Olympic Summer

Have you watched any of this Summer’s Olympic Games? Oh my goodness it’s been unbelievable watching the very top athletes from all over the world compete at their sport. On social media I’ve seen a joke saying each Olympic event should have an average person compete so we can see just how skilled these athletes are compared to the rest of us. While we might not ever make it to the Olympics, there are plenty of lessons we can learn from those who have been to the Olympics.

All Bodies are Different, Good, Worthy

If you watch just a few different Olympic events, you’ll see that those Olympians all have different body types, shapes, and sizes. Gymnasts look different than rugby players, who look different than swimmers, who look different than basketball players, who look different than runners, who look different than weight lifters. Their bodies are all completely different, and each is the way it needs to be for their sport. Their weight, clothing size, BMI–those are all just numbers, and they don’t define ability or skill level. Instead of obsessing over what your body looks like, focus on what you can do with it–like hit a target, or dive, or skate, or row, or fence, or sprint, or wrestle, or surf, or dance. Or something that’s not an Olympic sport. Remember all bodies are different, all bodies are good, and all bodies are worthy.

Compete AND Show Respect

Here’s something else I’ve noticed. You would think that, with the Olympics being THE biggest competition in the world, there would be a lot of bad blood between athletes. It’d be hard to be a good sport toward your rivals when the stakes are so high. But I’ve noticed, right after an event finishes and officials determine who won the medals, most of the time the athletes acknowledge their opponents whether they won or lost. They shake each others’ hands, pat each other on the back, even hug. And when they’re up against someone from their country in an individual event, I’m sure it’s even more tough to be happy for a teammate’s win when they are disappointed by their loss. But those Olympic athletes recognize each others’ remarkable talent, and they still congratulate each other on their incredible efforts and achievements. I appreciate their example showing how you can compete AND show respect.

Play Fair, Be Honest

Stemming off being a good sport, in the Olympics, as the saying goes, “Cheaters never prosper.” Over the years many athletes, and sometimes countries, have tried to get an advantage over other athletes to secure a win. In the 1904 Olympics a marathon runner took a shortcut by hitching a ride in a car for part of the race. Soon after he won the event, officials found out he cheated, so the second place runner was declared the winner. In the 1976 Olympics, a fencer was disqualified after officials discovered he had modified his fencing equipment to give him more points. And unfortunately athletes using substances to enhance their performance has been an ongoing issue for decades. When the cheating was discovered, athletes were disqualified from events, or even had their medals taken away. Cheaters aren’t real winners, and dishonesty will not lead you to success, plus it damages your character and integrity. So play fair and be honest.

Consistency + Perseverance Pay Off

It’s important to keep in mind that, while these Olympic athletes look like they’re naturally gifted at their sport, they’ve put tens of thousands of hours into training and competing, some of them since they were little kids. They practiced skills over and over, repeating the same moves, developing muscle memory. They tried, fell down, failed, got injured, healed, and tried again. They won, and lost, and they kept going. Their consistency and their perseverance got them to where they are now–at the Olympics. They earned their spot on their country’s Olympic team because they put in the work and kept at it. It did not come easy or quickly; the most rewarding things never do. Even if you’re not aiming for an Olympic level, whatever you’re working toward, if you regularly dedicate time to developing the skills you need for it, you’re going to improve. Episode 80 is all about consistency if you want more on that. 

Listen to Doubts Less

Besides preparing themselves physically, Olympic athletes also prepare themselves mentally. They would not make it to the Olympics if they listened to doubts. There are plenty of haters who underestimate these athletes, some trolls are random people and others are professional analysts, even former athletes. Olympians have to block out that noise, it’s only a distraction. Plus they already battle enough self doubt thoughts. When they start comparing themselves to their competition, they have to remind themselves of their own talent and preparation. When they mess up during an event, instead of dwelling on their mistake, doubting themselves, and worrying they might mess up again, they let it go and keep moving forward, trusting in themselves. Author Suzy Kassem wrote, “Doubt kills more dreams than failure ever will.” Listen to your doubts less, and see how much further you get on your goals.

Struggles Can Strengthen You

I’ve heard numerous stories about Olympic athletes who’ve faced difficult challenges: family tragedies, mental health struggles, serious illness or injuries, financial hardship, discrimination, even fleeing their country. These are all incredibly heavy things to go through. Yet these athletes did not let those setbacks hold them back. They did not allow those trials to define them. They turned stumbling blocks into stepping stones as they continued climbing toward their goals. The path to your goals will likely not be a straight line on a smooth flat road. It will probably have obstacles, reroutes, switchbacks, rough stretches, low points and steep climbs. But instead of giving up at the first sign of adversity, give yourself a chance to challenge yourself and see what you’re capable of doing. As you conquer each challenge, you’ll gain experience and knowledge that will strengthen you and give you confidence to take on future challenges.

Prioritize Mental + Physical Health

Finally, Olympians have demonstrated how mental health is just as important as physical health. When we see these top athletes doing amazing things, sometimes we think they’re invincible. So I really appreciate that some athletes have openly talked about their mental health struggles and encouraged people to get the help they need. No one would question the need to see a doctor if they broke their leg or if they got really sick. But some people are hesitant to see a mental health care professional, so I appreciate Olympic athletes helping eliminate the stigma around it. Mental health impacts physical health, and vice versa. So it’s important to prioritize both in your life.

There are even more lessons we can learn from the Olympics. I encourage you to look up athletes from your country or from an event that you’re interested in, and see if there’s something you can learn from their story.

Lessons from Olympics Poster Printable

To help you remember all this, I created a “Lessons from Olympics” poster for you to print out, personalize, and post on your wall or in your planner where you’ll see it, and remember it, and believe it — that’s the important part.

Resources

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