What does it take to become a champion? Sure, you need to have talent, and drive, and access to the sport you want to play.  

But it also takes some luck right from birth. If you don’t have a supportive family with the means and desire to help you on the right path, your road is going to be a lot tougher.

Gwen Jorgensen became the United States’ first Olympic gold medalist in the triathlon in 2016. But her path to Rio was not a traditional one.

She went through a lot of ups and downs and she wants to help the young athletes that come up behind her, by learning from her mistakes and learning what she did right.

But as great of an athlete as Gwen is, she knew that the talent for writing a book belonged to others in her family. Her mom, Nancy and her sister Elizabeth, are both teachers and writers. So the three of them set off to write a guide aimed for young girls who are inspired by Gwen’s story and want to learn from one of the best.

Welcome to the Planted Runner. I’m Coach Claire Bartholic and my mission is to help you improve your running, your mindset, and your life with science-backed training and plant-based nutrition.

In this episode, Nancy and Liz Jorgensen tell Gwen’s story and teach some of the lessons in their new guidebook. You’ll learn:

If you are a fan of Gwen’s, you know that she just had a baby so she didn’t join us for this one, but I hope to have her on in the future.

Don’t forget to stay tuned all the way to the end for another Mental Strength Minute. Fortify your mind in 60 seconds or less. 

LINKS:

Here is the book on Amazon: Gwen Jorgensen: USA's First Olympic Gold Medal Triathlete 

Here is a link to purchased signed copies: https://www.booksco.com/signed-copy-gwen-jorgensen

Free educator guide: https://download.m-m-sports.com/extras/GwenJorgensen/Teacher_Guide.pdf 

For author visits, email [email protected] or [email protected]  

Websites: lizjorgensen.weebly.com and nancyjorgensen.weebly.com

The Jorgensen family story: Go: Gwen, Go: A Family's Journey to Olympic Gold 

On Twitter: @LyzaJo and @NancyJorgense

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