84. Keep Moving Forward with Para Rower Andrew Mangan
Laura’s truly remarkable guest this week is Andrew Mangan, an exceptional rower whose journey through adversity is nothing short of inspirational. Born into an athletic family, Andrew's passion for rowing bloomed alongside his siblings' quests for sporting excellence. However, when he was just 17 years old, a profound spinal cord injury left him paralyzed from the chest down, altering his trajectory. Through candid narration here today, Andrew walks listeners through the pivotal moments of that transformative night, his arduous route to recovery, the emotional difficulties he has faced, and his quest to qualify for the 2024 Paralympics.
As you will hear, with resolute determination, he has seized each incremental victory, masterfully turning challenges into opportunities while pursuing his dreams. Along the way, he has also taken the time to create a spinal cord outreach platform, and author a book about brain computer interfaces - a topic of crucial importance to him. Andrew’s odyssey of surmounting daunting challenges to achieve his goals resonates as a testament to indomitable resilience and unwavering determination. His journey from grappling with a life-altering spinal cord injury to scaling the precipice of Paralympic aspirations paints a vivid picture of the human spirit's triumph over adversity. Listen in to this fascinating conversation today and witness how the ripples of life's trials are navigated with skillful grace, morphing aspirations into gleaming realities, beckoning with the allure of gold. Be sure to tune into this captivating Pursuit of Gold dialogue filled with inspiration and insights that once again transcend the arena of sports, empowering us all to face multifaceted challenges in every aspect of our lives with unshakable resolve.
Episode Highlights:
Andrew Mangan's story of his triumphant path of recovery and personal growth after a life-altering spinal cord injury
Confronting an uncertain recovery journey
Establishing "Connecting the Resilient"
Andrew's pursuit of Paralympic dreams
Imparting universal lessons in mental resilience, adaptability, and transforming adversity into purpose
Andrew’s unwavering determination to transcend challenges and discover purpose
His choice to study abroad and explore personal growth in Berlin
Andrew's journey to Paralympic qualification
Quotes:
"You have to have hope, and then you also have to have action that follows that hope."
"It's beneficial to control the things you can control."
"If you put in the work now, especially the closer I am to my injury, the more likely I'll maximize the amount of recovery that I can get."
"Our attitude is something that we always have control over."
"If you give a little bit past what you think you can every day, then that will show itself in a couple of months' time."
"For me, when I had this injury, I just kept going forward, I guess is the biggest message, and doing it with a positive attitude."
"Being able to row is one thing and get on the water and train, but being able to actually compete again and compete against someone is a whole 'nother ballgame."
"It's not the adversity itself, but rather how you respond to it that defines you."
Links:
Grab the Top 10 Mental Skills Guide!
Laura’s Social Media:
Connect with Andrew:
62. Praying for Rain with Two-Time Olympic Medalist Michael Hixon
Today, Laura is joined by Michael Hixon, an American diver and two-time Olympic medalist. The pair open up the episode to talk about Hixon’s abnormally young introduction to sports. Growing up with two parents that were collegiate coaches, he was practically raised on the basketball court and in the pool, but it wasn’t until his eighth grade year that he decided to pursue diving full time. It would soon be a career full of seemingly unachievable goals, Olympic success, and unusual circumstances. Michael, however, remains humble and expresses his gratitude for his parents, especially his mother, in that they never pressured him to play the sport for the wrong reasons.
He raves about the importance of purpose based performance, and how his parents taught him that true success is hardly ever achieved when you compete for the wrong reasons. These lessons helped guide him on his Olympic journey and during his initial introduction to synchro, which, afterall, was fairly different compared to his experience previously competing alone. It was during this time period that Michael feels he honed his skills the most, perhaps due to the help of his coaches, his teammate, Andrew, or the ‘Pray for Rain’ speech from a former Olympian. Laura and Mike draw this episode to a close as they talk about embracing hiccups and mishaps - if you welcome adversity into your life, you transform your mindset.
Episode Highlights:
Hixon’s young introduction to sports
Growing up with parents who coach for a living
Feeling behind during his junior career
Why unrealistic goal setting is a strong suit for Hixon
The importance of having someone believe in you
Proving others wrong
Purpose based performance
Grounds for transferring universities
The redshirt process going into the Olympics
Hixon’s experience with synchro
Olympics in Rio
Praying for Rain
The Olympics during Covid
Quotes:
“I grew up in a gym and a pool. I actually refused to go to kindergarten my first year, because I was having so much fun, and there was no way that anyone was going to ever get me to sit in a classroom when, prior to that, all I had done was play all day.”
“Eighth grade was when I wanted to quit playing basketball. I wanted to go fully into diving, but when you stopped growing at five foot eight, your decision’s kind of made for you.”
“I was diving alone in a pool with my mom and that was very isolated, absolutely. Then the other side of that is I got to go play basketball with my friends, and that was a social outlet as well - it was a ton of fun to be a part of a team.”
“I thought you know, ‘If I'm going to chase this guy and have the success that he's had, and get onto that international level the way he has at a young age, I've got a lot of work to do.’ To be honest, chasing him was one of the easiest ways to get better. When you have a really high standard and you hold yourself to that, that's going to push you forward quickly.”
“There is a difference between fear based performance and purpose based performance, and you are talking about a purpose. You had meaning to this, not pressure, not expectation. You had a purpose doing it for somebody else– something bigger than yourself.”
“I think maybe the wrong reason to transfer is maybe if you think everything's supposed to be just 100% perfect, and exactly what you envision. It's just not, and understanding that going into that is important.”
“Whether it was this crazy wind that's blowing over, you know, the backdrop at Rio, the green pool, the food, or all these crazy little wrenches thrown into what would have been a perfect plan, we were excited for that. We weren't just okay with it. We were like, ‘This is great’.”
“I got off the airplane from Rio…I was listening to pump up music on the flight back. I was just so excited for what was next, and I ended up really burning myself out that next year a little bit for that reason; not taking time to maybe allow that whole situation to sink in and give respect to what had happened.”
“I might wake up tomorrow, and I'm going to find out at the same time as everybody else. I'm going to wake up tomorrow, and the Olympics are going to be canceled, you know. All this work, what was it for?”
Pursuit of Gold Podcast is brought to you by Kaatsu Global
Links:
Life at 10 Meters: Lessons from an Olympic Champion
Laura’s Social Media:
Connect with Michael:
29. Finding the positive side of challenges with Paralympic Champion Allysa Seely
Joining Laura on today’s episode is the incredibly inspiring American Paralympic champion, Allysa Seely. Diagnosed with a combination of brain, spinal and connectivity disorders which eventually led to the amputation of her left leg below the knee, Allysa responded by going on to become a 3-time World Champion and a Paralympic Gold Medalist. Despite the challenges presented by her ongoing medical concerns, Allysa continues to persevere, and is currently training with an eye to competing in the Tokyo Paralympic Games in 2021. Hers is a story of exemplary commitment, resilience, and determination, and she shares it all with Laura here today.
They begin by discussing the story behind the unique spelling of Allysa’s name and her DIY projects, which gives just a taste of her remarkable commitment to achievement. Allysa then shares the details of her start in the triathlon, her diagnosis and its ongoing impact, her journey as a paratriathlete and the great success she has achieved therein, as well as her preparation for the upcoming Paralympics. She also discusses the importance of her team, her unique nutrition necessities, her ESPN Body Issue experience, and how she is feeling these days since a recent stint in the hospital. Make no mistake, Allysa’s story is not solely about her diagnosis and the impact it has had upon her life. It is about having the steely resolve to recognize challenges, meet them head on, and go beyond simply overcoming them to actually using them as fuel to achieve even greater results, rendering Allysa Seely a truly inspiring example for everyone to follow not only in sport but in every aspect of life.
Episode Highlights:
· Some of Allysa’s DIY projects
· Her start in the triathlon
· Allysa’s diagnosis of Chiari II malformation, its symptoms, and her reaction to it
· Her brain and spine surgery, rehabilitation, and return to running
· How her science background has helped her
· Transitioning from triathlon to paratriathlon
· Her amputation and returning to racing
· Her World Championships and Paralympics experiences and their impact
· Allysa’s team
· Nutrition, sleep and recovery for her
· Allysa’s training schedule
· Her ESPN Body Issue experience
· How the Tokyo Games postponement has affected Allysa
· How she is feeling these days since her last hospital stay
Quotes:
“I really just fell in love with the challenge and the camaraderie and the exhilaration of the sport so I haven’t left yet.”
“The bike has definitely been the lasting challenge for me…I have a love/hate relationship with it.”
“The back part of my brain – the cerebellum – is not actually in my skull, it’s herniated into my spinal column.”
“It’s not super common, so there’s many times I’m explaining it to medical professionals as well.”
“I ran my first 5K as an amputee in December after losing my leg in August.”
“Learning to walk and run was actually easier than when I had my foot.”
“I do think very little was expected of me.”
“People who believe in you, but yet love you whether you win or lose, right?”
“My neurological disability is absolutely more challenging than the amputation.”
“Because of the injury to my brain, my body is not able to digest food like most others do.”
“For the first time in my life, we’ve been able to…fully support my training, build muscle mass, and not worry about my weight throughout the season as much.”
“Nutrition is so important to achieving your best.”
“Not a single person cared that I was unclothed.”
“I’ve had a really rough year this year.”
“All in all, I think it might have worked out okay for me. Hopefully, next year’s going to be way better.”
“We can’t change the cards we’re dealt, and so we just have to make the best of what we have…those who are able to cope with the changes and stay on track and stay motivated are the ones that are going to find the most success next summer.”
“Although these few months have been hard, I don’t think it counts me out. If anything, it lights more of a fire under me to prove that I can overcome this and everything else thrown my way to be the athlete and the competitor that I want to be.”
“Impossible is a dare.”
Links:
Mental Training: https://www.laurawilkinson.com/learn
Laura’s Social Media:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lala_the_diver
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheLauraWilkinson
Connect with Allysa:
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/triallysa/
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/allysaseelytriathlete/
27. How to be resilient through adversity & improve performance with Dr. Ben Houltberg
Dr. Benjamin Houltberg, VP of Research and Practice at Search Institute, is Laura’s very special guest on today’s episode. Ben is a developmental scientist, and an experienced licensed marriage and family therapist, as well as a former elite athlete. He is widely published in topics such as the socialization of adolescent emotion regulation, promoting resilience through adversity, character, and identity development in sports. As you will discover, he is also well versed in the practice of Mindfulness, and he is here to share his vast amount of experience, knowledge, and advice with you today.
Ben begins by sharing his journey from his first interest in sports and his running career, through to his current position, and then offers a thorough analysis of both performance based and purpose based identity, as well as the continuum between them. From this analysis, he expands upon performing out of fear and coping with it, mental health, his perspective on overcoming the challenges that this past year has provided, and the importance of gratitude and positive emotions. While examining the foundation for dealing with adversity, Ben explains the concept of Mindfulness, and actually leads Laura and our listeners through an exercise. He finishes the conversation discussing virtue development and high performance and sharing his advice for young athletes. Ben’s overriding belief that we are all of value, not because of our performance, but because of who we are, is evident throughout this inspiring episode. His is an impactful and important message for absolutely everyone to hear and to heed.
Episode Highlights:
· Ben’s journey from his start in sports to his current position
· Performance based identity, purpose based identity and the continuum between the two
· The impact of ‘performing out of fear’ and recognizing when you are struggling with it
· Steps to follow for coping with the fear
· Emotional regulation and co-regulation
· Mental health in the world of sport and society in general
· Michael Phelps’ ‘Weight of Gold’ documentary
· Ben’s observations and guidance regarding 2020 and moving forward from it
· The importance of feeling gratitude and expressing it to others
· The impact of positive and negative emotions
· 3 foundational aspects to preparing for adversity
· Mindfulness and its importance
· A mindfulness activity
· Virtue development and high performance
· A study regarding the impact of negative emotions and connection
· Ben’s advice to young athletes
Quotes:
“My same exhilaration for sports began to transfer over to my desire to want to understand how the mind works and how relationships work.”
“In the process of trying to study this, I experienced my own kind of healing in some of the wounds that I experienced as an athlete.”
“When results start to get wrapped up as the main definer of your self-worth, then it has devastating consequences.”
“I really firmly believe that there’s a lot of athletes who ‘choke’ or ‘bonk’, or whatever you want to call it, that really comes from an overstimulated sympathetic nervous system.”
“Often, our body responds even before we are able to process it cognitively.”
“Our external lives and relationships and stressors all can have positive or negative consequences physiologically on us.”
“We deal with stress and pain better when we have a purpose that’s bigger than ourselves.”
“These athletes that have this more purpose based identity, they achieve at really high levels as well, but they don’t have the consequences of high levels of depression or anxiety or shame.”
“Throughout history and throughout research, we just do better when we’re connected to others and we have this connection to some type of transcendent purpose.”
“What do I value? What is most important to me?”
“Relationships are so powerful for our emotional health.”
“How can I serve the people around me right now?”
“The foundation of the self becomes really important…the mindset skills are also really important.”
“Invest in your relationships – in healthy ones.”
“Being mindful in your day-to-day is really just…a non-judgmental awareness of being in the present moment.”
“For me, breath also represents a connection to God or even for some people to everybody around them, the source of life.”
“You are valued. You are loved. You are known. You are free. And your worth does not depend on your performance. And you have something to offer this world that nobody else can take away…there’s a purpose in what you can contribute to those around you.”
“When we do have that solid foundation, we are able to also give our best, and I think that’s where virtue development and high performance come together.”
Links:
Mental Training: https://www.laurawilkinson.com/learn
Laura’s Social Media:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lala_the_diver
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheLauraWilkinson
Connect with Ben:
Search Institute: https://www.search-institute.org/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drbenhoultberg/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/benhoultberg
4. Softball is back on the Olympic schedule and so is Cat Osterman
Laura welcomes three-time National Player of the Year, four-time All-American, and two-time Olympic medalist in softball, Cat Osterman, to the podcast today. Cat is an incredibly successful, multiple record-holding pitcher who is now an Assistant Coach at Texas State, and is coming out of retirement to play for Team USA at the Tokyo Olympics next year now that softball has been reinstated.
In this episode, Cat describes her start in softball, her journey to becoming a star at the University of Texas, and her experiences at both the 2004 and 2008 Olympics. She also shares her standout collegiate career moment, the difference between pro and college ball, and softball’s fluctuating status with the Olympics. Her coaching career, her return to softball, and how she and her team are handling these unusual times are also explored, and she offers some sage advice for up and coming athletes when dealing with adversity such as this pandemic. Cat Osterman is an elite athlete possessing a vast amount of knowledge, skill, and insight regarding both sport and life in general, and you will be educated, informed, and inspired as you listen in on this conversation today.
Episode Highlights:
Cat’s start in softball and her journey to the University of Texas
Cat’s road to the Olympics and her advice for others doing the same
Her first Olympic Games adventure in 2004
Cat’s standout moment from her collegiate career
The difference between pro and college ball
Her second Olympics in 2008
Softball’s changing status with the Olympic Games
The coaching/playing relationship
Cat’s situation when the pandemic struck and how she and her team are navigating it
Her advice to young athletes handling adversity
Quotes:
“That 2004 group was a special group, how we kind of gelled and worked together.”
“When we’re immersed in this sport and it’s what you love to do…you almost do anything to make sure it happens.”
“Keep your eye on your goal, and remember to do your part towards that goal.”
“With team…you also love bronze, because you’re winning the bronze, whereas a silver, you’re losing the gold.”
“Everything we preach to our kids, we have to remember it applies to ourselves as well.”
“In just being a teammate and communication-wise, I think coaching has helped me be a better player more than playing has helped me be a better coach again.”
“Control what you can control.”
Links:
The Pursuit of Gold homepage: http://thepursuitofgold.com/
Cat’s homepage: https://www.catosterman.com/
Cat’s instagram: https://www.instagram.com/catosterman/