The Power of Embracing Support By Olympic Athletes
“What is the unique thinking that leads someone to become an Olympic athlete?” I decided to inquire into that question while I was reading 75 quotes from 2024 Olympic athletes, mostly medal winners, who mentioned factors like:
- Intense focus of attention from start to finish of an event
- The lure of far-fetched, even scary goals
- Disregard for age as a limitation when conceiving dreams
- Deliberate practice for developing unprecedented performance capacity
- Focus on what you can control (and you can’t control the judging)
I expected to hear these factors. I didn’t expect to hear about the incredible power of support from family, friends, coaches, teammates, and even crowds at events. In this newsletter, I’ll use the words of Olympic athletes who convey how they leveraged support a) in the midst of an event and b) over a 16-year Olympic career.
Rose Harvey Finished the Marathon Despite Breaking Her Leg
Great Britain’s Rose Harvey finished 78th in the women’s marathon, out of 91 competitors and 80 finishers. For most marathoners that would be a disappointing outcome. In terms of display of spectacular determination, it could be the most remarkable performance of the Olympics.
Rose Harvey credited her friends, family, and own anxiety about finishing for keeping her running despite a stress fracture in her femur:
“Having so many friends and family out there, it just means so much, to have that support. My fiancé Charlie was there and seeing him in so many parts just kept me going. Every mile, I just thought ‘Right, just run to Charlie, run to when I can see him next, when I can see my friends and family next. The crowds were incredible, and I think the other big thing is I knew deep down if I stopped, I would always wonder ‘What if just could have run an extra mile? I wouldn’t have been able to live with that.”
“Any other race I would have stopped, because I wasn’t able to run like I normally can… and the pain was really bad, but I just had to get to that finish line, I had to do the Olympic marathon.” (source: Tik Tok video)
Big idea: Acknowledging support in the midst of a performance sustains motivation to deliver an unprecedented performance.
Katie Ledecy Credits Support for Sustaining Her Motivation Over 4 Olympics
14 medals—9 gold, 4 silver, 1 bronze. Katie Ledecky has sustained her drive for greatness over four Olympic Games. What role does her ability to attract support play in sustaining her exceptional performance?
At the Pre-Olympic Trails media conference, Ledecy said, “I feel like I enjoy this more and more each year. I think it’s a testament to the people that I have around me, the people that I’ve had around me my whole career in [her hometown of] Bethesda, Maryland, and out at Stanford, and now in Florida. Just really great communities that keep me excited about the sport, great teammates that push me every day, great coaches that believe in me and push me to continue to reach for bigger and bigger goals.”
In addition, Katie provides support to her supporters, especially her teammates.
“I hope that everyone that makes the team feels comfortable asking me questions about my experiences, and I’ll do my best to impart what I’ve learned and just be behind them. That’s the biggest thing, just reminding them that they belong. That was the big thing for me when I was 15. My coach at the time, Yuri, always made a great effort of reminding me at each level — Junior Nationals, Nationals, Trials — reminding me, you belong, you qualified, that you belong on this team. That’s the message I would have. Often the best questions are about training, and I think we all like to pick each other’s brains and learn from each other in training during those training camps. So I’m excited for that.”
Big idea: Be thrilled to empower your supporters. Train with the intensity required to match your supporters’ desire to witness your success.
Ruthlessly Honest Question
When you think back to major successes in your life, what role did support from friends, family, and colleagues play?
What occasions stand out when you’ve been supportive to others?
Reflect on your answers to these questions. What are your key lessons learned from your experiences in receiving and offering support?
Your Heroic Experiment for This Month
What is a significant goal where you’ve fallen short several times? Notice how lack of effective support might be a key missing ingredient.
What individuals and groups could you enroll as supportive coaches, teachers, or raving fans? Take on the experiment of approaching folks you’ve never considered to ask before.
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