Meet FRÉ Ambassador Emily Potter, Professional Basketball Player

@empotter10

About me:  I was born in Winnipeg Manitoba, Canada. I live there part-time now and part-time in the Czech Republic where I play professional basketball. I’m a taller than average basketball player (6 ft 5) with a passion for mental health and being active. I’m always busy, with lots of different projects.

"My love for basketball has grown over the years alongside my love of fitness, with a focus on being physically and mentally healthy and well."

My fitness journey

Everyone in my family played basketball. Growing up I tried other sports including hockey, soccer, running and volleyball, but I was drawn to basketball. I started taking it more seriously in high school and realized it could be my job. I was a divisional athlete at the University of Utah.

I want to keep going and see how far I can go. I keep playing and keep trying to improve every day. I love basketball but I also know it's just a game. Other than basketball I do spin classes (my sister is an instructor), and I love yoga and running outside. My love for basketball has grown over the years alongside my love of fitness, with a focus on being physically and mentally healthy and well.

Fitness tips

It's important to find something that you love to do and working out can be social, in a class setting or competitive. I'm super competitive and this makes it fun for me. Some days you don’t have the motivation, but scheduling workouts and making it a habit makes it so much easier to continue and so does having other people with you who hold you accountable. 

Being an athlete

The mental side of things is just as important as the physical side. I've spent time meditating, doing visualizations, working on being a good team mate and not getting down on myself, and I’m always focused on bringing a positive energy to games and practice. Visualizing the game before you play can be just as powerful as physical practice. 

COVID-19

Our season ended up being cancelled before playouts and I had to leave the Czech Republic and go home for 6 months. It's the longest I’ve been home in years and I tried to use the break to do things I otherwise wouldn't. I knew basketball would be back. At the start of the pandemic I spent time running outside; I tried long distance which I’d never enjoyed in the past. I did yoga every day for 6 months. I tried to find things that would help me in the long run as a basketball player. 

Mental health matters

I've been very involved in mental health over the past year. I’ve had my own struggles with depression and anxiety. I used to feel like I didn’t want to tell anyone about it; I didn’t even want to talk to a psychologist. Now I try to normalize mental health issues and inspire others to share their stories. It’s really isolating if you feel like you are the only one going through something. Sharing makes others feel they are not alone.

My goal is to raise awareness. Ultimately we should talk about our mental health like we talk about physical health - with no stigma attached.

I currently run the  Sarah Strong Fundraiser. Sarah was one of my close friends who passed away from suicide 3 years ago. I had no idea she was even struggling. Through this fundraiser we’ve had different events including fundraising dinners and a memorial scholarship. It’s a channel for people to talk about mental health. By mid-October the first scholarship will be awarded. My aim is to turn this fundraiser into a foundation.

I’m currently studying for a Master’s in Psychology. My goal is to help more with mental health issues and maybe make a career out of it in the future.

"Ultimately we should talk about our mental health like we talk about physical health - with no stigma attached."

Skincare

My skin is generally normal, sometimes a little oily. My main challenge as an athlete is trying to clean my skin as much as I can and as quickly as I can! We practice twice a day. Keeping skin clean without getting rid of hydration can be challenging. If I wash my face too much it gets super dry, but if I don’t wash it enough, it gets oily and I have breakouts.

My daily routine

In the morning I wash my face with water. After I work out, I use PURIFY ME. At night I use RECOVER ME night cream and after I shower I always use GLOW BODY. I also love to use 100% Organic Argan oil on my face and hair. When I’m outside I use PROTECT ME. Sometimes I also use a toner. It’s the only non FRÉ product I use - I would love it if FRÉ would make a toner!

My favorite FRÉ is RECOVER ME. I’d never used a night cream before this and I thought it would make me breakout, but instead it smells amazing and makes my skin feel so soft!

Rapid Fire:

○     Favorite exercise?  Basketball

○     What does sweat mean to you?  Moving your body as a way to honor what you are capable of

○     What comes to mind when you think of FRÉ?  Smooth skin and empowering women

○     What are you most excited about in life right now?  The start of basketball season

○     What’s something you’d still love to learn?  New recipes

○     What is your mantra?  Embrace it

○     What’s the best advice that you’ve ever received in your life?  Greatness is   not what you have, it’s what you give. This changed my mindset on a lot of things

○     What is an issue that you wish we spoke about more often?  Mental health

○     What does women’s empowerment mean in 2020?  Even though we’ve made a lot of progress, there’s still a lot of work to be done in terms of equality for women

○     What are your dreams for the FRÉ community?  The community is great, I love the FB group and how people can connect. My dreams are for it to grow to tackle some more hard topics and issues like mental health, racial and gender equality