These Powerful Words from Billie Jean King, Jaelin Kauf and More Athletes Will Leave You Feeling Inspired

In honor of the one-year anniversary of PEOPLE and e.l.f. Cosmetics’ Pep Talk series, we’re looking back at the best motivational moments from the brightest female sports stars

From Coach Taylor's "clear eyes, full hearts, can't lose” to Ted Lasso’s “believe,” nothing can make you feel like you can achieve anything like a pep talk. Now, imagine that you had your very own coach to pump up your confidence and dispense beauty advice. Amazing, right?

That’s exactly what we set out to do here one year ago when we partnered with e.l.f. Cosmetics to bring you motivational words from the brightest young female sports stars (and one tennis legend), plus their top product recommendations.

In honor of the series’ one-year anniversary, we’re taking a look back with this highlight reel of pep talk moments.

In April 2023, we kicked it off with 17-year-old high school basketball star Juju Watkins.

"I want to make sure I look good and feel good," Watkins says in her pep talk of getting ready for a game. "If I look good, if the hair is good, if the face is good, then I play my best,” adds the Sierra Canyon's starting point guard, who was named MVP of the 2022 FIBA Under-17 Women's Basketball World Cup in Hungary.

The high school basketball star advises, "always remember to be bold, always take risks," while giving fans a glimpse inside her beauty routine, which includes some of e.l.f. Cosmetics' best-selling products, including the Power Trio: Power Grip Primer, O Face Satin Lipstick and Halo Glow Liquid Filter.

Olympic silver medal freestyle skier Jaelin Kauf, 27, shared her strategy for keeping a medal-winning mentality on the ski slopes in her pep talk, where she said it all starts with being positive.

“Only focus on the positives, that's it. It’s so simple. That's the best advice that I ever received from anyone,” Kauf says.

She also notes that changing your mindset can start with something like switching your self-care routine.

“It can truly be as simple as putting on a little extra makeup in the morning or a little bit of lipstick and just feeling beautiful and confident in yourself,” she says while showing off her routine, which includes putting on some sunscreen and rubbing some blush into her cheeks.

Professional Women’s Hockey League’s Hilary Knight gave a pep talk about how she sets herself up for success. The first rule? Be mindful of all the little things.

“Life throws a ton of stuff at us, and the best piece of advice that I've ever received is to search for small victories,” she says. “So my first victory of the day is getting out of bed. My second is going to be my prep for the day, and I love the e.l.f. Camo Hydrating CC Cream. Absolutely love it.”

And in perhaps the most powerful pep talk yet, Billie Jean King, 79, delivered mindset-changing advice when the iconic athlete emphasized the importance of staying in the present.

“Every single day I visualized winning, no matter what was going on,” King explains of her victory-winning mental strategy. “Stay focused, focused, focused.”

As a champion of equality in women’s sports, the former world No. 1 tennis player is no stranger to pressure. In fact, “pressure is a privilege,” is part of her saying.

“It’s how we look at something whether we feel a lot of pressure or not,” King says. “I like pressure. It helps me realize it’s an opportunity.”

And when the tennis superstar, who has earned 39 Grand Slam titles in both singles and doubles over the course of her decades-long career, wants to look and feel her best, she says she relies on e.l.f.'s Holy Hydration skincare line.

Check out more inspiring words from Toni Harris, Sofia Huerta and Maddy Siegrist.

In honor of one year of our Pep Talks series, in partnership with e.l.f., we will proudly be donating to HiddenOpponent.org to continue our support of girls and women in sports.”

PEOPLE Pep Talks, presented by e.l.f., offers a confidence boost via motivational chats with everyone from actors and comedians to athletes and beauty pros. So whether you’re going on an interview, taking on a daunting task, getting ready for a date or just not feeling your best, these talks will help you #GoPepYourelf.

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