A partner at Goldman shares how years of competitive sports helped give her an edge at the firm
Meena Lakdawala-Flynn’s journey from competitive gymnastics to a prominent role at Goldman Sachs exemplifies how the skills and mindset cultivated in sports can translate into success in high-pressure environments like finance. Starting gymnastics at just two years old, Lakdawala-Flynn dedicated herself to the sport with the ambition of competing in the Olympics. By age eight, she was training 30 to 40 hours a week, embodying the grit and determination that are hallmarks of competitive athletes. Although she ultimately did not reach Olympic heights—citing growth spurts and performance challenges—her years in gymnastics laid a foundation for her future career. Upon entering the world of finance, she found that the same competitive spirit and meticulous attention to detail that defined her gymnastics training became invaluable assets in her work at Goldman Sachs.
At Goldman Sachs, where athletes are increasingly recognized as a vital talent pool, Lakdawala-Flynn’s athletic background has set her apart. Goldman actively recruits individuals with sports experience, viewing the qualities developed through athletics—such as teamwork, perseverance, and the ability to perform under pressure—as critical to success in finance. Jacqueline Arthur, Goldman’s head of human capital management, emphasizes that these traits not only differentiate applicants but are also directly applicable to the fast-paced financial services environment. Lakdawala-Flynn reflects this sentiment, noting that both gymnastics and finance require precision and the ability to thrive under pressure, where minor adjustments can lead to significant outcomes.
Moreover, Lakdawala-Flynn believes that the dedication and passion necessary to excel in any field, not just athletics, can foster similar success. In a competitive job market where Goldman Sachs received over 360,000 applications for its 2025 summer internship program and accepted less than 1%, her story serves as an inspiration for aspiring professionals. It highlights the importance of resilience, hard work, and the relentless pursuit of excellence—qualities that can help individuals stand out, regardless of their background. Whether through sports or other dedicated pursuits, the lessons learned in striving for greatness can resonate across various careers, making Lakdawala-Flynn’s journey a compelling narrative of how athleticism can inform and enhance professional success in finance.
Lakdawala-Flynn said the competitive nature of gymnastics is part of what drew her to finance.
Goldman Sachs
Meena Lakdawala-Flynn began competitive gymnastics at age two and said she wanted to compete in the Olympics.
The grit, work ethic, and competitive drive she learned from the sport helped her succeed at Goldman Sachs.
Athletes are a key recruiting pool for Goldman, and sports experience can differentiate applicants.
Meena Lakdawala-Flynn knew what it meant to perform under pressure years before becoming a
partner
at one of the country’s top banks.
Lakdawala-Flynn, cohead of Global Private Wealth Management and
One Goldman Sachs
, started doing gymnastics when she was two years old. By the time she was eight, Lakdawala-Flynn said she was exercising between 30 and 40 hours a week, and dead-set on going to the Olympics.
Yet even though Olympic glory wasn’t in Lakdawala-Flynn’s future — “I grew four inches, I put on 20 pounds, and I wasn’t good enough,” she told Business Insider — the years in the gym still echo in her work on Wall Street.
“The moment I stepped foot on that trading floor, the same competitive juices that I had in gymnastics came out in something else,” she said of her first finance internship at an investment boutique. In her years rising at Goldman, Lakdawala-Flynn said she has relied on the work ethic, grit, perseverance, and need to perform that she mastered during her time as a gymnast. Even though gymnastics is an individual sport, competing on a team in college influenced her ability to form key relationships at Goldman.
“Gymnastics is won in millimeter-level details under pressure, so is working in finance,” Lakdawala-Flynn told Business Insider in an email. She said the same is true of her job: the small, precise changes she makes to models, risk assessments, and client meetings can lead to big advantages.
Athletes
have become an important talent and recruiting pool for Goldman Sachs, which
hired a former NFL star
in 2018 and promoted him to
managing director
in 2022. Business Insider previously spoke to
three former D-1 college athletes
who work at Goldman about how their experiences have helped them
stand out
and get ahead.
“It is a way to differentiate yourself,” Jacqueline Arthur, Goldman’s head of human capital management, previously told Business Insider about why
athletes
are compelling applicants. “These qualities are not just transferable but powerful and directly applicable to the dynamic environment of financial services.”
Those qualities don’t just have to come from sports, though.
Lakdawala-Flynn said that being seriously devoted to any craft can teach the same teamwork and dedication common among many successful people.
“If you have that amount of passion, curiosity, and dedication, and you rise to become one of the best, it’s the same skill sets, whether it’s an athlete or not an athlete,” she said.
Landing a job at Goldman isn’t easy, especially for Gen Zers who are trying to
differentiate themselves
in a challenging job market. The firm received more than 360,000 applicants for its 2025 summer
internship
program, and accepted less than 1% of hopefuls.
Work at Goldman or have a tip? Contact this reporter via email at
atecotzky@insider.com
or Signal at alicetecotzky.05. Use a personal email address and a nonwork device;
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