43. How wisdom and experience are earned with professional cyclist Brad White
Professional cyclist, Brad White, joins Laura on the podcast this week. While working as a teacher, Brad discovered professional cycling somewhat later than most, but enjoyed great success in a very short amount of time. Eventually leaving teaching behind, he went on to compete internationally full time, and, upon retirement from the sport, has found a way to continue to make his passion his livelihood. Filled with wisdom and experience both within the sport and beyond, Brad has much to share with listeners today.
He starts off by recounting his rather unique beginnings in his sport, his transition to becoming a professional rider, and the type of cycling in which he competed. Brad goes on to share details regarding the team aspect of the sport, his preparation for races, the importance of patience in sports, and some of his most memorable moments. His training focus, special awards, definition of success, and transition out of professional cycling are also explored. Brad finishes up with a description of the work he does these days which keeps him connected to the world of cycling. As Laura notes, Brad’s wisdom and experience is ‘hard earned’, and today he demonstrates once again that so much of what is learned through sport is remarkably valuable in so many aspects of life in general.
Episode Highlights:
· How Brad found cycling
· His transition to becoming a professional
· Tours and road racing
· Team selection, training, and roles
· Preparing for races physically and mentally
· Developing patience
· Brad’s most memorable moments
· Where his nickname came from
· Brad’s training program focus
· Some of his special awards
· His definitions of success when he was racing and now
· Brad’s transition out of professional cycling
· Moms in Tow
· Velo Kids
· Velo City Cycles
Quotes:
“The next thing I knew…I was not teaching anymore, I was racing.”
“It's really important that you know your role, you can execute your job, but also that you show up ready.”
“The preparation for each course is going to be different, but kind of the same, and then you're just going to react differently.”
“The overall time is what matters to some riders, but then, to other riders, winning a stage is a big deal.”
“If I need to suffer this that little bit longer, you know, they may give up.”
“I think one of the biggest motivators for me was just not wanting to let down my team, my fans.”
“Patience is a huge part of, I think, all sports.”
“We were just riding so well together all the time, having fun on and off the bike.”
“I think there's definitely something about, even with a training plan, listening to your body and being able to react to what your body is dealing with, and get the most out of your training.”
“Kind of racing stupid made me stronger, made me a little smarter later, but it also got my name out there a little bit.”
“Being able to achieve what you set out to achieve that day is a success.”
“I think the biggest thing for people transitioning out of sports is you don’t need to find the thing right away.”
“The bike has done so much for me within my career but also, you know, mentally, physically, spiritually, it's connected me with people…and it's amazing what I've seen it do for people.”
“With COVID, bikes have been a big hit.”
“The programs we have are to give back to our community and to create experiences for people to use the products that we’re selling them.”
“You can make your sport very much a part of your life and still have that love for it and just bring it out in different ways.”
Links:
5 Smart Strategies to Confidence
Laura’s Social Media:
Connect with Brad:
41. Chess on Bikes with Olympic cyclist Giddeon Massie
Joining Laura on the podcast today is Olympic cyclist Giddeon Massie. Among his many accomplishments are more than 20 U.S. Elite National Titles, Pan American Games Gold and Silver Medals, competing at two Olympic Games, and being selected by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency to participate in a series of public service announcements that promoted clean, honest, and fair competition. Giddeon has also been the Program Manager for an International Education and Mentorship Non-profit organization, called ‘Classroom Champions’, and he remains committed to community outreach.
In today’s conversation, Giddeon shares how he first became involved in cycling, his training experience at the Velodrome, his breakout moment, and his time at the Olympic Training Centre. He goes on to review and compare his Olympic experiences, his perspective on doping in sport, the various cycling events in which he competed, the impact of not qualifying for the 2012 Games, and his transition from his cycling career to his current career in real estate. Giddeon finishes up by offering his sincere and deeply thoughtful advice to athletes in setting and achieving their goals in their sport. Uniquely experienced in the joys and challenges of a life both within the world of an elite athlete and beyond, Giddeon takes this opportunity to share his measured and contemplative insights and advice for the benefit of all listeners here today.
Episode Highlights:
· How he found his way into cycling
· The Velodrome
· Giddeon’s breakout moment
· His time at the Olympic Training Centre
· Comparing his Olympic experiences
· His perspective on doping in sport
· The various cycling events in which he raced
· Failing to qualify for the 2012 Games
· Transitioning from cycling to real estate
· Giddeon’s advice for athletes coming up with dreams and goals
Quotes:
“The sprint disciplines were more intriguing and just looked more fun and appealing to me.”
“It was a gradual progression and I learned from some of the best.”
“You know sometimes you go years without something, and other times you have a year where you have two or three or four falls.”
“We lived that together, and we supported one another, and that was a great, great thing about that space.”
“The whole experience…is pretty overwhelming and special that first time.”
“I feel bad for those people that choose to go that route, but it doesn't impact what I do and how I approach what I do. I sleep comfortably at night.”
“If you don't have a purpose it's kind of like not having a destination.”
“I'm very comfortable in uncertainty because I know that my preparation is such that, if given the opportunity, I'm going to be where I need to be.”
“The individual stuff, it's like, you know, it's chess on bikes.”
“I think every Games has its own lifeblood to it.”
“Watching from the outside…that was very hard.”
“I wasn't ready to be done.”
“Sometimes I tell people I'm a recovering Olympic athlete.”
“You lose some of yourself when you step away from that because not everybody cares about the Olympics and not everybody cares about, you know, what you’ve spent most of your life doing.”
“Okay, what have I learned that I can actually apply here?”
“It starts with having a healthy respect for the sport that you're participating in, for the people that are devoting the time to invest in you, to being willing to accept the critique and the criticism.”
Links:
5 Smart Strategies to Confidence
Laura’s Social Media:
Connect with Giddeon: