuals shaped by perseverance, not just performance.