Growing up in Germany as a Persian child who looked, sounded, and felt different, Dr. Freddy Behin, founder of Gymnastics World, surgeon, software developer, author, and keynote speaker, learnt early what it meant to stand on the outside of a culture. But more importantly, he learnt how to conquer it.
He remembers being set back a year in school because he didn't speak the language well enough. "I felt like I didn't belong there, which was different from the environment I was raised in," he recalls. "So in my head, I had to make a decision: How do I prove to them I'm worthy of being here?" That survival mechanism quickly evolved into a lifelong pursuit of mastery, learning languages, absorbing cultures at a granular level, and choosing excellence in every direction he moved. "It wasn't a talent-based situation; it was a desire and dedication, because to me, when you choose not to be mediocre, you don't fail," he adds.
