Before becoming a WWE champion and making history as one half of the first African American women to main event WrestleMania, Bianca Belair battled inner demons that nearly derailed her athletic career.

In a candid conversation with Stephanie McMahon on her podcast “Stephanie’s Places,” Belair revealed the powerful mantra from her father that continues to guide her through life’s challenges: “It’s okay to be nervous, just don’t be scared.”

A Father’s Wisdom

This distinction between nervousness and fear has been crucial for Belair, who admits she still gets nervous before every performance, whether it’s WrestleMania or a routine live event.

“My daddy helped me with that. He’s the one that always told me it’s okay to be nervous cuz it means you care and when you stop being nervous, that means you don’t care, and it’s time to move on, to find something else that you’re passionate about,” Belair explained.

The Dark Side of Perfectionism

Behind the confidence Belair exudes as “the EST of WWE” lies a deeply personal story of mental health struggles, particularly during her years as a competitive track athlete.

“I was my own worst enemy,” she admitted, describing how her perfectionism and obsession with success became destructive.

“I was so obsessed with being the best, I was so obsessed with my dream and I felt like if I didn’t do everything that I could do, then it was my fault,” Belair said. This mindset led her down a dangerous path.

“I developed eating disorders and I hid it from my coaches, I hid it from my parents, but I ran faster, which is crazy, and I got a scholarship and I went to college, but then it caught up with me and I got injured and I know for sure it was because I was not healthy.”

Identity Crisis and Depression

Belair’s college years brought additional challenges as she struggled with her identity being tied exclusively to her athletic performance.

“My identity was track, my identity was my performance. If I didn’t perform well, I felt like, well, nobody wants to be friends with the lame girl who doesn’t perform very well.”

The pressure mounted as she worried about losing her scholarship and facing the embarrassment of returning home without achieving her dreams.

These pressures led to depression, and eventually, Belair began taking medication without her parents’ knowledge. When she decided to stop the medication abruptly—without medical supervision—her mental health deteriorated dramatically.

“I just felt like I was trying to swim back to the top, and I had like a weight on my ankle and I’m like, I don’t know what’s going on,” she recalled of that dark period.

The Intervention

It was her coach at Texas A&M who recognized Belair’s struggle and intervened.

“You’re not getting on that track until you get yourself together,” he told her, prioritizing her wellbeing over her athletic contributions.

“I care about you more as a person than an athlete,” he said, insisting she get help.

This intervention proved pivotal. Belair’s parents came to support her, and she made the difficult decision to take time away from track.

“At one point I was like, I’m finished. I don’t want to run anymore because I need to get myself together,” she said. However, after focusing on her mental health, she realized her passion remained.

“That burning love is still there, I love track, I miss it, I wanna finish this off.”

The Power of Daily Affirmations

When Belair returned to the sport at the University of Tennessee, two coaches played transformative roles in her recovery. First, Heather Van Norman gave her a chance despite her competitive gap, allowing her to train for a year before rejoining the team. Then, coach Sharon Couch implemented a powerful daily practice.

“Every morning I want you to send me three affirmations,” Couch instructed, requiring Belair to start each day with positive self-talk.

“It was just something about being intentional about when you first wake up and just starting your day off positive, and having somebody that’s investing in you and that cares,” Belair explained.

Finding Peace and Purpose

The combination of mental health support and athletic guidance allowed Belair to finish her college career stronger than ever.

“I PR’D. I ran faster than I’ve ever ran before,” she said, referring to achieving her personal record. Though her childhood dream of becoming an Olympic track athlete didn’t materialize, Belair found peace with her journey.

“I said, I gave everything that I had, and I grew from this. And that’s what this should be about. If you grew from it, that’s a better life lesson than winning the 100-meter hurdles.”

Imposter Syndrome and WWE Success

This perspective shift—valuing growth over achievement—has served Belair well in her WWE career, though she admits to still battling imposter syndrome at times.

“I didn’t come from this business,” she explained, describing how she felt out of place among lifelong wrestling fans who had dreamed of WWE careers since childhood.

“When I was at the WrestleManias and main eventing, I’m like, am I supposed to be here? But no, I’ve worked for this. I do deserve this because I’ve earned it.”

Pivoting vs. Giving Up

Now at the top of WWE, Belair emphasizes the importance of understanding the difference between giving up and pivoting.

“I think there’s an importance of knowing the difference between giving up and pivoting, and always moving,” she advised.

“Whatever is for you will find you, and sometimes when you’re trying so hard… and it just feels like, why is this so hard? Why is this so complicated?… Sometimes it’s because it’s time to pivot. Because when what’s for you finds you, it becomes so easy.”

This wisdom extends to her approach to failure and vulnerability.

“Don’t be afraid to try. Don’t be afraid to embarrass yourself. We’re on live TV every week, it might be a possibility, you might go out there and embarrass yourself… But you gotta be okay with it.”

A Journey of Resilience

For athletes, performers, and anyone facing mental health challenges, Belair’s journey offers valuable insights about resilience, self-acceptance, and the courage to seek help. Her story demonstrates that even at the highest levels of achievement, mental health struggles are common—and overcoming them often requires both personal determination and the support of others who recognize when something isn’t right.

As Belair prepares for her next WrestleMania appearance, she carries her father’s wisdom with her: It’s okay to be nervous—it means you care. Just don’t be scared.

# EST of Fashion: Bianca Belair Dreams of Bringing WWE Style to Fashion Week

WWE Superstar Bianca Belair is making a compelling case for professional wrestling’s place in the world of high fashion, revealing ambitious plans to showcase WWE-inspired designs on prestigious runways while questioning why WWE Superstars aren’t invited to events like the Met Gala.

“I would love to somehow bring the fashion of WWE and the gears and the entrance pieces. And do some outfits that are inspired by that and put that on the runway and showcase how much fashion there is in WWE,” Belair shared in a revealing interview with Stephanie McMahon on her podcast “Stephanie’s Places.”

The Self-Taught Fashion Star

The self-proclaimed “EST of WWE” — signifying she’s the strongest, fastest, and toughest competitor — may soon add “most fashionable” to her list of superlatives. Belair, who creates all her own in-ring gear without any formal training, sees WrestleMania entrances as fashion shows deserving of recognition from the broader fashion industry.

“When you think about WrestleMania, right? And you think about everybody’s entrance pieces and how when we walk down that ramp, that’s a fashion show,” Belair explained, highlighting the visual spectacle that has become synonymous with WWE’s biggest annual event.

What makes Belair’s fashion ambitions particularly noteworthy is that she’s entirely self-taught.

“I’ve never taken a sewing class. Everything that I’ve learned, I’ve learned from either the Internet, YouTube, or just trial and error,” she revealed. This DIY approach has become central to her WWE character and personal brand.

From Childhood Passion to WWE Identity

The WWE champion’s passion for fashion dates back to her childhood, when she would find a needle and thread in her family’s cookie tin and mend socks as young as six years old. This early interest evolved through high school, where she designed matching outfits for her track team and created jersey dresses “before they were a thing.”

When Belair transitioned to CrossFit competitions, she embraced fashion as a way to express herself and have fun after years of intense athletic training.

“I started going out there in tutus and flowers,” she recalled, noting how her distinctive style caught people’s attention. “They were saying, I’m coming to see what Bianca’s gonna wear.”

This flair for fashion eventually helped Belair get discovered by WWE Hall of Famer Mark Henry, who noticed her elaborate CrossFit competition outfits resembled wrestling gear.

“You’re basically wearing wrestling gear. I was wearing entrance pieces,” Belair recounted.

A Family Affair

Now, as one of WWE’s top stars, Belair’s creative process often becomes a family affair. For her recent WrestleMania gear, she enlisted her parents and husband (fellow WWE Superstar Montez Ford) in an “assembly line” of gear creation.

“My mom’s pulling stuff off handed to my dad, he’s covering in glitter. They’re handing it to me, I’m hot gluing it, and my husband’s helping me,” she described.

Fashion Forward: WWE Meets High Fashion

As for the future, Belair’s ambitions could potentially elevate WWE’s cultural status while creating new opportunities for wrestlers to be seen as fashion influencers. When asked about the Met Gala, one of fashion’s most prestigious events, Belair expressed enthusiasm despite admitting she’d be nervous. The question “Why aren’t our superstars at the Met Gala?” posed by McMahon during the interview highlights a potential untapped crossover opportunity.

Belair has already demonstrated her high-fashion capabilities, creating her own red carpet gown when she and Sasha Banks won an ESPY Award — a project she completed last-minute when she realized she didn’t have appropriate attire for the event.

“I would love to do something with fashion and wrestling and mixing it and I think of New York Fashion Week,” Belair said, articulating a vision that could bring fresh creativity to both industries.

Bridging Two Worlds

As Belair continues to push boundaries with her in-ring fashion, her ambitions represent a significant opportunity for both WWE and the fashion world to create a mutually beneficial cultural crossover that acknowledges professional wrestling’s often-overlooked visual artistry and theatrical fashion sensibilities.

For a performer who once told her mother as a child that all she wanted was for “people to throw roses at my feet,” Belair’s fashion dreams represent yet another avenue for the multi-talented athlete to express herself while elevating WWE’s presence in mainstream culture.