Three Lessons I Learned From The 2016 Summer Olympics

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Leading up to the 2016 Olympics in Rio, I was looking forward to seeing if Michael Phelps would once again dominate in the water. I was particularly excited to watch 16-year-old swimmer Penny Oleksiak from my neighbourhood in Toronto (plans for a community celebration is underway).

Watching the athletes and hearing about their stories got me thinking about what can I learn from them and apply in my life.

I can only imagine the intense pressure elite athletes are under – from family, friends, coaches, sponsors, media, and of course themselves.  During the Olympics there are entire countries watching and rooting for you.

What happens if we lighten the pressure?

When I think about Penny, and how this was her first Olympics, perhaps she did so well in Rio because this wasn’t supposed to be her games.  I read that the original plan was for her to go to Rio to get used to the “big stage, bright lights and media attention”. 2017 was the year she was going to get serious about competing, and begin working toward the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. There was no pressure to win.  Yet her hard work paid off and she won four medals in swimming – a gold, silver and two bronze!

Lesson learned: Reset expectations and embrace change 

 

Many of us set goals and strive for greatness, but it’s easy to get overwhelmed and distracted along the way, and ultimately lose focus on what you really want to achieve.

When watching the swimming competitions, I couldn’t help but notice how many swimmers were entering the arena with headphones on and drowning out the cheering crowd. These athletes were in the zone – and wanted to stay there.

In addition to seeing physical prowess, I was in awe of the mental strength and focus these athletes possess.  I wondered about the years of training they do to not only get their bodies in top shape, but also get their mind ready to compete.

Lesson learned: Practice tuning out distractions

 

It’s heart breaking to see any athlete fumble during competition, and at the elite level an accident could be career ending. So when I saw New Zealand runner Nikki Hamblin and US runner Abbey D’Agostino collide and fall to the ground during the semi-finals of the women’s 5,000 metre I held my breath.

Then I saw the human spirit in action.

While Hamblin was on the ground, D’Agostino put a hand on her shoulder and helped her to her feet, then D’Agostino’s knee buckled and it was Hamblin that returned the support. The pair continued racing and crossed the finish line (despite finishing last officials gave them both the go ahead to compete in the finals; and Hamblin will run, but unfortunately D’Agostino is too injured).

Lesson learned: You can compete and cooperate at the same time

 

The 2016 Olympics will close on August 21, and this brings to mind the idea of celebration: honouring accomplishments and feeling grateful for achievements. I’m curious how these amazing athletes come down from the adrenaline-high (but that’s for another blog post).

 

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