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Pursuit of Gold with Laura Wilkinson

Pursuit of Gold with Laura Wilkinson

Laura Wilkinson

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Olympic and World Champion diver, Laura Wilkinson seeks to equip athletes with the most effective tools that will help them reach their biggest goals in sport through conversations with elite and Olympic athletes, sports professionals, coaches, and experts. In these conversations we unlock the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual tools that shape the whole athlete and generate peak performance.
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Top 10 Pursuit of Gold with Laura Wilkinson Episodes

Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best Pursuit of Gold with Laura Wilkinson episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to Pursuit of Gold with Laura Wilkinson for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite Pursuit of Gold with Laura Wilkinson episode by adding your comments to the episode page.

Pursuit of Gold with Laura Wilkinson - S1E56 - Becoming Turbulence Tough with Ryan Campbell

S1E56 - Becoming Turbulence Tough with Ryan Campbell

Pursuit of Gold with Laura Wilkinson

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03/10/22 • 51 min

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 and his crew kept their heads 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...

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Pursuit of Gold with Laura Wilkinson - S1E58 - Define Your Role in the World with DEFINE Founder & CEO Hank Richardson
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03/24/22 • 54 min

On today’s episode, Laura’s guest is her dear friend and forever teammate, Hank Richardson. Hank earned a full scholarship for diving to the University of Florida, where he went on to become a ten-time All-American, a US national champion, and a national team member for USA diving. Hank retired from diving when he graduated from college, but some of his old injuries continued to plague him long after he left the pool, the pain becoming so severe that it started to impact his ability to enjoy work. At the urging of a friend, Hank tried a Pilates/yoga/ballet hybrid class and found himself at the beginning of something special: not only did he start managing his pain and experiencing relief, but it led to him teaching classes, opening new studios, and going back to school to get a Master’s in business. His senior project in his MBA program became the foundation on which his health and well-being studio, DEFINE, was created. DEFINE has now expanded throughout Houston, the US, and across the globe, but pain management and physical fitness are only part of Hank’s passion. He is also a well-being and positive psychology expert, and today, he and Laura discuss positive ways to reframe your thinking and how positive psychology can help and impact athletes on their journey to greatness.

First, Hank gives us the lowdown on his remarkable journey, from learning to dive at Camp Longhorn to becoming a champion diver, and giving up diving because of a back injury, before sharing how he transitioned from teaching to fitness instruction to business school. Then he tells the story of surviving month-to-month when launching DEFINE and how he expanded the business into a global franchise, including how he survived COVID by pivoting into online services. Next, Hank talks about his decision to go back to school to get his Master’s degree in applied positive psychology and how it has influenced his worldview and business, with DEFINE shifting into a well-being hub with a mission to enrich its members’ lives. He also has some advice on how to incorporate positive psychology into your everyday life and how it can help athletes develop resiliency and focus on strengths rather than weaknesses, as well as how meditation and mindfulness can work in partnership to improve self-awareness and enable positivity. Laura then asks Hank about his partnership with Education Based Housing, a nonprofit working with cost-burdened households to provide access to quality housing, and Hank discusses his passion for creating circles of well-being within communities and how DEFINE will offer well-being services through this partnership. And finally, Hank offers his thoughts on what has made DEFINE so successful, pointing to its mission to offer a service that truly helps its communities, and gives some advice to current athletes and coaches, emphasizing the importance of focusing on personal strengths and creatively applying them in challenging situations.

Hank’s story of determination, resiliency, and willingness to keep learning and developing will captivate and inspire athletes and non-athletes alike to focus on their strengths, keep a positive outlook, and never give up on their dreams.

Episode Highlights:

  • How Hank got into diving with lessons at Camp Longhorn
  • Transitioning from school athlete to college athlete
  • Hank’s back injury and how diving both caused it and kept it in check
  • Moving on from diving to teaching sixth graders in the South Bronx
  • How Hank followed his passion for movement and interest in health into teaching yoga and Pilates
  • Going back to business school and figuring out his dream of opening his own studio
  • Launching DEFINE and expanding into a franchise
  • Dealing with the impact of COVID by pivoting to online
  • Hank’s Master’s in applied positive psychology and how it transformed DEFINE into a well-being hub
  • Hank’s advice on incorporating positive psychology in your life
  • What Hank would change if he could go back in time with the knowledge he has now
  • The importance of resiliency when a setback occurs
  • Hank’s opinion on the benefits of mindfulness and meditation
  • DEFINE’s partnership with Education Based Housing, a nonprofit working with cost-burdened households to provide access to quality housing
  • What Hank believes has made DEFINE successful
  • Hank’s advice for current athletes and coaches

Quotes:

  • “Diving, it truly was a way of utilizing movement as a self-expression. And you know, the many lessons that all of us learned in diving, the overcoming fears, the setting goals and accomplishing them, the concept of resiliency, even during injuries, etc. It’s such a powerful, powerful sport.”
  • “Being a student athlete, you are literally performing a job in some ways. You are studying for school, you’re going to school, you’re training fi...
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Pursuit of Gold with Laura Wilkinson - S1E42 - Redefining Success with Olympic Hurdler Sarah Wells
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04/27/21 • 47 min


This week, Laura welcomes Olympic hurdler, Sarah Wells, to the podcast. Once an athlete who was cut from every high school team she tried out for, Sarah discovered track and field and went on to become an Olympic semi-finalist and Pan Am Games silver medallist in the 400m hurdles, building a reputation for overcoming challenges and achieving the ‘impossible’ along the way. She is also the Founder of the Believe Initiative, where she now uses her story to help youth understand the importance of being resilient and the power of believing in themselves, and to help corporations build more resilient teams. Sarah begins by recounting how she got her unique start in sports, the support networks which have sustained her throughout, her rapid development in the hurdles, and both working and learning through her injuries. She also shares her discovery of ‘her word’, her Olympics Trials and Games experience, managing her stress fractures, and preparing to qualify for Rio 2016. Sarah concludes the conversation by discussing her Believe Initiative, how to get involved in it, her retirement from sports, and her perspective and guide to redefining success. A gifted speaker with a truly inspiring story, Sarah Wells has learned so much from her journey which is so very pertinent to life both within and beyond the sporting arena, and she shares it all here today. Episode Highlights:

  • Sarah’s start in sports
  • Her support networks
  • Sarah’s rapid development in hurdles
  • Working and learning through her femur injury
  • Finding her word ‘Believe’
  • Returning from her injury
  • Her Olympics Trials and Games experience
  • Managing her recurring stress fractures
  • Preparing to qualify for Rio 2016
  • The Believe Initiative and how to get involved
  • Retiring from sport
  • Sarah’s perspective and exercise regarding redefining success

Quotes:

  • “At that point I hadn't defined myself by sport and I also had some really amazing siblings.”
  • “You go from zero to competing internationally in, like, eight months.”
  • “When someone else says it, you know, you're instantly a bit more likely to believe it.”
  • “I would almost, like, live and die by how my leg felt that morning.”
  • “I just would get so mentally defeated and, like, halfway through an interval I would just start walking.”
  • “In the most important races in my life, when the gun goes off, I hear nothing. I just lock into completing what I need to do.”
  • “It hurts so much that I'm scared, tomorrow when I run, it could break in half.”
  • “It's a hard line to figure out when to push and when to ease off.”
  • “Success isn't linear, it’s this roller coaster ride of emotions.”
  • “Rest would have been very productive in that moment.”
  • “I miss qualifying by half a second.”
  • “Clearly you don't build self-belief through achievements, you build it through action.”
  • “It helps people everywhere take a passion they have with a problem they want solve, and they use that passion to solve that problem, and they build self-belief through action.”
  • “While hard work doesn't always lead to success, being resilient will always lead to another opportunity for it.”
  • “Far more people are inspired by the time where I didn't make the Olympics over the time where I did.”
  • “If you're able to continuously embody and act from a place of those powerful character traits that lead to success, well then, even in a moment where things don't work out, you're going to be able to rely on those things and find your next opportunity for success.”

Links: The Pursuit of Gold homepage 5 Smart Strategies to Confidence Conquer Your Fear in 5 Days Laura’s Social Media: Laura's Instagram Laura's Facebook page Connect with Sarah: Sarah's Homepage Believe Initiative The Believe Leadership Course Redefining Success

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Pursuit of Gold with Laura Wilkinson - S1E53 - Coming Back Stronger with Diving Olympic Bronze Medalist Krysta Palmer
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09/14/21 • 81 min

Today’s guest made history in Tokyo this summer, becoming the first woman to medal in springboard diving at the Olympics since Kelly McCormick won Bronze 33 years ago in Seoul, Korea in 1988. Krysta Palmer made her first Olympic team this summer at the age of 29. Watching her smile and giggle at the podium with her Bronze Medal proudly hanging around her neck warmed hearts all over the country. Krysta’s positivity is infectious and her perseverance throughout her journey to get to the Olympic podium is absolutely inspiring. Today she opens up about the injuries that took her out of contention in the sport of trampoline, what it was like to start a brand new sport at the age of 20, and she walks us through her extraordinary adventure in Tokyo, from a close call in the preliminary round to the very moment she realized she had medaled. Krysta offers mindset tips all along the journey, and she shares with us her favorite way to process both the good and the bad so that she can keep coming back stronger.

Krysta begins with her unique journey in sports, and reflects on coming back stronger from her recurring injuries, as well as how she ultimately found diving at the age of 20. She talks about transitioning her skills from trampoline to diving, working with her coach, Jianli You, to change certain habits, and entering the 2016 Olympic Team Trials following her graduation from the University of Nevada. Krysta tells Laura about a training trip to China that served as a turning point in her path to becoming an Olympian, as well as how her own experience as a coach has helped her as an athlete, and what she learned from competing in the 2017 and 2019 World Championships (her first international meet). She explains how her mindset to learn and grow from setbacks has helped her through the pandemic, and shares the moving story of receiving her Olympic ring from Laura. You’ll hear about Krysta’s memorable experience at the Tokyo Olympics, how her faith keeps her grounded, and the surreal and exciting moment she realized she had medaled in Tokyo.

Krysta’s honesty and perseverance throughout today’s conversation are sure to motivate and inspire as she shares her incredible journey, and everything she has overcome to be able to do what she loves to do.

Episode Highlights:

  • Krysta’s journey in sports, beginning with gymnastics and trampoline at a young age
  • Coming back stronger from her heartbreaking injuries and finding diving at the age of 20
  • Transitioning her skills from trampoline to diving, changing certain habits, learning new dives on the fast track
  • Entering the 2016 Olympic Team Trials following her graduation from the University of Nevada
  • Her training trip to China in 2016, and how it brought her closer to becoming an Olympian
  • The difference between platform and springboard diving, and Krysta’s transition from platform to springboard
  • Supporting her athletic training after college through coaching, and how this has helped her become a better athlete
  • Her experience at the World Championships in 2017 and 2019
  • Learning and growing the most from disappointments or poor competitions
  • How this mentality helped her make the most of trials and tribulations brought on by the pandemic
  • Training through injuries and her family’s support throughout her career
  • Krysta’s very special memory of receiving her Olympic ring from Laura
  • Her unique experience at the Tokyo Olympics
  • The importance of Krysta’s faith
  • The surreal and exciting experience of realizing she had medaled in Tokyo
  • How Krysta continues to process her accomplishment and what the next season of her life looks like
  • Continuing her education and studying toward an MBA

Quotes:

  • “At the age of five, when I was young, I really really had this lifelong dream of being an Olympian one day.”
  • “You're always having to use your visual awareness to spot where you are. And make changes based on where you are. So I learned that through trampoline, and that actually really progressed well into my diving career.”
  • “I've had two big struggles in learning how to make a proper entry. And also learning how to get the rhythm and the timing with the springboard, because also trampoline is very quick - quick twitch muscle work.”
  • “I competed platform in the 2016 Olympic Trials because we weren't quite there yet with springboard. And my coach had always said, Give it time. Because springboard diving...you need time to develop the skill of it.”
  • “I came into the team mid-semester, so in January. And I had to learn all my springboard dives for 1-meter/3-meter before Conference in February.”
  • “I think the biggest thing was just trusting my coach [Jianli You], because I knew that she has the knowledge and the skill to teach me, whatever it is. I'm learn...
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Pursuit of Gold with Laura Wilkinson - S1E2 - Keys to a Gold Medal Mindset with USOPC Sports Psychologist Dr. Karen Cogan
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06/23/20 • 49 min

This week’s guest is Dr. Karen Cogan, a Senior Sports Psychologist for the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) who has attended 4 Olympic Games as the Sports Psychology Consultant for several Olympic medalists and their coaches. Dr. Cogan has a special set of skills, and she most certainly ‘knows her stuff’.

In today’s episode, Laura and Dr. Cogan cover an incredible amount of territory including the Doctor’s journey to sports psychology, her direction for athletes dealing with the postponement of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, and the benefits of implementing mindfulness techniques in both sports and life in general. They also look at the causes of burnout in athletes, some reasons behind athletes seeking Dr. Cogan’s assistance and what it means to honor their feelings, as well as some common characteristics of successful and struggling athletes. Finally, Dr. Cogan offers her advice on a number of topics ranging from helping struggling athletes to managing distractions, routines, and pressure, and she also shares some words of wisdom for parents and young athletes. This is an episode overflowing with amazing insight, unique perspective, and powerful ‘truth bombs’ from two highly accomplished experts in their fields. There truly is gold in your future, and today’s show marks the first in a series of formidable steps to help you pursue it.

Episode Highlights:

Dr. Cogan’s background and her journey to sports psychology Her direction for athletes trying to cope through this pandemic and who are preparing to get back to full swing when this isolation ends Mindfulness training for sports and life The causes of burnout in athletes and how to avoid it Reasons that athletes have for talking with Dr. Cogan and how she honors their feelings Common characteristics of both successful and struggling athletes Dr. Cogan’s advice regarding helping struggling athletes, overcoming ‘fear of success’, dealing with pressure, managing distractions, routines, community, and technology Her advice for young athletes and parents of athletes

Quotes:

“What I have encouraged athletes to do is to really honor the feelings that they have, whatever those are.”

“It’s okay to grieve dreams or hopes and things like that when it doesn’t play out like you want.”

“When we try to push down those things we’re afraid are going to take over, we’re actually giving them power to take over, and that’s when they end up exploding in our face.”

“Everything is a performance issue when it comes to the Olympics.”

“An athlete has to be able to talk openly.”

“Now’s the time to get rid of the bad habits and establish the good habits.”

“Winning and losing does not define you as a person or an athlete.”

“While the gold medal is awesome, and it’s a great goal to strive for, it’s that pursuit that’s going to make you who you are in the long run.”

Links: The Pursuit of Gold homepage: http://thepursuitofgold.com/

Dr. Karen Cogan LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karen-cogan-93440a24/

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Pursuit of Gold with Laura Wilkinson - S1E57 - Be in the Moment with Olympic Champion Wrestler Tamyra Mensah-Stock
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03/17/22 • 62 min

Today’s guest is Tamyra Mensah-Stock, an American freestyle wrestler who won Olympic gold for the USA, becoming the first African-American and second American female athlete to win a gold in 68 kgs freestyle wrestling in the Olympics. In her journey to this remarkable level of success, Tamyra has also encountered and persevered through a number of difficulties and today she shares her inspiring story with us all.

She opens up the episode by describing her transition from life as a sprinter into that of a wrestler. While Tamyra didn’t love the sport at first, it became a big part of her life that stayed with her through bouts of loss and depression. She goes on to talk about meeting her husband and their decision to move to Colorado to train for the Olympics. Some rough patches followed her through 2016, but she notes that these tough times really taught her the importance of faith and compartmentalization. Tamyra also notes that COVID gave her a much needed breather that allowed her to prepare for the Olympics. She was incredibly successful in the 2021 Olympic Games, and in the wake of vaccine mandates, she’s become a key supporter for Athletes for Medical Freedom. She makes it clear that she isn’t anti vaccine, she’s anti mandate, and, to close out this week’s episode, she expresses gratitude for Athletes for Medical Freedom, because it taught her how to use her voice.

Episode Highlights:

  • Transitioning from sprinting to wrestling
  • Tamyra’s experience confronting the death of family and friends
  • How she met her husband
  • Making the decision to move to Colorado Springs for Olympic training
  • Learning to compartmentalize and trust in her faith
  • Why COVID was a breath of fresh air
  • Tamyra in the 2020 Olympic Games
  • Athletes for Medical Freedom

Quotes:

“For some reason, back in the day, I was an early riser, and I loved going to school when it was dark and there was nobody around. There was just some kind of freedom about that.”

“I don't blame wrestling now because it has given me the platform to identify with people who have dealt with the struggle.”

“You cannot succeed without a little loss.”

“Some people in college had asked me why am I dating a white man. And I went, ‘You never asked me out. You never showed me any consideration that you wanted to date me. Jacob took the initiative.’”

“When you are wrestling for one of the biggest tournaments ever, stay in the moment and leave the mat with no regrets.”

“COVID was a blessing. I just had time to breathe. I came up with a great win. And I could just relax and it was awesome. And once the Olympics came around, I came to destroy.”

“When you go to the Olympics, you're going to represent whatever country you are representing, and I'm proud to be an American. And I got up on that stage, I represented America, and I was extremely happy. I've been doing this since 2008 - wanting to go on that stage - nobody was gonna take that away from me.”

“They're just trying to mandate the vaccine. And I'm fine with vaccinations. But when you force people to do things, that's where the line gets really skewed.”

Links: The Pursuit of Gold Website Life at 10 Meters: Lessons from an Olympic Champion Laura Wilkinson Designs- Shop Buy Laura a Coffee

Laura’s Social Media: Laura’s Instagram Laura’s Facebook Tamyra's Links: Athletes for Medical Freedom on Instagram Tamyra Mensah-Stock on Instagram

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Pursuit of Gold with Laura Wilkinson - S1E49 - Bouncing Forward with Paralympic Snowboarder Amy Purdy
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06/29/21 • 70 min

Joining Laura on the podcast this week is the top-ranked female adaptive snowboarder in the U.S., Amy Purdy. Diagnosed with meningococcal meningitis at the age of 19, Amy has gone on to become a three-time World Cup para-snowboard gold medalist, the 2014 Paralympic bronze medalist, and the founder of Adaptive Action Sports, a nonprofit organization that helps youth, young adults, and wounded veterans with physical disabilities get involved with action sports. She is a professional motivational speaker who has been featured at both TEDx and Pop Tech, and is also an actress, model, dancer, clothing designer, and an experienced product spokesperson. In addition to all this, Amy was also the breakout star and a finalist on season 18 of 'Dancing with the Stars'. A true inspiration to us all, Amy shares her incredible story with Laura and her listeners here today.

Amy starts by discussing her love for snowboarding during her teenage years. She then discusses her struggle with her medical condition and how she rose above her hardships through her self-belief. As you listen, you’ll learn of Amy’s many accomplishments, such as securing brand deals and winning a bronze medal. Along the way, you’ll understand Amy’s positive contributions to athletes with disabilities/special needs, and the lessons you learn from this podcast will definitely inspire you to look at difficulties in a whole new way.

Episode Highlights:

  • Amy’s early days when she snowboarded with her friends
  • How meningococcal meningitis impacted Amy
  • Amy’s struggle with self-doubt
  • How Amy discovered a creative solution to help her snowboard
  • How Amy co-founded Adaptive Action Sports
  • Amy’s successes with snowboarding
  • How Amy’s injury complications changed her life
  • Amy’s experiences and how she connects with her audience

Quotes

  • “So yeah, so snowboarding really was my passion. That’s what pulled me through my darkest days. And then you know, who would have thought that it would become almost my purpose, right?”
  • “And when I woke up from this coma, a few days later, I still have this respirator down my throat. And so, I couldn’t talk. But I wrote out on a piece of paper that I was given a choice and I chose to stay.’’
  • “I was just hanging on, and also incredibly grateful, like to have the opportunity to hang on and fight. And so, gratitude became a big part of not just a practice, but to be honest, like a very natural organic thing for me, because every day I woke up and I was alive, I was grateful whether I’d lost my legs or not.’’
  • “And I remember at one point saying, ‘I don’t know if I can do this, but if anybody can, it’s going to be me.’ ‘’
  • “I needed a community of people who are like me, and it didn’t really exist and needed something to pull it together.’’
  • “It’s like going through the valleys of despair and like finding your way out and having these real realizations of what’s really important in life, and how do we get through challenges. And I’ve decided to share the journey along the way.’’

Show Links

The Pursuit of Gold Homepage Life at 10 Meters: Lessons from an Olympic Champion 5 Smart Strategies to Confidence Conquer Your Fear in 5 Days

Laura’s Social Media: Laura's Instagram Laura's Facebook page

Connect With Amy: Bouncing Forward with Amy Purdy (Spotify) Adaptive Action Sports Homepage Amy Purdy on Instagram

Resources: On My Own Feet: The Journey from Losing My Legs to Learning the Dance of Life (2014)

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Joining Laura on the podcast today is Olympic Taekwondo athlete, Victoria Stambaugh. The daughter of a professional boxer, Victoria took to Taekwondo at an early age, made the US National Team in her teens, eventually joined the Puerto Rico National Team, and has since qualified to compete for Puerto Rico at the upcoming Tokyo Games. Having suffered a number of injuries and resulting surgeries over her career, Victoria has demonstrated remarkable resilience, and, through her faith in Christ, has persevered to achieve her dream of becoming an Olympian. In today’s conversation, she not only shares her inspirational story, but also turns the tables to pick Laura’s brain for some of her sage advice as well. As with all guests, Victoria begins by sharing how she found her way to her chosen sport, and then she goes on to relate the story of her career to date. Starting with how she made the US National Team, Victoria proceeds to recount her battles with injuries over the years, how they have affected both her career and her emotional state, her transition to the Puerto Rico National Team, and how qualifying for the Olympics works in her sport. She also delves deeply into the role that her faith has played in her life and career, the impact of handing control over to God, her 17 scars and what they mean to her, and her work with Master Bang in preparing for Tokyo. Victoria concludes the episode by questioning Laura on her Olympic experiences and advice, and the role that her faith has played in her life and career. As you will hear, Victoria and Laura are very much kindred spirits whose personal, professional, and spiritual lives resonate considerably with each other, and also offer valuable lessons for all listeners here today.

Episode Highlights:

  • Victoria’s sports history and how she got into Taekwondo
  • Making the US National Team
  • How Taekwondo athletes are selected for the Olympics
  • Her knee injuries and surgeries
  • How Victoria’s faith has helped her
  • Her story of not qualifying for Rio and focusing on Tokyo
  • The times when God spoke directly to her heart
  • Transitioning from the US to the Puerto Rican Team
  • How Olympic qualifying works for Taekwondo and diving
  • Her knee injuries and surgeries while preparing for Tokyo
  • Handing control over to God
  • Qualifying for Tokyo
  • Her 17 scars and what they mean to her
  • Master Bang
  • Victoria and her fiance’s Taekwondo and Parkour studio
  • Laura’s best advice for someone competing at their first Olympics
  • What’s different for Laura now
  • Laura’s thoughts during the finals for her gold
  • How Laura’s faith has helped her throughout her career
  • Laura’s biggest goal when competing at the Olympics
  • Her upcoming trials
  • Laura’s thoughts on not being able to have family at the Tokyo Olympics

Quotes:

  • “When I saw Jackie Chan, Jet Li, I was like, ‘I want to be these guys’.”
  • “For the Olympics, only two weight categories can qualify, female and male, per country.”
  • “Deep down inside, I knew that my knee was never the same.”
  • “I know God put the right person at the right time that I needed to hear those words, ‘not to quit’ and to ‘come back’.”
  • “That started the process of three knee surgeries within a period of six months.”
  • “What I picture is kind of like God just wrapping His arms around me and giving me a hug. And at that moment, I was able to continue on and it was actually just the very next day where I was like, ‘Okay, I'm going to go for Tokyo’.”
  • “He had to take out the rest of the meniscus...in my mind, I was like, ‘You just took my whole career away from me’.”
  • “And then, sure enough, God always sends the right message, the right person, at the right time.”
  • “God has seen your tears and, and He's with you. Don't give up, keep going.”
  • “I was done emotionally, mentally, you know, physically, spiritually. I was just drained. And that's when I just released total control to Christ and let him handle it.”
  • “Christ was my confidence...and I qualified for the Olympics.”
  • “A reminder of everything I've been through and everything God has brought me out of. And what better reminder, really? It's basically tattooed on my body.”
  • “People get so lost in the aura and the bigness and the pressure of the Olympic Games. But, just, you’ve got to be able to let that go.”
  • “That's for Him to use this for my good and for His glory.”
  • “You don't have to have the lead if you have the heart to come from behind.”
  • “I've had a lot of big dreams that I've fallen very short of, but, in that moment, I was living it. And to me that was one of the greatest things that I got to take away.”
  • “Now I do want to boast about my weaknesses, because that's the chanc...
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Pursuit of Gold with Laura Wilkinson - S1E50 - Worth the Risk with Aerial Skiing Olympian Emily Cook
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07/29/21 • 55 min

Joining Laura on the podcast this week is 3 time Olympian and 6 time National Champion in Aerial Skiing, Emily Cook. Currently the manager of sport and human potential at Skullcandy, Emily also manages programming for the non-profit, Classroom Champions, coaches young athletes at the Utah Olympic Park through the US Ski Team’s Elite Aerial Development Program, and is an ambassador for Right to Play and Kids Play International. Throughout her career, Emily has routinely demonstrated her ability to overcome obstacles and elevate her game to new levels, and she shares her inspirational story with listeners here today. In today’s episode, Emily discusses her commitment towards her sport, her experiences at the World Cup and the Olympics, and the multiple emotions she went through while training. She also delves into dealing with injuries, making difficult decisions, and compares being a coach to being an athlete. She brings the conversation to a close by sharing details about the important work she does these days. An inspiring model of perseverance, Emily has so very much to share here today that is sure to motivate all who listen.

Episode Highlights:

  • Emily’s realization of her love for aerial skiing
  • Dealing with injuries as an athlete
  • Her experiences at the Olympics
  • Emily’s work at The Speedy Foundation
  • How she had trust in her coach
  • Emily’s commitments in the sports sphere
  • Being a coach vs. being an athlete
  • Emily’s work outside the sports sphere

Quotes:

  • “So, I always determined before a training block, whether it was a three-week training block or something, what my negative thought stoppers would be, and, you know, exactly what mindset I wanted to be in on the hill. I use music a lot as well.’’
  • “And then, every once in a while, like, as humans, we’re just not reliable, we’re not reliable to our own commitments.”
  • “But regardless of who’s there watching, you know...you’ve accomplished something that you set out to do so many years earlier, and it’s an incredible feeling.’’
  • “And so, it was a daily choice, it was a choice of showing up and showing up 100% no matter what, no matter what my mood was, no matter what was going on around me.’’
  • “In the end of the day, knowing exactly what I wanted to accomplish, and then debriefing exactly what I did accomplish, so that I knew what I needed to change the next day in order to perform even better.’’

Links: The Pursuit of Gold Homepage Life at 10 Meters: Lessons from an Olympic Champion 5 Smart Strategies to Confidence Conquer Your Fear in 5 Days Laura’s Social Media: Laura's Instagram Laura's Facebook page Connect with Emily: Emily's Homepage Classroom Champions The Speedy Foundation

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Pursuit of Gold with Laura Wilkinson - S1E55 - Creating Opportunity with 8 Time Olympic Medalist Coach Jane Figueiredo
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03/03/22 • 21 min

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 South Africa and 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: The Pursuit of Gold Website Life at 10 Meters: Lessons from an Olympic Champion Laura Wilki...