Success Means Being Comfortable In Your Own Skin

Former Charger-Girl Lindsay Rizzo is the product of a bi-racial marriage. Her mother is Mexican and her father African-American.nnDespite, or maybe because of the racism she experienced, this model and actress learned early to answer the question, “Who am I?”nn“When I was growing up, bi-racial marriages were not as accepted as they are today,” says Lindsay. “I can remember many times in grade school where I’d introduce my dad to my friends only to hear comments later about whether he was really my dad or not.”nnLindsay takes her coloring from her mother’s side of the family but she’s equally proud of both of her heritages. Unfortunately, neither race embraced her mixed status.nn“I wasn’t accepted in any group,” says Lindsay. “The African American crowd didn’t accept me because I wasn’t dark enough. They said I didn’t look or talk like them. The Hispanics didn’t accept me either. Even though I looked Spanish and spoke Spanish, my mom was born here in the U.S. so we didn’t speak with an accent.”nnIt was hard growing up but Lindsay doesn’t regret the challenges. She took the opportunities they presented to deepen her knowledge and understanding of both her cultural backgrounds and get to know herself.nn“My parents taught me that what I was did not define who I was,” she says. “Because of that I worked hard to get comfortable in my own skin. Ironically, it's those early experiences that made all the difference in my life. We all want to feel loved and accepted. Facing challenges to my identity forced me to figure out who I am today and where I am going tomorrow.”nnTo this day Lindsay still gets odd comments when people learn that she’s part African American.nn“It’s incredible the things people say,” she says as she shakes her head. “Sometimes they simply stare, other times they’ll say something like, ‘Yeah, but you're not really black, black.' Like repeating the word makes it mean something different.”nnLindsay has dealt with racism from all sides. Rather than becoming bitter, however, she’s allowed it to make her stronger.nn“I finally realized that it wasn’t enough to just be comfortable in my own skin, I had to learn to speak up,” she says. “People sometimes don’t realize the impact of their words. So I started sharing my feelings. I saw what my parents went through and still go through. I couldn’t sit by and listen to the nonsense without being true to them.nn“My father grew up in Compton, in a broken home. He saw a lot of difficult times. He also graduated high school and put himself through college by working full-time while attending Cal State Dominguez. Nothing came easy for him. He’s always worked hard. He started out as an intern at Boeing and worked his way up to management. He supported his family and did what he had to so my mom could stay home and take care of us. He raised my two brothers and I to be good, solid citizens. I am proud of my family. My parents have always been here for me and I always want to be there for them.”nnBecause she doesn’t “look black” some people let their guard down and say things they wouldn't normally say.nn“Unfortunately having fair skin lets me see the true character of some people, and it's ugly,” she says. “I had a friend who knew I was part African American yet continued to make racial slurs. We are no longer friends. I don’t need people like that in my life.”nnLindsay Rizzo doesn’t waste her time on small-minded people.nn“I was taught to set goals and work hard to achieve them,” she says. “If I put my mind to something I find a way to make it happen. I don’t listen to the nay-sayers and I certainly don’t listen to anyone who doesn’t have enough self-respect to be kind.”nnLindsay started dancing as a young girl and fell in love with performing. She started cheerleading and dancing at Corona High School in Corona California. Her team won Nationals three out of the four years she was in high school. Individually, she was chosen All-American three out of the four years as well.nn“I went to Long Beach State for college,” says Lindsay. “It had one of the best dance teams in the nation. I still had a strong desire to compete and dance.”nnLindsay became the captain of her team in college and they placed in the top three nationally, two years in a row. Though her long-range goals included dancing professionally, it was important to her that she did well in school. To accomplish her short-term goal, Lindsay stopped dancing during her last two years of college. She graduated with honors. Next it was time to make her goal of dancing professionally a reality.nn“I refused to quit trying until I made it,” she says. "I was determined to persevere no matter how long it took."nnLindsay tried out for Lakers, the Clippers and the Chargers.nn“I rated really high in every audition and made the final cuts several times,” she recalls.nnThe competition is fierce. Over 700 girls tried out to be Laker Girls, and over 400 for the San Diego Chargers. In 2006 after trying out for the San Diego Chargers for the fourth time, Lindsay Rizzo made the team.nnnn“It was an incredible experience,” she says. “And one I was fortunate to repeat in 2007.”nnCharger Girls aren’t given preferential treatment in subsequent years. They audition each year.nn“I didn’t audition in 2008,” she says. “I achieved my goal and learned so much from that experience. Other areas are calling out to me now.”nnhttp://www.youtube.com/v/GKe8yfYplbwnn'Other areas' includes her career as a professional salesperson in the medical field with Johnson and Johnson LifeScan.nnAsk her about the lessons she’s learned and she’s happy to share.nn“Everything in my life has taught me that you have to be comfortable in your own skin. It doesn’t matter what you are if you don’t know who you are. It doesn’t matter what others think of you, but what you think of yourself. And it doesn’t matter how many times you fail, just that you keep trying until you succeed. I am proud of who I am and where I come from. I make it a policy not to look back. I’m focused squarely on where I’m going. If you have something exciting and challenging to reach for, tomorrow is always full of promise.”n