Why the Best in the World Never Stops Being a Beginner

When pro beach volleyball player, Corinne Quiggle first set out to build a new episodic series for Ontheside called Try This, the concept came naturally: put her in new situations and let curiosity take over.

In the first episode, Corinne learns to body surf with pro body surfer Adrien Deloffre. Without the comfort of her surfboard, Corinne shows up the way she always does, fully committed and completely unbothered by being the beginner body surfer in the water. For anyone who knows her, it feels less like a new direction and more like a perfect reflection of who she already is. Trying new things has always been part of how Corinne moves through the world.

A Florida Kid Who Tried Everything

Growing up in Florida, the water was always there. The beach was always there. And for Corinne, so was the next sport to try.

She swam. She played soccer. She took dance classes and wanted to do gymnastics until she was told she was already too tall. Her mom played tennis, so she tried that too. She ran track and field in high school, even though, as she'll tell you, she has never been the biggest fan of running.

"I prefer to run while chasing after something," she says. "Volleyball, moving — running with a goal."

Her parents had a rule: you didn't have to stick with a sport after the season ended, but you had to finish what you started. So she finished. And then she tried something else.

To an outside eye, it might have looked like a kid who couldn't make up her mind. It was actually a kid building the strength—and a mindset—to do almost anything.

Can’t Shake The Side Quest

Once volleyball took hold, it took hold in a big way. The other sports got quieter, with some surfing here and there. Outside of the occasional detour though, volleyball was clearly the main event.

And then something shifted.

"After years in my professional time," she says, "I'm like, man, I really love some of these other sports. I really want to try some of these other things."

The side quests were calling again.

Turns out that mentality, "side questing" as she calls it, is central to Corinne’s success. New sports aren’t distractions. They’re not detours. They are all opportunities to stay curious and keep learning. Over time, Corinne realized her side quests were helping her volleyball career too.

The Crossover Effect

Ask Corinne about surfing and she immediately talks about shoulder strength.

"When I'm in really good paddle shape for surfing, I am really strong in my shoulders and I am very comfortable playing a lot of tournaments," she says. "I feel very stable."

She's noticed similar crossover benefits from racket sports, paddle sports, anything that challenges balance and body control. "Beach volleyball is a very dynamic sport," she explains. "Being able to be comfortable in your body and moving it in different ways can only help."

Even sports that seem completely unrelated leave an impression. She recently tried handball while competing in Europe and loved the intensity immediately. "It was such an aggressive contact sport," she says, "and I loved it", which is saying something from an athlete whose primary sport famously avoids contact altogether.

Corrine shared one line that sums it up:

"I've definitely had my 10,000 hours in volleyball. Sometimes I just want the other stimulus."

The side quests aren't pulling her away from volleyball. They're helping her stay energized to play it stronger and longer.

A World of Cultures to Try

Competing internationally means Corinne lands in a new sports culture every few weeks. Most athletes travel to compete. Corinne travels to compete and to absorb everything around her while she's there.

That curiosity extends beyond sports. She's been learning languages, and her reason says everything about how her mind works.

"I love learning about the places we travel to, and language is such a good way to learn about the culture," she says. "Language shapes the way we think — plus people appreciate it when you try."

On the sports side, the list keeps growing. In Brazil, she watched futevôlei, a sport combining soccer and volleyball played on the beach, and couldn't look away. She's honest that she'd be a disaster at it. But even as she talks herself out of being good at it, she circles back: "I think that sport would be really fun."

That's the tell. Corinne rarely says I can't do that. It's more like I can't do that well, and I'd probably still try it.

The Side Quest Life

None of this comes at the expense of her primary work. She's clear about that.

"I still have my time on the sand, plenty of time on the sand. We're still practicing a ton and lifting and doing all that stuff."

She fits the side quests in every chance she gets.

She knows how much they matter. "I think it brings me joy," she says, "and it still can help contribute to my game."

The conventional wisdom in elite sport says find your thing, commit completely, don't get distracted. Corinne Quiggle heard that and, somewhere around the time she was told she was too tall for gymnastics, decided to try everything anyway.

It’s working.

The first episode of Corinne Quiggle's Try This series, created for Ontheside, is now live. Watch Corinne body surfing with pro body surfer Adrien Deloffre here.