The life of an influencer may seem all glitz and glamor, but it’s not always what it appears. Even social media sensations like Paige Spiranac face their own insecurities. Despite being a former golf pro and one of the most well-known influencers in the sports world, Spiranac often questions her success. In a recent, candid conversation, she shared the struggles that arose from her fame and how these problems are never far from her mind. She has time and again shared them with her fans and once again took a step to do the same.

The golfing diva recently uploaded a sit-down video on her official YouTube Channel and openly confessed a struggle familiar to many of us — self-confidence. Despite her success and immense following, Spiranac revealed she often battles feelings of impostor syndrome and downplays her achievements.

“I think I tend to have impostor syndrome, and I tend to be my own worst critic,” she shared, confessing she often doesn’t fully embrace her accomplishments. Her candidness about her battles is deeply moving, especially considering her outward success.

Spiranac confessed, “I will downplay my success, or I will downplay these parts of my business or my life because I don’t have full confidence in myself.” It’s something many people struggle with — the inability to embrace their worth. But it hasn’t been all negative self-talk. Paige is working on changing her mindset. “I’ve been working on that this year and trying to be my biggest fan,” she said. Acknowledging how crucial it is to shift from self-doubt to self-empowerment, Paige Spiranac mentions the mental fights.

“Life is hard enough, and if you don’t have your own back, then no one will. It’s really about self-confidence, being self-assured, but also, you have to be your biggest fan in life,” said Paige.

Paige’s journey towards building a stronger sense of self-confidence is a work in progress, and she’s focusing on lifting herself up instead of tearing herself down.

“No more beating myself down but lifting myself up,” she said with determination.

She also noted how important it is to change the language she uses in her career. “When I talk about new opportunities, I’m trying hard to rephrase it in a very positive way for myself, as if I deserve this and I deserve to be in this position.” She’s intentional about being kinder to herself, and it’s a message that speaks volumes to anyone who’s ever doubted their worth.

Spiranac revealed facing serious challenges behind the scenes and determination to turn things around. “I’ve worked so hard to get here,” she shared, showing how far she’s come and how proud she is of her journey. “I feel like I’ve contributed a ton to the golf media landscape, and I am so proud to be in this position because I have worked so hard to get here.”

Paige Spiranac’s journey to success hasn’t been without its struggles. Her path became even more difficult because of the bullying she endured growing up. While many people may know her now as a social media star, former professional golfer, and fitness enthusiast, her story wasn’t always filled with the confidence and admiration she receives today.

How Paige Spiranac overcame bullying

Growing up, Paige Spiranac faced intense bullying, a challenge she’s carried with her throughout her life. “I had an issue with my hair where it would just fall out,” she explained, revealing how this physical condition led other kids to make cruel assumptions. “A lot of kids wouldn’t stand next to me because they thought I had a disease.” The bullying wasn’t just emotional; it was physical, too.

“Girls would spit in my drinks and throw birthday cake out and really exclude me,” she recalled. The cruelty continued in many forms—other gymnastics girls even targeted her. At one point, the bullying became so severe that it felt relentless.

“It was pretty much as bad as it possibly could be,” Paige Spiranac said, reflecting on how tough those years were. Children would even throw rocks at her, pushing her further into isolation. “I didn’t really have any friends,” she admitted. “I would just kind of adapt to whoever was kind to me at the time.”

Things didn’t get much easier when Paige Spiranac reached college. Even though she excelled in golf, she couldn’t escape the harassment. She described being stalked and harassed by a group of girls who went as far as creating fake social media profiles to target her. “I ended up having to delete my Instagram because it got so bad,” Paige Spiranac revealed.

The bullying escalated, with death threats being sent her way, and the harassment reached a level so intense it almost cost her a spot on her college team. “I almost got kicked off the team because [my coach] thought I was the one bullying,” she explained.

Despite everything, Paige Spiranac didn’t let this hardship define her. “After that, I said I’m done with social media, I am never going to post anything again,” she said. But something shifted in her senior year of college. With a renewed perspective, Paige Spiranac created a new Instagram account. But this time, her approach was different.

“I’m only gonna post golf, ’cause no one can bully someone on golf,” she laughed, sharing how she began to post golf-related content—pictures of swings, trick shots, and anything fun and positive. And well, that’s the golfing diva for you!