I fell in love with barrel racing as a child. It’s a sport where you pilot your horse through a cloverleaf pattern around three barrels as fast as possible without knocking any over. As a professional barrel racer, wife and mother of three, I’ve balanced my career and family life, keeping family at the forefront. When my kids were young, I’d drive from rodeos across the country to our home in South Dakota for important moments. My kids are grown, but career and family are still a balancing act.

I made my first National Finals Rodeo at age 41 and have qualified every year since: 19 consecutive years. I’ve won at the highest levels of the sport, and I’m still going strong, though I’ve faced injuries over the years and my body has aged.

The years have given me valuable experience, though. I know how to read a course, when to slow down and when to push my horse. I still get nervous in high-pressure situations, but I know how to perform when it matters.

In the final round at the Hondo last year, I was the last to go in a field of eight competitors. The footing was rutted from prior runs, and all the other competitors’ times were fast. I felt the pressure and the electricity in the building. But my horse and I gave it our all—and won our second Hondo championship buckle.

I don’t see myself as an inspiring person, but I’m honored when others see me that way. If I can push someone to follow their dreams, whatever their age, that’s worth more than a championship. Titles and awards come and go. Winning in life is what really matters. —As told to David Hochman