George Wright III is joined by two-time world champion and Olympic medalist Noelle Pikus-Pace to discuss her journey from skeleton racing to becoming a global speaker and author. Noelle shares the pivotal moment of her devastating 2005 injury while ranked #1 in the world and the conscious choice she made to push through rather than let the setback define her.

They talk about the importance of knowing your purpose, both lifelong and "in real time," to ensure your identity is not solely tied to professional success. Noelle introduces the "Friction Factor" using a bell curve to illustrate the "sweet spot" of peak performance located between disengagement (too little friction) and burnout (too much friction). She also discusses being "process-oriented" rather than "results-driven," citing how losing an Olympic medal by a 10th of a second due to dragging shoelaces taught her about the power of small margins and daily decisions.

Noelle concludes with the core message of her book, No Excuses: focusing on the next 60 seconds to take full ownership of one's life and align daily actions with long-term purpose.

01:22 Getting "Tricked" into Skeleton

04:30 The 2005 Injury and the Choice to Move Forward

06:00 Identity vs. Purpose in Real Time

08:56 Choosing Your Next 60 Seconds

09:20 Writing "No Excuses" in an RV

11:00 The 2010 Fourth-Place Finish

13:00 The Shoelace Margin

15:40 Realigning for the 2014 Olympics with Family

17:15 Process-Oriented vs. Results-Driven

19:10 Winning Silver vs. Losing Gold

22:20 The Friction Factor Bell Curve

26:00 Corner 12 and Root Cause Analysis

29:45 The Power of the Next Minute 

Thank you for joining us on this Journey to create your best life and to lead your Life and Teams. Please share this show, and we look forward to the journey we will take together.

The Franklin Planner Team

About the Guest: Noelle Pikus-Pace

Noelle Pikus-Pace is a retired American skeleton racer and one of the most decorated athletes in the history of the sport. Beyond her medals, she is widely recognized for her extraordinary resilience and the "Moment of the Games" celebration with her family at the 2014 Olympics.

Guest Resources:

Official Website: NoellePikusPace.com

Instagram: @noellepikuspace

LinkedIn: Noelle Pikus Pace

Facebook: Noelle Pikus-Pace Fan Page