Adam has not only persevered after missing three national drafts and two rookie drafts at the beginning of his career, but he has also paved new pathways with his multicultural program, and he continues to push himself to train to the highest standards and manage performance pressure, all while maintaining a positive outlook. 

Viewing challenges as a way to improve yourself is an essential first step to success. Adam says, “Some people may look at challenges as a negative, but it's an opportunity.” He continues, “Challenging yourself is a way to get out of your comfort zone. And whether it be healthy eating or just being active, when you challenge yourself and set goals, your motivation will naturally go up, and you’ll improve every day.” Adam suggests that challenging yourself should be a constant. “You always must keep pushing the boundaries and setting and achieving goals.” He continues, “If you don't challenge yourself, things will stay the same, which means nothing will improve.” 

 

However, Adam’s ability to embrace challenges hasn’t always come naturally, but he believes it to be the key to his success. “As a shy and quiet person, I liked being in my comfort zone early in my career,” he says. “But as I matured both as a player and a person, I began to understand that facing and overcoming challenges was important for growth. It’s an opportunity to keep getting better and improving yourself as a person – whether you’re an athlete or not.”

To avoid becoming overwhelmed by a challenge, setting smaller goals along the way helps to keep momentum. He says, “You need to have an ultimate goal. But you also need to have short-term and medium-term goals, too.” He suggests that the journey to reaching your ultimate goal is just as beneficial to growth, regardless of whether you achieve it. Adam says, “Set yourself a really high goal, and even if you don't reach it, you know you've improved yourself, and you've got to enjoy the process.” He continues to emphasise, “The process of achieving your smaller goals and ticking off little milestones along the way is a success as well.” 

Aside from setting milestones, Adam believes that one strategy to overcoming challenges is to stay flexible. It’s particularly important to keep smaller goals malleable so that when new information is gained or you’ve hit a roadblock, you can readjust, shift your thinking and overcome the issue. Saad says, “You always need to have a Plan A, Plan B and Plan C.” he continues, “If your Plan A doesn't work and you don't have a Plan B, you can really go downhill from there, but if you’ve got a couple of options up your sleeve, you can calm and compose yourself because it's not the end of the world.” Having options will help you keep focus and tick off the smaller short-term goals, leading to achieving your ultimate goal. 

There are several support systems Adam leans upon to stay accountable and calm. Besides his extensive group of coaches and tight-knit teammates who motivate him to be his best, he also relies on his faith. “My religion is the most important thing in my life. It helps me to have gratitude and to put everything in perspective, which then calms me when I'm stressed or in an There are several support systems Adam leans upon to stay accountable and calm. Besides his extensive group of coaches and tight-knit teammates who motivate him to be his best, he also relies on his faith. “My religion is the most important thing in my life. It helps me to have gratitude and to put everything in perspective, which then calms me when I'm stressed or in an anxious state,” he says. “There are always those moments where I doubt myself. But when I do, I just refocus to get the best out of myself and not take anything for granted.”  

 

Adam also believes doing things with the right intentions help him push through any uncertainties and challenges – emphasising that regardless of the outcome, all challenges will lead to some form of growth. Saad ends by saying, “If you don't achieve your ultimate goal, does that mean you're not successful? Well, no, because you still grow as a person, first and foremost.”