100. Golden Reflections on 100 Episodes of Wisdom, Growth and Pursuit
Welcome to a monumental 100th episode of the Pursuit of Gold podcast! In this milestone episode, Laura shares her story, her vision, and the invaluable lessons she has gathered from hosting the podcast.
From the momentous start of this podcast in the challenging year of 2020, Laura's mission has been clear: to bring together the tools, knowledge, and inspiration that athletes need to achieve their greatest goals, both in sports and in life. Through insightful conversations with athletes, coaches, and experts from various disciplines, Laura unveils the mental, emotional, and spiritual aspects that fuel champions' journeys. As Laura reflects on her own experiences, you'll discover the wisdom gained from overcoming setbacks, finding new pathways, and redefining one’s identity beyond sports. Her pursuit of gold goes far beyond the physical medals to the pursuit of self-discovery, fulfillment, and resilience.
As you will hear, this 100th episode truly encapsulates the very heart and soul of the Pursuit of Gold podcast, reminding athletes that it's not just about the destination but the incredible journey that transforms them into champions, both on and off the field. Thank you for joining Laura Wilkinson on this epic journey, and here's to the next 100 episodes!
Episode Highlights:
The birth of the Pursuit of Gold podcast
Learning from others
Finding fulfillment in sports and life
The mental game
The pursuit of purpose
Embracing change and growth
Quotes:
"Because as I often say to people, I went to three Olympic games but I only brought home one medal, but it didn't make the other two Olympics failures or regrets or I wish I hadn't gone after it."
"Finding fulfillment in your sport carries a lot of weight outside of your sport, too, outside of the pool or the track or the gym or whatever it is. To find that fulfillment in your sport also helps you feel fulfilled outside of your sport."
"You don't stand up on the podium and become a champion. You have to become a champion in the dark when nobody is watching in those days, weeks, months, years leading up to that moment that you get to stand on top of the podium."
"Gold is a great goal. It is something admirable to work for and to try and achieve. But it's the pursuit that makes you who you are, that makes you incredible."
"You don't get to the top of the podium and suddenly everything changes. You have to change in order to stand on top of that podium. You have to change in the pursuit. It's the pursuit of gold that makes you a champion."
“I want you to grow into the athlete and the person that you want to be. I am your biggest fan.”
“By listening and sharing this show with your friends, you make it possible to continue on and impact so many people. So a huge, heartfelt thank you for listening and for being here and being a ‘Pursuit Peep.’”
Links:
Laura’s Social Media:
75. It's Never Too Late with Aunty Skates
In today’s episode, Laura welcomes Oorbee Roy, also known as Aunty Skates, to the podcast to discuss her journey of becoming a skateboarder in her 40’s as well as her enormous social media success. Together, they discuss the mental and emotional challenges of learning a new sport, overcoming self-doubt, and the impact of Oorbee's positive message on her TikTok followers. Oorbee shares information regarding her upcoming free clinic, "It's Never Too Late to Skate with Aunty Skates", this May in Toronto, which is open to anyone who wants to start skateboarding. She and Laura also discuss the toxic Aunty culture prevalent in South Asian communities and how Oorbee created the character of Aunty Skates to offer a safe space for South Asian women to pursue their dreams.
They go on to explore the sense of belonging that skateboarding can provide to adults, and how it allows adults to step outside their comfort zone and experience the liberating feeling of play, without fear of judgment or criticism. The importance of finding connections with children through shared interests, modeling perseverance and kindness, and investing time in activities with them to build strong relationships and promote healthy development are all topics that are discussed as well. Laura and Oorbee both emphasize the value of being invested in their children's interests and activities to create meaningful connections, and being positive role models online to help children deal with negativity. The episode concludes with a reflection on the joys of parenting and the importance of being present in their children's lives.
Episode Highlights:
Oorbee Roy, and the origin of Aunty Skates
Documenting her skateboarding journey on TikTok
Aunty Skates’ message
Inspiring others to pursue their dreams and live their best lives
Finding joy in the journey and not being too hard on yourself
Offering a safe space for South Asian women to pursue their dreams
The toxic Aunty culture is a result of generational trauma that Oorbee wants to break.
Inspiring others to break down barriers in their own lives.
Stepping outside your comfort zone and experiencing the liberating feeling of play.
How skateboarding has allowed her to parent in a unique and fun way.
Creating special connections with children.
The importance of being invested in children's interests and activities
Modeling perseverance and kindness
The joys of parenting
Celebrating the journey, not just the successes
Giving children the confidence they need to navigate online negativity
Dealing with hate on social media
Building resilience
Quotes:
"It's never too late to live your best life."
"It's really about finding joy in the journey."
"You have to be your biggest fan."
"I think it's really important to inspire people to take that first step."
"I want to be a safe space for young South Asian women to come and know that anything is possible."
"I have compassion for that Aunty generation now, but I don't want to repeat that."
"You hit a spot, a sensitive spot, and something a lot of people needed to hear."
"It's a mental health break that we all need."
"I want to provide that opportunity for people because it's such a joyful experience."
"Watching the surprise on their faces when they land the tricks, and then when they get the high from skating and the endorphins start coming in, I'm like, yeah, I love it, I love it, I love it."
"Every time they see me fall, they see me get back up."
"I do a lot of parenting at the skatepark, which is great. It's great multitasking."
"Finding a connection point with your kids...I think is really invaluable."
"I guess we see each other's journey, and that's one thing I find really special about the skating community."
"I think a lot of it is about confidence."
"I'm out there skating in my sari and I feel like a freaking superhero."
"They see how joyful I am, they see how confident I am."
"Social media is great, and it can be a virus. Like, it can be awful."
Links:
Laura’s Social Media:
Oorbee’s Links:
51. Connecting sport, faith and life with Dr. Chad Carlson & Dr. Brian Bolt
Joining Laura on the podcast this week are Dr. Chad Carlson and Dr. Brian Bolt, two guys from rival schools who came together with a common purpose: to think deeply about sport and faith. They both grew up as competitive athletes and are now coaches and sports scholars, Brian as the Dean of Education at Calvin University, and Chad as a Professor and Director of General Education at Hope College. They have also teamed up to create the ‘Sport. Faith. Life.’ podcast which they describe as ‘a conversation that meets at the intersection of sport and faith’. After hosting the 2nd Global Congress on Sport and Christianity at Calvin University in October 2019, our two guests made a commitment to continue to explore the athletic world through the lens of Christianity, and that is precisely what they do hear today.
In today’s episode, Chad and Brian discuss the connection between sports and faith., concepts like forgiveness, and how sports can become a part of one’s identity. Together, they also delve into viewing sports as a form of play, how not everybody is drawn to the idea of competition, and how sports must be enjoyed at the moment. They conclude by exploring athletes’ mental health and the sense of loss they feel after certain events such as the Olympics, and by discussing how to view sports as a separate space from other things in life. Filled with ideas regarding how to lead with grace, call for truth, and be a light on a very diverse team. Today’s conversation is enlightening, informative, and, above all, one you do not want to miss.
Episode Highlights:
- Competition in sports: the good side and the bad side
- Comparisons that people make while playing sports
- Sports and their impact on one’s identity
- How human beings are meant to be playful
- Forgiveness and the concept of a community
- Selfishness in sports and attributions people make for their successes or failures
- Mental health and sports
- Redemption in sports
Quotes:
‘‘And we see this, especially those who are in Olympic sports, where, you know, it’s not like you play Major League Baseball, where if you don’t do well, one day, you get a chance to the next day, right?”
“And what’s so interesting about athletes or successful people in some ways is that they attribute failure to things outside themselves.’’
“And so, from a faith perspective, I think it’s a reminder to us that when we watch our heroes, we’re watching real people with skin and flesh and people who are dealing with real everyday issues. That’s important for us to remember in the midst of our heroism - the way in which we worship athletes at times, for sure.’’
“And then we also need to take a step back with someone we trust - a coach, a teammate, somebody - and logically look at what happened without the emotion and learn from it instead of just blaming all the time. Because I’ve had teammates who blame judges, who blame this, that, and the other all the time.’’
“If you use your energy to fix what you're doing wrong, instead of blaming other people, you might actually be a better athlete.”
“There are experiences that we have on Earth, that may be glimpses of Heaven, and when we're at play, we're doing something because the joy of it is in the doing. We're experiencing that Kingdom at hand.”
“I have parents that ask me all the time, like, ‘How can I make my kid more passionate?’ and, like, you’ve just got to let them fail. Like, if he fails and he wants to keep going, like, he’ll find the passion.’’
Show Links
Life at 10 Meters: Lessons from an Olympic Champion
5 Smart Strategies to Confidence
Laura’s Social Media:
Connect with Brian and Chad:
48. How to Have a Championship Mindset with Chad Busick
Joining Laura on the podcast this week is Chad Busick, owner of Championship Mindset, an organization that works with both corporate and athletic teams. Chad is a Master Facilitator with Advance Sports Technology, working with college teams at the DI, DII, DIII and NAIA levels as well as high school and competitive teams across various sports. In addition, he is a certified trainer for The Power of Positive Leadership training with The Jon Gordon Companies. Chad is also the host of ‘The Championship Mindset Podcast’ as well as the author of his new book, The Rock Tumbler.
Laura begins by sharing some exciting information about her own new book, and then Chad details his background and his journey to the work he does now, including some of the principles and techniques he employs in that work. Along the way, he shares a number of excellent resources and examples of his philosophy in action, offers valuable advice to athletes and parents alike, and provides a glimpse into his new book. As you will hear, Laura resonates with so much of Chad’s work, and you will undoubtedly do the same with the many lessons revealed here today regarding the world of sport, and, indeed, life in general.
Episode Highlights:
· Laura’s new book
· Chad’s background and his journey to the work he does now
· The Ten Principles of Entelechy and sports mindset
· His Championship Mindset brand and company
· The hardest part of achieving the championship mindset
· Emotional safety
· ‘Taking change by the hand’ during the pandemic
· Jon Gordon’s The Power of Positive Leadership
· Mark Batterson’s Win the Day
· Chad’s Championship Mindset chart and how to apply it
· Working with a team vs. working with an individual
· Chad’s The Rock Tumbler and his favorite lessons from it
· His advice regarding parental involvement
· Jessica Lahey’s The Gift of Failure
Quotes:
“It's the seven fundamentals of mental fitness. I've been a master facilitator with that for the last six or seven years, which has led me now to start my own company called Championship Mindset, and a lot of other things.”
“Whether we're working with corporate clients, whether we're working with athletes, coaches, teams, it's really just focusing on helping them be the best that they can be.”
“This championship mindset is the formula for success in all areas of our lives.”
“At the end of the day, it really comes down to our talent, our hard work, our attitude, our mental toughness, our teamwork, and our passion into everything that we do.”
“The things that I've learned through diving are the very things that helped me in my life outside of the pool.”
“I would say everything for me starts with culture, we have to have the right culture.”
“The first thing that we have to build is we have to build emotional safety.”
“Players don't care about how much you know, until they know about how much you care about them.”
“When we really think about what we've gone through this last 14 to 16 months, what we've really been doing is, we've been grieving.”
“Just be there for your students be there for your players in this moment.”
“It's okay to grieve the dream, but don't stay there.”
“Regardless of those tough events that we go through, we still get to choose how we respond.”
“How you do anything is how you do everything - and to me, that's the core of the championship mindset.”
“How we view the world and more importantly, how we interact with the world, greatly affects what you get out of the world.”
“If you have to go through it, you might as well grow through it.”
“Own your journey, it's your journey, own it to the best that you can.”
“We need to let our kids fail.”
“The most powerful thing that you can say to your athlete when they're done competing is, ‘I love watching you compete. I love watching you play.’ ”
Links:
Life at 10 Meters: Lessons from an Olympic Champion
5 Smart Strategies to Confidence
Laura’s Social Media:
Connect with Chad:
Championship Mindset Instagram
Resources:
31. When the Journey Brings You Full Circle with Olympic Diver and Coach Gabi Chereches
Laura’s longtime friend, Gabi Chereches, joins her for a very special episode this week. Currently a coach at The Woodlands Diving Academy, where he and Laura first met almost 30 years ago, Gabi’s many diving accomplishments include 3 Olympic Games, and 9 NCAA All-American honors. As a coach, he has guided athletes to both Junior and Senior titles and at numerous World Championships, and he was named the 2014 USA Diving Developmental Coach of the Year. Gabi has led an incredible life and he shares his fascinating story with Laura and all of you here today.
Their conversation tracks Gabi’s life and career from his days growing up in Romania through his remarkably successful diving career and up to the current day where he is proving equally successful as a diving coach. In the process, Gabi shares such details as what his life was like during Romania’s revolution, experiencing great success at an early age, his life changing interview at the Barcelona Games, and his move to live in the USA. Learning to speak English, his differing Olympics experiences, his college years, and how he handles tough or disappointing moments in his life are also discussed. Gabi draws the episode to a close by describing the weirdest time in his life, his coaching career and coming full circle in his life, what success means to him now, and by offering some parting advice for athletes and coaches. Laura and Gabi’s close friendship is fully evident in this heartfelt conversation today, as Gabi reviews his remarkable life, the lessons he has learned throughout, and the wisdom he has to offer us all regarding what is truly important in the arenas of both sports and life.
Episode Highlights:
· Gabi’s start in diving
· Growing up in Romania during the revolution
· Enjoying so much success at such a young age
· The impact of his NBC interview at the Barcelona Olympics
· His move to the USA and his American family
· How Gabi learned to speak English
· His differing Olympic experiences
· His college experience
· Gabi’s third Olympics Games
· Handling disappointment
· The weirdest time of his life
· His start and progression as a coach
· Coming full circle
· Gabi’s current definition of success
· His parting words of wisdom
Quotes:
“I still remember my first jump off the 10 meter…it was scary.”
“Diving is a very scary sport sometimes…if you have that ‘no fear’ it helps a lot.”
“I actually appreciate that I went through that because…now that you reflect back, it makes you a better person.”
“When you have a team like that, it becomes your family.”
“It was such a unique experience…it was awesome…I got spoiled pretty quickly.”
“I was watching ‘Beavis and Butthead’.”
“All you guys were pretty tough on me.”
“We’ll call you out when you’re being a punk, you know, but we’re going to love you no matter what you do, for sure.”
“Going into Atlanta, it felt more like home.”
“Going to Tennessee, it was a no-brainer.”
“Unfortunately, I just did not have a great performance in the 2000 Olympic Games.”
“It’s not just one meet – it’s the journey.”
“We’re just going to keep pulling you back in, too.”
“This is how I’m going to give back.”
“If you guide them through that process, then their journey becomes a little bit better, a little bit more family-type feeling for them.”
“You have to figure it out, how to make them feel ready and right in their mind to approach certain skills and certain dives.”
“I’m very lucky that I’m able to experience this.”
“It’s been a cool ride so far.”
“Let’s learn from each other.”
Links:
5 Smart Strategies to Confidence: https://www.laurawilkinson.com/learn
Laura’s Social Media:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lala_the_diver
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheLauraWilkinson
Learn more about Gabi:
Woodlands Diving Team: Woodlandsdiving.org