James Laughlin recounts becoming homeless at 12, facing threats for refusing drugs, and battling impostor feelings and fear of failure. He emphasizes agency over his body and resilience despite trauma, speaking directly to tennis champion Reena.
Reena
Around 12–13 years old.
Reena, right? World number one female tennis player. Let's go. This is good, you know, this is, like. I'm excited about it now. Athlete who's, like, freaking out, just smashing the racket. Want to admit it? Real, genuine fear of losing everything. Around 12, 13, I ended up being homeless, like, by myself. People trying to kill me because I wouldn't do drugs. That was a pretty rough experience. It's scary. Very intimidating. Why am I letting that thing control me? All those negative voices. The resistance is like screaming in your head. You're just overwhelmed by all of the sound, all the noise in your head. You have 100% control of what you do with your body. Life is tough, but, like, you can get through it. Do I really belong here? It's something I still struggle with to this day. Even in this conversation.
