Faithfully Launching the Next Chapter – Rising Phoenix Spotlight – Me Ra Koh

What happens when you sacrifice everything for twelve years to reach a specific goal…and you don’t get it? Nicole invested twelve years of hurtling down icy tracks as a world-class bobsledder, chasing Olympic glory and pushing limits. But when the roar fades and the adrenaline settles, what comes next?

For Nicole, it’s not an ending. It’s a beginning. This is one of the most bold women you’ll meet!

She’s faithfully launching the next chapter—with courage, with joy, and with an open heart. From athlete to author, from silence to voice, this is a Rising Phoenix story of choosing growth when it would’ve been easier to stay small.

When asked what she sees rising in herself now, Nicole didn’t hesitate. Four powerful truths are shaping her journey:

Launch – “2025 Word, ready to go do it with the book, career change, coaching”

Boldness – “Being on the bobsled at the top of tracks can be scary, I’d always say to myself, “You’re bold, confident, fearless”. And I still am in this new world too!”

Teacher at Heart/Coaching Bobsledding – “How I get to love on people”

Peace – “So much unknown ahead, but there’s peace in the journey.”

These aren’t just qualities. They’re anchors for someone faithfully launching the next chapter, one brave step at a time.

Becoming Who You’re Meant to Be

Nicole’s Rising Phoenix wall art is more than symbolic—it’s a mirror of a woman in motion. One who has risen from seasons of stillness, doubt, and deep transformation. It’s a mirror of her becoming.

“It would be powerful to see my boldness, for sure a motivator! To see “she’s a beautiful girl, not one facet but ONE person who is BEAUTIFUL.”

This is a powerful reminder that her story—every part of it—still matters.

“Now I can look at my pictures and look at myself in the mirror to remind myself each day that’s who I am and that’s who people see. Fun, brave, strong, confident, fearless, beautiful, bold Nicole who is full of peace and encouragement ready to launch into the deep with God,” she shared after having her wall art in her room. And we say “YES!!!!!!”

Her POWERFUL, wise words below give courage to ALL of us! To go for our dreams and believe that no matter what, we will discover gold in the process.

“Process is important. Time is never wasted. I didn’t go to the Olympics, but even if the ultimate goal wasn’t accomplished, those 12 years are not wasted. That’s why it’s important to acknowledge all the pieces of me—because there’s this persistent voice that says the opposite, that I wasted that time. But I didn’t.”

This is a woman faithfully launching the next chapter, carrying her full story—scars and all—into something entirely new.

Faith That Refuses to Quit

Sarah, Nicole’s best friend since 2nd grade, saw what most never will: the grit it takes to keep showing up when no one’s watching.

“We prayed, ‘Lord, help her to be seen,’ because she wasn’t being given favor even though she was doing all the right things. But her faithfulness never wavered.”

Nicole’s life wasn’t shaped by ease—it was shaped by steadiness. Even when favor seemed out of reach, she remained faithful. Quietly. Deeply. With integrity that makes others rise.

“Her strength of character challenges people and forces them to rise up to meet her at that level—or fall away. And the thing is, she doesn’t even do it overtly or with pressure. She just lives with such quiet integrity that it sparks people to want to up their game and walk in more purpose.

She leads by how she lives. And now, she’s faithfully launching the next chapter not with guarantees, but with trust that God’s hand is still on every page.”

Joy You Can’t Fake

Riley, her bobsled BFF, saw joy in Nicole that didn’t depend on podiums.

“When we were competing in the World Championship together in Switzerland, she wasn’t meddling, but she was probably one of the happiest people at the finish line, there was just this pureness and wholeness of joy that she wasn’t assessing herself based off of everyone else, but off of her. And she was so happy to be there and have her family and have the experience. When I looked at her, I was like, “you’re happier than anyone, because you’ve got to just have this experience!” You don’t really see that at this high of a level of sport and competition.”

Nicole doesn’t define herself by comparison. Her joy is rooted in presence, in purpose, in gratitude. And even when things go sideways (like driving stick shift into a German garage height barrier), she finds the humor, the good, the moment worth laughing about.

“She’s quick to find the good in the mess. She brings joy into the wildest moments,” shared Riley.

Joy like that isn’t born from success—it’s born from surrender. From someone faithfully launching the next chapter knowing that joy, not perfection, is the fruit of faith.

A Safe Place to Land

Nicole’s greatest strength? The kind you can’t measure in stats or medals.

“She’s a safe house,” Riley says. “When you’re around her, you feel heard. You feel safe. You can come to her with anything.”

Her mom echoes the same sentiment:

“She gives—her time, her talents, her heart. Nicole instills in them confidence, the belief that you can do it. (Even when she was struggling with it herself because of competition, she would instill belief in others that she saw and needed it for herself.)”

Nicole has always been the one cheering others on—even her competitors. She’s the quiet mentor, the loyal friend, the one who sees what’s rising in you—and speaks life into it.

The Power of Vanilla Faithfulness

For a long time, Nicole believed her story was “too vanilla”—not dramatic enough to matter. Growing up in church, she often heard big, come-to-Jesus testimonies and quietly wondered if her steady walk with Jesus even counted as a story worth telling.

“I’ve been doing life with Jesus since childhood, which helped me avoid a lot of side roads. But I’ve often shrunk back from sharing my story because it seemed boring in comparison.”

For years, she thought the Olympics would be her defining moment—the thing that gave her a platform. When that didn’t happen, doubt crept in.

“Inwardly, I thought going to the Olympics would be my ‘big thing’ that gave me a platform, but then that didn’t happen.”

But during Author School, her mastermind group challenged her to share more than just facts. They reminded her that faithfulness over time, without crisis or collapse, is deeply encouraging to others.

“People also want to know a life without huge moral failures while continually walking with Christ is possible. My life shows what’s possible.”

Nicole is now realizing that the very steadiness she once downplayed is what makes her story powerful. In her words, “People love vanilla.” And as she continues faithfully launching the next chapter, she does so with confidence that her journey—simple, steady, and Spirit-led—has impact far beyond what she imagined.

Whole, Brave, and Walking Forward

This season is more than a pivot—it’s a full embrace of who Nicole is and who she’s becoming.

She’s not just stepping out of one life—she’s stepping into something bigger. A life that includes her voice, her teaching, her laughter, her boldness, and her peace.

The Rising Phoenix portraits, the words, the lives she’s touched—they all testify to a woman walking in quiet strength. Not because she’s figured it all out, but because she believes in what’s rising within her.

She’s faithfully launching her next chapter—and inviting you to consider where you might begin your own.

Step Into Your Story

Nicole’s Rising Phoenix journey is proof of what’s possible when you embrace your story—every chapter of it—with courage and faith. Are you ready to be seen, to walk in wholeness, and start faithfully launching the next chapter of your own life? Let’s begin your Rising Phoenix Experience today.

Ready to rise? Take the first step. DM me on Instagram or message me on Facebook “rise” or fill out our contact here: Rising Phoenix page. Let me know in your contact form that you read Nicole’s story.

Are You Struggling to Find Your Next Chapter?

p.s. If Nicole’s story speaks to you… if you’ve felt the stirring of your next chapter but aren’t sure how to begin… I want to personally invite you to something special. On August 30, I’ll be delivering one of the two keynote talks at the Nexx Chapter Women’s Conference in Dallas—an unforgettable gathering of women who are ready to rise, reclaim their voice, and walk boldly into what’s next.

If you’ve done the healing work… if you’re ready to step forward with purpose and power… this room is for you.

Bring your bestie and get your tickets here; https://www.hernexxchapter.org/
Because your next chapter is meant to be shared.