103. Precision Path to Gold with 4 time Olympic Champion Swimmer Ryan Murphy
Laura’s guest this week is none other than six-time Olympic Medalist and World Record holder, Ryan Murphy, who details his simply remarkable journey to, and within, the world of elite swimming. From his early days in the pool, following in the footsteps of his competitive siblings, to becoming an internationally revered leader in the realm of swimming, Ryan’s steadfast dedication, intense focus, and unmatched work ethic have elevated him to the status of a true champion in the sport. In today’s very special episode, he and Laura cover it all, including what’s next in his formidable journey, in particular, his preparation for the upcoming 2024 Olympics.
Throughout the episode, listeners become privy to valuable insights into the life and mindset of an Olympic champion, as this legendary duo explores such themes as building confidence, managing distractions, handling pressure, and the importance of teamwork. They dive deep into the world of competitive swimming and uncover the invaluable lessons it has to offer, including the significance of perseverance, resilience, and the pursuit of excellence in the face of extraordinary challenges. You definitely do not want to miss this fascinating conversation that provides a rare and invaluable glimpse into the mental and physical preparation that goes into reaching the pinnacle of athletic achievement, achieving Olympic glory, and, above all, pursuing and fulfilling your dreams.
Episode Highlights:
Ryan Murphy and his road to the highest levels of swimming
Race prep and mindset coaching for confidence
Managing race day anxiety and Olympic pressure
The emotional rollercoaster from selection to Olympic gold
The significance of the 100 backstroke for Team USA
An in-depth look at the 100 backstroke race strategy
The elation of winning Olympic gold
Ryan’s dedication in the challenging 200 backstroke
His thrilling world record relay experience with Michael Phelps
Preparing for the 2024 Olympics
Quotes:
"I just wanted to be the best at everything."
"If I perform the way that I'm capable of, I'll make the team."
"You can't just show up to the meet and expect to be able to focus. You have to practice that focus leading up to it and know what you're going to focus on."
"In the ready room, you might be nervous, but that's just the baseline of the room."
"I'm a product of some of the people I've been around and the people that have helped me."
"That's the Olympics; when you're five years old, you see that. Being able to achieve something you had very loose dreams of when you're young, that's a really cool thing to fulfill."
"I've never gotten out and been like, 'I shouldn't have pushed myself so hard.'"
"That was special for everyone. We knew that was Michael's last race. To have the icon of your sport swimming with you in his last race, that's really special."
"I think there's just really quality people in the sport. I really do appreciate that."
"The goal for me is always very simple: I like to win. At the same time, if I'm second in the world or third in the world, that's something to be really proud of."
"You have to do what's best for you."
"Maintaining a healthy perspective is crucial."
Links:
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Connect with Ryan:
71. How to be Champion Minded with Allistair McCaw
In this week’s episode, Laura welcomes Allistair McCaw, a best-selling author and speaker who is recognized as one of the world's foremost figures in leadership, team culture, and mindset. Throughout his 30-year-long career, Allistair has worked with some of the most successful athletes and organizations in the world, from Olympians and Paralympians to World Champion Athletes and Grand Slam Champions. He’s also a 29-time marathon finisher and a former five-time world championship competitor in the sport of triathlon. Today, Allistair is committed to his lifelong purpose of teaching, inspiring, and motivating others to be champion minded and achieve their full potential.
In this episode of the Pursuit of Gold podcast, Laura and Allistair dive deep into the growth mindset of professional athletes. Allistair begins by discussing the biggest struggles that athletes face today and explains the key difference between choice and sacrifice. As he nicely puts it, when you’re passionate about something, it’s not a sacrifice; it’s a choice. Then, Allistair goes on to explain the importance of learning to deal with failure and overcoming perfectionism as an athlete. Being a perfectionist won’t get you far in sports, but embracing failure will. Next, Laura and Allistair talk about the power of vision, the importance of developing self-leadership, and the differences between excellence and success. If you want to learn more about being champion minded, make sure you tune into this episode to hear what Allistair has to say.
Episode Highlights:
Allistair’s background
The biggest struggles that athletes face today
Choice vs. sacrifice
Embracing failure and overcoming perfectionism
The inspiration behind Champion Minded
The importance of vision for professional athletes
The differences between team sports and individual sports
The importance of developing leadership skills
Why authenticity is key for coaches
Excellence vs. success
The power of the growth mindset
Quotes:
“We all know that progress is different for every single athlete. Sometimes you'll have spurts of growth, sometimes, you'll have spurts of confidence, which helps, and so on and so forth. But we're all on a different journey. ”
“Nobody can make you hungry. No one can give you a passion. No one can tell you to enjoy it more. That really comes from within.”
“You're not always going to feel like a million dollars. You're not always going to jump out of bed in the morning and can't wait to go to practice. It's impossible, no matter how dedicated or passionate you are. So for me, it was that vision or that purpose of wanting to be a champion one day, wanting to be the best I could be - that's what got me through those tougher days. ”
“It has to come from within. You can't make somebody passionate. You can't make somebody do something that they don't necessarily want to do.”
“You can't lead others if you're not leading yourself effectively.”
“I believe that great coaches, great leaders are more about excellence than about success.”
“Enjoy it; that's the most important thing. And I know that's very hard when you're in the middle of it, and especially when things aren't going well, but the journey is the most important thing about it.”
“All the hard work, no matter what level you get to, no matter what your destiny is, it will never go unused; it will always be worthwhile because these are qualities that you learn in sports that will help you afterward in your relationships and in business and corporate, whatever direction you go into.”
Links:
Grab the Black Friday Catalog!
Laura’s Social Media:
Connect with Allistair:
69. How to Effectively Implement Visualization with Our Host Laura Wilkinson
On today’s episode, Laura’s talking about one of the things she gets asked about most frequently: visualization. Laura credits this technique as a big part of why she was able to make the Olympic team and win gold when no one else expected her to. Having seen other athletes succeed with this approach, she adopted it as a way to continue training after shattering her foot three months before the Olympic Trials, making an opportunity out of that forced sidelining. Visualization has remained part of Laura’s personal toolset, and she uses that experience in this episode to explain what the technique is and walk us through how to get started visualizing in a way that will actually make a difference.
Visualization is defined as purposely rehearsing a skill, routine, or performance in your mind to program your body physically for success. Practicing it consistently becomes a fortifying competition strategy, rewiring your brain to prepare it to deal with all the different factors that come into play while competing. Laura explains that there are a few different ways to visualize, including first and third-person versions, which contribute different effects and should be used in conjunction with each other. She also points out the importance of engaging all your senses while visualizing to better immerse your brain and make changes more easily. Laura then shares some how-to basics for those wishing to start visualizing, from giving yourself a set amount of time to practice, to making sure you have a quiet place to visualize in, and starting with the approach that comes most naturally to you. And finally, Laura finishes the episode with some tips and tricks for beginners, including practicing frequently and consistently, mixing things up every day, and using video study to enhance your visualization.
Episode Highlights:
Laura’s personal experience with visualization
What visualization is
Types and elements of visualization
How-to visualizing basics
Tips and tricks for getting started with visualization
Quotes:
“When I burst onto the scene winning an unexpected Olympic victory—well, unexpected to everyone else—the story that was being told was centered around me having shattered my foot before the Olympic trials and being unable to physically train. So I visualized, and that not only helped me make the Olympic team, but I consider it a big part of the reason that I was able to stand atop the podium and listen to my national anthem play.”
“The more senses that you engage, the more your mind starts to believe that you’re really doing the activity. You’re actively rewiring your brain on how to fire and react when you’re doing specific movements and techniques. So the more real it is to you, the more real it is to your brain, and the more effective changes you can actually make.”
“People say practice makes perfect, but really, practice makes permanent. So if you’re practicing or thinking about or visualizing the wrong actions, that’s what you are making into concrete in your brain. So you really want to make sure, as you’re visualizing, that you take the time to think about doing all the things, all the tiny, little details, correct because that’s what you are programming in your brain.”
“These visualizations of the competition scenarios, it just allows you to put yourself in so many different situations that maybe you don’t have the actual time to be going out and doing the thirty different competitions against the same people to see how you would stack up in different scenarios. But you can do that in your mind.”
“Make sure that you’re keeping this positive. This is not a place to beat yourself up or to get frustrated. This is a place to learn, to experiment, and to see yourself doing all these awesome and amazing things that you’ve dreamed of doing.”
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:
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:
56. Becoming Turbulence Tough with Record-Breaking Pilot Ryan Campbell
When he was just nineteen, Ryan Campbell flew 24,000 nautical miles on thirty-five stops in fifteen countries in just seventy days and was recognized as the first teenager in history to fly around the world solo by the Guinness Book of World Records. His critically-acclaimed book Born to Fly, which detailed this amazing journey, was nationally celebrated, and Ryan was on top of the world… until tragedy struck. At twenty-one, Ryan barely survived a devastating, life-changing plane crash, suffering broken bones from head to toe that left him in hospital for five months, followed by eighteen months of rehabilitation. Yet, refusing to accept his doctors’ diagnosis of paraplegia, Ryan fought back, using his desire to fly again as fuel for his painful yet triumphant recovery. In this episode, Ryan shares his journey from record-setting victory to backbreaking defeat and how he developed the mindset and toolbox necessary to ride out life’s toughest bumps.
Ryan starts the conversation by sharing how he fell in love with flying and set about making it his career before hitting upon the idea to break a world record. He lets us in on the process of fundraising a quarter of a million dollars at just nineteen while gaining flight experience and gives us insight into the remarkable, record-breaking flight itself, including the incredible sights and how he kept his head under pressure. Ryan then provides an emotional account of the plane crash that nearly killed him and left him diagnosed as paraplegic, stuck in hospital with a long journey of recovery in front of him. He tells us how he drew inspiration and learned perspective from a fellow patient and developed the mindset toolbox, the idea that we all have a mental toolbox we can fill with tools to help us navigate change, challenge, crisis, and adversity. He also explains how his own toolbox helped him not only become tough and lean into his recovery but also to accept and adjust to long-term disability without letting it hold him back. In fact, he was even able to get back in the cockpit and fly again, keeping that intrinsic part of himself that he almost lost. Finally, Ryan tells us about his plans to get married, his move into motivational speaking, and why a pink Cadillac has become an important symbol for his attitude toward life.
Ryan’s resilience, determination, and fighting spirit are sure to inspire as he shares his emotional and uplifting journey from glory to tragedy and back to happiness.
Episode Highlights:
How Ryan fell in love with flying and set about becoming a pilot at fourteen
Ryan’s first solo flight at fifteen
Planning a record-breaking flight
Fundraising $250,000 while building flight experience
Flying over water for the first time by pointing the airplane at the Pacific Ocean
Pushing the limits of man and machine
How Ryan and his crew keep their heads together during the flight by doing things one step at a time
How it felt to land having broken the world record
Working out what to do next
The plane crash that nearly cost Ryan everything
Tackling adversity, starting recovery, and learning perspective
Developing the mindset toolbar
Adjusting to disability
Getting back in the cockpit
What Ryan’s up to now
The Pink Cadillac
Quotes:
“So we’re actually invited to go up and visit a cockpit as three young boys, and I tell you what, that’s pretty incredible. Eyes wide, amazed at the buttons and switches, super-stoked to meet the pilots, I thought they were the coolest people that ever walked the Earth. And that was it, that was the day that six-year-old Ryan discovered his passion, and that would be all things aviation.”
“Fifteen years old, this kid’s flying an airplane on his own, and I was jealous. Like, I was envious, I couldn’t believe this was legal. It just blew my mind.”
“The day that I turned fifteen, I went to the airport, I practiced some takeoffs and landings with my flying instructor. And then he told me to take him back to the hangar, not to shut the airplane down. He got out of that airplane, did up his seatbelts, he took his headset. He said, ‘Don’t forget to lock the door, go and have fun.’”
“I saw something I wanted, I started to kind of research how to do it, I put a plan in place, I worked really, really hard, I gave up on a bunch of stuff to be able to make it happen and ultimately found success in that. And that was a pretty powerful lesson to have when you’re fifteen.”
“I went to Google, and I googled ‘how to fly solo around the world,’ right? Legitimate Google search.”
“At that point, it wasn’t about precision. It was just about progress, doing something.”
“I often tell people, I don’t know if you’ve ever tried to rent a car at an airport under the age of twenty-five, it’s very, very hard. Under the age of twenty-one, it’s borderline impossible, right? But trying to rent a million-dollar, single-engine airplane at seventeen, eighteen, nineteen to fly it around the world was an incredibly tough sell.”
“At the end of the day, we had to take 24,000 miles and split it up into not just legs but little tasks. So this wasn’t a 24,000-mile flight around the world. This was thirty-five A-to-B flights that happened to connect the dots around the globe, but then every single flight was broken down into jobs.”
“What really mattered was the impact we had on some many different people.”
“The reality was that my entire life had changed. The very thing that had given me my identity and made me who I was, at that point in time, was now the very thing that had taken it all away.”
“I’d been to the top. And even though I couldn’t see it then, I look at this as my biggest gift: I had now been to the bottom. And the opportunity to compare those two, to ask ourselves a couple of really important questions, where do we truly learn what makes us the very best version of ourselves? They are the powerful questions that I had now the real-life experiences to pull apart and find myself.”
“Adversity is a byproduct of breathing, and turbulence is a part of life. And it comes down, at the end of the day, to how tough and resilient you are and how willing you are to tackle the mountain that’s ahead and get up every single time you’re knocked down. And it comes back to understanding that resilience is a learned and refined skill.”
“Every day in hospital, I could go to the gym, and I could move a muscle, and I could build strength, and I could see progress. That progress is what gave purpose to the pain. Right? That’s what made me get up the next day, get back in the wheelchair, go back to that rehabilitation gym.”
“Every single one of us is born with a toolbox. It’s really big, it has drawers and wheels, we take it with us wherever we go in life. Now, the aim of the game is to fill that toolbox with tools, tools that we can use to navigate change, challenge, crisis, and adversity, right? To make us turbulence tough.”
“I’m now walking independently and shuffling around, kind of, you know, getting where I want on my own two feet. The way that we arrived at that point was by kind of making a pact and understanding that no one was going to give me, you know, a great outcome. I had to work for it.”
“You have to kind of come to terms with aviation from a different set of eyes. That it is safe. It is incredible. It is part of who I am. And you know, to be back up there is what ultimately was the end goal, and we made it happen.”
“We like to say go and do something that, you know, may not be logical, you know, may not be financially sensible, but it makes you smile like a kid. Once you do that, you start to show up better in all areas of your life.”
Links:
Life at 10 Meters: Lessons from an Olympic Champion
Laura’s Social Media:
Ryan’s Social Media:
55. Creating Opportunity with 8 time Olympic Medalist Coach Jane Figueiredo
On today’s episode, Jane Figueiredo joins Laura Wilkinson to discuss her long standing career as a one-time Olympian and diving coach for the British and Russian Olympic teams and the University of Houston. Among her many accomplishments, Jane was named the NCAA Diving Coach of the Year four times and has coached a number of international divers, including multiple divers, including Tom Daley, to Olympic medals.
She opens the episode by recounting how she made the leap from her home in Zimbabwe to Houston, as well as her experience of becoming a diving Olympian for team Portugal before becoming a coach. Jane goes on to discuss her coaching career, attributing much of her success in this field to being in the right place at the right time. She also highlights what she learned by working with the Russian Olympic Diving Team, and also by working with Tom Daley. Taking a note from Laura’s book, Jane notes that she has started valuing the importance of mental preparedness more, and encouraging her athletes to focus less on medals, and more on striving to be the best they can. This fascinating interview draws to close with Jane sharing her plans for the future.
Episode Highlights:
Growing up in Zimbabwe
Coaching at University of Houston
Olympian for one year on Portugal’s team
International presence
The importance of being in the right place at the right time
Figueiredo’s time working as a coach for the Russian team
Lessons learned from team Russia
Presently coaching British team
Tom Daley and his strong work ethic and need for planning
How Tom made her a better listener
Tom’s lack of success in Rio
Confidence going into Tokyo
The importance of mental preparedness
Focus on being the best you can be; not gold medals
Jane plans to return to London to prepare for Paris Olympics
Quotes:
“Obviously, I was born and raised in Southern Africa. And we had, believe it or not, a deep history of diving. Most of the divers that ever came out of Zimbabwe, all dove in the States on scholarship.”
“There is certainly an extra drive, because you’ve got to understand, a lot of them… they live with their parents for many years into their adult life. So they don't have the same opportunities that American kids have. So yes, the drive is certainly there to try to better themselves in a different way.”
“My technical knowledge exploded because once I started coaching Vera Ilyina I understood they coached me on twisting technique. Because I would ask a lot of questions.”
“In the US, we never had trials, and nobody used dry land, whereas in the Russian system, it was 80% dry land. And that's where they develop their divers, in dry land. And then the other 20% was, ‘Okay, let's have a look in the pool.’”
“Tom called me and said, ‘Hey Jane, I want to come over and chat with you. Can I come train with you?’ I said, “Sure, you can come.” And– I thought he was coming in two weeks. He said, ‘I'll be there tomorrow morning.’”
“I'm pretty satisfied with my career and the college thing had gone really, really well, and I was okay. I was happy with myself, and then he came along, and I was just like, ‘Oh, my God, this is just, Oh, my God, he's got me.’”
“I'm happy to admit that as an elite coach, we become quite controlling, because we want to try to control all of it. Sure. We want to try to control the mindset, the physicality, the emotion, the private, because all of it contributes to whether you're successful or not. And then I had to really just let some of it go.”
“We talked too much about winning the gold medal, and I think that puts so much pressure and expectation on you. And that when you don't deliver, it's like you go below the surface. It's like the iceberg below the water. And so we decided, I don't want to hear a word about it. Don't let me hear you, in any interview, talk about a gold medal. I don't want to hear about it. Do not say a single word.”
“Life does not go exactly to schedule. So you know, maybe the event gets postponed, maybe you're up there getting ready to do front, four and a half. And they blow the whistle just as you're running because something's fallen in the pool. I said, ‘Tom, I'm going to schedule this out. But the only thing that I want you to always remember is that things can change.’”
Links:
Life at 10 Meters: Lessons from an Olympic Champion
Laura's Social Media:
Jane's Social Media:
47. An unstoppable drive with our host Laura Wilkinson on the Jedburgh Podcast
Once again this week, things are a little bit different as today’s episode features Laura being interviewed by former Special Forces Green Beret, Fran Racioppi, on ‘The Jedburgh Podcast’. Touted as ‘a conversation with prominent visionaries, drivers of change, and those dedicated to winning’, this podcast is a natural and timely fit for Laura, as she participates in the Olympic Trials this week and next in her bid to compete in her fourth Olympic Games. Be sure to tune into the Olympic Channel and NBC and join Fran in cheering her on in her attempt, and enjoy this interview here today which outlines precisely just what it takes to reach similar success in your own life.
Laura and Fran begin by looking at what it takes to reach elite levels, and then discuss Laura’s career from her start in high school to present day. Along the way, they explore her perspective on failure and fear, the need to take ownership of your performance, her Sydney Olympics experience, and her Dream Chaser philosophy. They also delve into Laura’s neck surgery and recovery, her preparation for the Tokyo Olympics, and her take on finding balance in life and achieving longevity in sports. The interview concludes with her thoughts on channeling the pressure of the moment, ‘The Pursuit of Gold’, the 3 things she does every day, and the elite performance characteristic that Laura most exemplifies – drive. As Laura heads into the Trials which will determine her immediate Olympic future, today’s sweeping examination of the many components which have brought her to this moment could not be more relevant – listen in and prepare to be inspired.
Episode Highlights:
· What it takes to reach elite levels
· Laura’s high school diving experience and her ‘call to action’
· Her perspective on failure
· Taking ownership of your performance
· Laura’s performance at the Sydney Olympics, the events leading up to it, and the pep talk she gave herself
· Dream Chaser
· Her neck surgery and recovery
· Laura’s thoughts on fear and moving past it
· Preparing to qualify for Tokyo
· Dealing with the ‘uncontrollables’
· Her thought on finding balance in her life
· Achieving longevity in sports
· Channeling the pressure of the moment
· Her ‘Pursuit of Gold’ podcast
· Laura’s next couple months
· The 3 things Laura does every day to be successful
· The elite performance characteristic that Laura most exemplifies
Quotes:
“Faith and determination separate the good from the great.”
“Just because somebody tells you you can't, doesn't mean it's true.”
“Failure is part of success. And the concrete actions that you take from the moment you accept that you failed are what defines you as a leader and as an elite performer.”
“I'm not afraid to look like a fool.”
“When we talk about the development of elite talent, there's a requirement to be humble and show humility.”
“How can I become better? How can I fix that? How can I move forward?”
“It doesn't matter how old you are, doesn't matter what station you have in life, you can really make a difference for somebody just by being there for them.”
“This pressure that you felt became a power.”
“I realized that there were so many people that probably would never have the opportunity that I was in at that moment.”
“The task ahead of you is never greater than the power behind you.”
“I absolutely loved it, because it wasn't about me in that moment...it was about something so much bigger.”
“So it's about the pursuit, it's about the hunt. It's about who you become. And I think that's what I really mean by Dream Chaser.”
“You have to have this done just to be a mom because if you trip down the stairs, if you have a small car accident, like, that could lead to a quadriplegic.”
“A lot of times we're scared of the unknown…fear is a lot of times a liar.”
“To wholly stay in the moment is really the biggest key…and you have to practice that in practice.”
“I think really breaking my foot back then was such a gift because it gave me that opportunity to focus on visualization, to go through so many competition scenarios in my mind with so many different athletes.”
“Adversity makes you stronger.”
“The challenge in front of you sometimes becomes the blessing that you needed.”
“I have learned this last year is that I can just tear my plans up, throw them out the window, because I’ve got to roll with it. And I'm not good at that.”
“I think one of the best things COVID taught me was that I need to have my kids be part of what I'm doing.”
“They saw the sweat, they saw the tears, they saw the frustration, they saw how many times a day I was having to do this stuff and how hard I was working, all just hoping to get back in the pool. So it provided a lot of really good conversations for us.”
“The best people you see doing this are beginners at some point, like, you have to start somewhere.”
“I've had a lot of times where I'm like, you know, God, I'd be okay, if He closed the door, and we're done with this. But He's made it very clear, this is where I need to be, and He's made a way, and then that fire is back, and that fuel is back.”
“I've learned not to be scared of my emotions. I've learned how to use them and how to direct them.”
“And it's not about the pressure, or the expectations, or all these other things, just let that go. And it's just about me enjoying the moment.”
“This is actually my way of finding the resources and giving them to other athletes.”
“Learning those lessons from people and taking that with me, I think makes me not just stronger mentally, but emotionally and spiritually.”
“There's this need for achievement and growth mindset - be better today than you were yesterday, continuous self improvement - that you display that has set you apart from all of your competition.”
“For all the people who maybe think they're too old to do something they love to do, don't let society or culture decide that for you. If you love something, do it.”
Links:
5 Smart Strategies to Confidence
Laura’s Social Media:
The Jedburgh Podcast:
The Jedburgh Podcast on iTunes
The Jedburgh Podcast Instagram
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:
30. For the love of sport with speedskating legend Bonnie Blair
Everyone is in for an extra special treat as speedskating legend, Bonnie Blair, joins Laura for this week’s episode. The first American woman to win five Olympic gold medals at the Olympic Winter Games, Bonnie dominated the sprint events of long track speedskating across three Games. At the time of her induction into the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame, she was the most decorated female U.S. Winter Olympian of all time, and was also one of the most decorated female U.S. Olympians in individual events. Today, she shares the stories of her life, career, and achievements in the most open, honest and down to earth way, clearly demonstrating that she is as much a champion off the ice as she is on it.
In sharing the story of her life and career from her earliest memories, Bonnie touches upon her many Olympic experiences, as well as her schooling, training, and her stint in track cycle racing. She also details the impact her dad had upon her and her career, the ways in which she handles pressure, her post Olympic competitions, and what life has been like for her and her family during COVID. She finishes up by discussing the dynamic she shares with Laura of being an Olympian parent whose children are pursuing sports, and offering valuable advice for all to take to heart. Entertaining, warm, and thoroughly engaging, Bonnie Blair is a superstar professionally and personally, a shining example of one who has discovered the winning formula in both sport and life.
Episode Highlights:
· Bonnie’s journey through skating from the very beginning
· Her ‘school through the mail’ experience
· Bonnie’s first Olympic experience
· Increasing her training diligence and consistency
· Bonnie’s second Olympics and how they differed from her first
· Her track cycle racing experience
· Bonnie’s third Olympics and the years leading to them
· Her dad and the impact he had upon her career
· How Bonnie handles pressure
· Her fourth Olympic Games, her preparation for them, and Dan Jansen’s win
· Bonnie’s post-Olympics competitions
· Life for Bonnie and her family during COVID
· The dynamic of an Olympian parent with their kids who are pursuing sports
Quotes:
“I was racing at the age of 4.”
“She just won the race and she’s thanking me!”
“It really kind of became a lot about personal best for me, and challenging that clock.”
“It’s funny to see these people we look up to, like fanboying or fangirling other people, too – it’s awesome.”
“We didn’t have somebody with US Speedskating who was a media person who handled any of this.”
“I know what I need to do.”
“Doing that thing for the very first time is a very powerful moment.”
“When they actually announced that the other girl won, I was so relieved.”
“I like that you’ve won so many that you don’t know!”
“Everybody gets there a different way, and everybody has their own path, and what works for one person doesn’t necessarily work for another.”
“Hone in on your strengths.”
“All these different coaches really gave me something at a time when I needed it.”
“The only person I can control is me.”
“He’s my younger brother that I never had.”
“To this day, hearing the national anthem has a whole different meaning to me.”
“It ended on a perfect note.”
“I did it because I loved it, the challenge of the clock, wanting to be the best that I could be, chasing those personal bests, and to me, you know, that’s kind of what it was all about.”
“It’s fun being a mom of kids that love their sports and are following their own journey.”
“What I did was stupid crazy…to try to think that you have to live up to something like that…that’s not right.”
“It’s really all about the love of doing something, and then giving it everything you’ve got.”
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 Bonnie:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bonnieblairc/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/bonnieblair