What's your favourite failure?

For the longest time, what we saw most of in the sporting spotlight was the persona. The highlight reel, the trophy, the carefully managed media-trained response.

We often knew what our heroes looked like at the top, but we rarely got to know what it actually cost them to get there, or what it felt like when things didn't go to plan.

That's now changing in sporting arenas around the world. And at Mojo, the thing that gets us particularly excited is getting to learn about the stories behind the setbacks. The moments that shape the person behind the persona.

Everyone loves the story behind the big win. But the story behind the big loss? 

That's rarer, harder to share, and in our experience, infinitely more useful.

Because it requires something that’s easy to bypass on a win. It requires you to look honestly at the gap between what you wanted and what played out, and decide who you want to be through the whole process.

Casey Dellacqua lost seven women's doubles Grand Slam finals across her career. Seven.

That experience in a word? 

'Brutal!'

But in her recent episode on the Female Athlete Project, she also calls this her favourite failure. Not because the losses didn't hurt, and not because she's made herself pretend otherwise.

"It taught me what success looked like. I definitely would have loved to have won one, one hundred percent. And I still wish I could have moments in those matches back… But it doesn’t feel like it defines who I am.” 
Casey Dellacqua

We often remind our clients that practising acceptance doesn't mean we have to like the outcome. We're allowed to feel the full weight of the disappointment, and anything else that comes up with it. 

What matters most, when the dust settles, is how we then choose to frame this experience, and the stories we tell ourselves about ourselves.

Casey hasn't allowed those seven losses to shape her sense of success, fulfilment or purpose. If anything, you could argue she has more to offer the people she now leads, coaches and inspires because of how she navigated them. The losses, the uncertainty of life post-career and the courage to carve out a new path... This is character-building gold.

Casey's work as Women and Girls Lead at Tennis NSW, her friendship with Ash, the commentary career she built from scratch — none of it is despite the losses. They’re made possible through the highs, lows, and her humble, grounded perspective along the way. 

It is always imperfection that connects us most with others in this crazy thing called life. And it is the messier, harder parts of our story that teach us the most.

Casey, thank you for sharing yours so openly. And for giving us the ultimate conversation starter to take for a spin this week:

What's your favourite failure, and why?

Just In Case You Missed It:

Before sport was graded, scored and analysed, what did you love to play? Not just do. Actually play.

Crowey recently sat down with Libby and Georgie Trickett on the Sportish podcast to dig into exactly that, exploring the play state, redefining success, and why most of us leave both behind far too early.