Meet Leah Jantzen: Five Questions with Youth Inc.'s Life Skills Ambassador

Leah Jantzen is a self-help author, speaker, triathlete and performance coach living on Long Island. Leah is a firm believer in the infinite potential residing in every one of us, and has dedicated her life to helping others realize it. The creator of Train Your Brain—a system for boosting mental fitness—Leah instructs her clients to clearly see an athletic goal in their mind, then guides them through the process of training their bodies to achieve that goal, utilizing the same principles she used to build a successful business. We asked Leah five questions about her youth sports journey, life advice, and more.

1. What’s your favorite youth sports memory?

During my sophomore year of tennis, I pulled off a comeback win in the county tournament against a player who was considered far better than me. I went in assuming she would beat me, but mid-match I shifted my mindset and fought back to win. That day I discovered the power of the mental game, a lesson that has stayed with me ever since.

2. Who has been the most influential person or coach in your life?

My dad has been the most influential figure in my athletic and personal journey. He taught me to never give up, to trust that my talent would surface when I believed in myself, and to approach challenges with persistence and resilience. His lessons shaped the way I handle both victories and setbacks.

3. What’s one lesson you’ve learned through your sport that has shaped your life?

The biggest lesson is that what you do every single day matters most. Showing up, being consistent, training your mind, and believing in yourself all compound over time. On game day, you don’t suddenly rise to the occasion—you fall back to the level of your training. That principle has guided me in sports, in my career, and in life.

4. What advice would you give to your 10-year-old self?

I would tell her it’s not all or nothing. Making a mistake doesn’t mean you’re a bad athlete, and not being the best doesn’t mean you’re not good enough. The path to excellence is built on hard work, growth, and persistence, not perfection.

5. What is a motto or belief that you live by?

Where there’s a will, there’s a way. If you want something badly enough and are willing to put in the work, you can achieve it. That belief has carried me through challenges on the court, in competition, and throughout my life.

More from Leah Jantzen

Leah's articles, podcast, and more can be found here.

You can follow Youth Inc. on Instagram to stay up to date on Leah's episode releases.

Check out Leah's appearance on Raising Athletes here:

For more from Leah, follow her on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

For her podcast, you can listen on Spotify and Apple.