Pursuit of Gold with Laura Wilkinson

By Laura WilkinsonSports Education Self-Improvement Fitness Swimming

Pursuit of Gold with Laura Wilkinson episodes

May 04, 2021S1E43 - 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:
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 Brad:
Velo City Cycles Homepage
Velo City Cycles Facebook
Velo City Cycles Instagram
Velo Kids
Moms in Tow Homepage
43 min
April 27, 2021S1E42 - Redefining Success with Olympic Hurdler Sarah Wells
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
48 min
April 20, 2021S1E41 - Chess on Bikes with Olympic Cyclist Giddeon Massie
Joining Laura on the podcast today is Olympic cyclist Giddeon Massie. Among his many accomplishments are more than 20 U.S. Elite National Titles, Pan American Games Gold and Silver Medals, competing at two Olympic Games, and being selected by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency to participate in a series of public service announcements that promoted clean, honest, and fair competition. Giddeon has also been the Program Manager for an International Education and Mentorship Non-profit organization, called ‘Classroom Champions’, and he remains committed to community outreach.

In today’s conversation, Giddeon shares how he first became involved in cycling, his training experience at the Velodrome, his breakout moment, and his time at the Olympic Training Centre. He goes on to review and compare his Olympic experiences, his perspective on doping in sport, the various cycling events in which he competed, the impact of not qualifying for the 2012 Games, and his transition from his cycling career to his current career in real estate. Giddeon finishes up by offering his sincere and deeply thoughtful advice to athletes in setting and achieving their goals in their sport. Uniquely experienced in the joys and challenges of a life both within the world of an elite athlete and beyond, Giddeon takes this opportunity to share his measured and contemplative insights and advice for the benefit of all listeners here today.
Episode Highlights:
How he found his way into cycling
The Velodrome
Giddeon’s breakout moment
His time at the Olympic Training Centre
Comparing his Olympic experiences
His perspective on doping in sport
The various cycling events in which he raced
Failing to qualify for the 2012 Games
Transitioning from cycling to real estate
Giddeon’s advice for athletes coming up with dreams and goals
Quotes:
“The sprint disciplines were more intriguing and just looked more fun and appealing to me.”
“It was a gradual progression and I learned from some of the best.”
“You know sometimes you go years without something, and other times you have a year where you have two or three or four falls.”
“We lived that together, and we supported one another, and that was a great, great thing about that space.”
“The whole experience… is pretty overwhelming and special that first time.”
“I feel bad for those people that choose to go that route, but it doesn't impact what I do and how I approach what I do. I sleep comfortably at night.”
“If you don't have a purpose it's kind of like not having a destination.”
“I'm very comfortable in uncertainty because I know that my preparation is such that, if given the opportunity, I'm going to be where I need to be.”
“The individual stuff, it's like, you know, it's chess on bikes.”
“I think every Games has its own lifeblood to it.”
“Watching from the outside… that was very hard.”
“I wasn't ready to be done.”
“Sometimes I tell people I'm a recovering Olympic athlete.”
“You lose some of yourself when you step away from that because not everybody cares about the Olympics and not everybody cares about, you know, what you’ve spent most of your life doing.”
“Okay, what have I learned that I can actually apply here?”
“It starts with having a healthy respect for the sport that you're participating in, for the people that are devoting the time to invest in you, to being willing to accept the critique and the criticism.”
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 Giddeon:

Instagram: @giddeon
Giddeon's Real Estate homepage
59 min
April 06, 2021S1E40 - Coming Back from Injuries Stronger than Before with Our Host Laura Wilkinson
One topic that Laura has been receiving a lot of messages about lately is that of dealing with injuries. There seems to be some worry, frustration, and uncertainty expressed by more and more athletes when it comes to feeling productive while they’re sidelined for weeks, months, and even longer during their recovery. Definitely no stranger to the world of injuries, Laura draws upon her own experiences, and those of previous podcast guests, to address all of these concerns and share some valuable advice.

Laura begins by recounting some of the injuries she has sustained during her career and how she and her coach responded to them. Throughout these stories, she highlights the importance of being ‘all in’ on your recovery plan, learning from these injuries and carrying those lessons forward, the power of mind, mindset, and perspective, as well as working through the many resulting emotions. Laura also reviews the stories of some past guests of the podcast whose journeys through injury and illness are both inspiring and enlightening, and she concludes the episode with her advice on ways to deal with injuries, how to use the time while on the sidelines, and just how critical it is to really take the time to assess your injury and recovery before choosing wisely on how to move forward. As you will hear, today’s topic is one with which Laura is greatly familiar, and the knowledge and wisdom she shares here is drawn not only from her own experience but from others in the world of high level sports. This is, truly, an important listen for all athletes, and really, for anyone who may suffer perceived setbacks in achieving their goals in life.
Episode Highlights:
Some of the injuries that Laura has sustained throughout her career and how she and her coach responded to them
Believing in what you’re doing when coming back from injury
Learning from injuries and recovery and carrying those lessons forward
The importance of our mind, mindset, and perspective
Working through your emotions
Inspiration to be drawn from past podcast guests
Laura’s advice on ways to deal with injuries and what you can do while sidelined
The power of nutrition, video study, visualization, mindfulness, coaching others, and restructuring goals
Choosing your response to injuries wisely
Quotes:
“Obviously, hindsight, I wish we would have pressed for X-rays anyway, but my coach and I were just hoping that, you know, it wasn’t a big deal.”
“That first week, I still had all those mix of emotions that you get when you feel like your world is caving in on you.”
“We’re not going to look back and say, ‘What if?” and ‘Could I have?’, we are only going to look forward with a new plan.”
“I have to tell you that believing in what you’re doing - as crazy as it might appear to anyone watching - if you believe in what you are doing, you’ve got to be all in.”
“I would not have stood on that podium if I had not broken my foot.”
“They basically took two of the discs out in my neck and fused the bones together.”
“You can come out the other side even stronger.”
“If your goals have changed and you don’t want to be in your sport anymore, you don’t always have to use the injury as an excuse.”
“Sometimes these injuries turn into something more beautiful.”
“These injuries, they can break you if you let them, or they are something that can turn you into an entirely new athlete with a new purpose.”
“I encourage you to even check out the small injuries.”
“Take your physical therapy seriously.”
“Be smart. Know when to go slow. Know when to push forward.”
“There is so much you can do while you’re sidelined.”
“The mind is powerful. You need to learn how to use it.”
“Don’t underestimate the power of coaching. Even if it’s some younger kids that are around you, it can be really, really beneficial.”
“It all truly comes down to how you chose to look at it…choose wisely, friends.”
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

Previous episode links:

Robert Paylor, episode 38

Chanelle Price, episode 37

Allysa Seely, episode 29

Dr. Ben Houltberg, episode 27

Abby and Jacob Cooper, episode 23

Chaunte Lowe, episode 18

Apolo Ohno, episode 16

Amy Dixon, episode 14

Brad Snyder, episode 12
Susie Parker-Simmons, episode 7
40 min
March 30, 2021S1E39 - Chasing Dreams and Making History with Olympic Runner Dom Scott
South African Olympic runner, Dom Scott, joins Laura today for a truly inspiring conversation about persevering and making tough decisions to make your dreams a reality. Born in Cape Town, Dom’s journey to the Olympics meant moving away from her family at a young age to access the training and opportunities offered elsewhere, which resulted in multiple NCAA titles, 12 All-American honors, and, of course, her appearance at the Rio Olympics. Today, Dom takes some time out from her training for the Tokyo Olympics to share her story and the lessons it has to offer.

She begins by sharing some details of growing up in Cape Town, her start in sports, particularly running, and the difficult decision to leave home to attend a high school with a track team. Dom also discusses the road that took her to the University of Arkansas, her career there, her year of fairy tale moments, and her Rio experience. She concludes by delving into the lessons she has learned throughout her career, how COVID has affected her and her training, what keeps her going through the hard times, and the Dom Squad. The overriding themes of following your dream and cherishing support from family, friends, and faith run through Dom’s journey, and
offer inspiration for us all in how we can approach our own lives.
Episode Highlights:
Dom’s upbringing in Cape Town and her start in running
Netball
Living away from home to go to a high school with a track team
Her Olympic dream and her parents’ support
Going to the University of Arkansas
Her college experience
The differences between indoor/outdoor track and cross country
How she improved so much over her college career
Dom’s year of fairytale moments
Her Rio Olympic experience and the process involved in getting there
What helped Dom through her doubts and anxiety leading up to Rio
What Dom has learned in terms of her identity
Her current definition of success
How COVID has impacted her and her preparation for Tokyo
What keeps Dom going through the hard times
The Dom Squad
Quotes:
“I grew up playing every sport.”
“I guess as a dreamer and the determined person that I am, as a 12 year old, that just seemed like something that was worth fighting for and worth making hard decisions for.”
“Selflessly…she told me to go and to follow my dreams, follow my heart, and if she hadn’t done that, I think I probably would have pulled the plug on the whole thing.”
“College, you’ve got to remember, everyone is away from home.”
“Very quickly, I started changing the way I was talking…and looking back at it, I’m so sad that I did that.”
“Don’t change who you are to blend in and be like everybody else…you want to stand up and rise above that.”
“My freshman year was a big learning curve.”
“I just tried to start observing.”
“Dress for the job you want, not the job you have.”
“Your 10 points just secured the win for the Lady Razorbacks.”
“That sermon gave me so much peace.”
“You earned your spot on that start line.”
“I had taken the necessary steps to make my dream a reality.”
“At the time, I was embarrassed to say I’d come 21st,which is ridiculous!”
“It’s not about the place, it’s about how you feel about what you did.”
“Being an Olympian and having competed in the Olympics is not something that made me a better person, or, like, changed my life significantly either…it wasn’t something I wanted to be branded as.”
“If you are searching for your identity in anything other than Christ…it’s never going to fulfill you, it’s never going to satisfy you, and you’re always going to be left wanting more.”
“I am…more than Dom Scott, the athlete.”
“I really feel like surrounding myself with people that love me and support me – that’s what helps me through those really horrible days.”
Links:
The Pursuit of Gold homepage
5 Smart Strategies to Confidence
Conquer Your Fear in 5 Days

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

Connect with Dom:

Dom's homepage

Dom on Instagram

Dom on Facebook

Dom on Twitter
1 hr 6 min
March 23, 2021S1E38 - Paralyzed to Powerful with Rugby Player Robert Paylor
Laura has been looking forward to today’s interview for a while, and the reason will become very clear, very quickly. On May 6, 2017, Robert Paylor was playing for the number one college rugby team in the country as they competed in the National Championship, a dream come true for any young athlete. Mere moments into that game, Robert broke his neck and was subsequently told that he would never walk or move his hands again. His life was changed forever in that instant, but if you think that’s where Robert’s story ends, you couldn’t be more wrong. That fateful day not only impacted his physical life, but his mindset, his faith, and his outlook on life, and he shares the whole story with us all today.

He begins by describing how he got involved in rugby in the first place, his experience at Cal, and then he shares, in chilling detail, the events of that day in May, 2017, as well as the immediate and long-term decisions and treatments involved in his rehabilitation, which continues to this very day. Along the way he touches upon the need for mental toughness, working through the daily grind toward his vision, the role that neuroplasticity plays in his rehabilitation, and the power of forgiveness. Throughout his story are woven Robert’s feelings of gratitude, the incredible support from family, friends, doctors, teammates, and coaches, and, especially, his discovery of the greatest purpose and commitment of his life. What happened to Robert truly changed his life on so many levels, and by listening in to his heartfelt and moving conversation with Laura today you’ll find out why he wouldn’t have it any other way.
Episode Highlights:
How Robert got involved with rugby
His experience at Cal
The day Robert’s life changed forever
The advice he received and the decision he made in his darkest hour
Accessing mental toughness to make treatment decisions
Robert’s post-surgery experience
Support of family and friends
Robert’s rehabilitation at Craig Hospital in Colorado
False hope and false hopelessness
Working through the grind toward his ironclad vision
The first flicker of movement
Accessing perspective to be more grateful
The three ways to achieve recovery form spinal cord injury
The role that neuroplasticity plays in his recovery
Robert’s rehabilitation since he left the hospital
The support from Robert’s rugby team and especially Coach Billups
Graduating from Cal
The power of asking yourself, “Compared to what?”
The impact that Robert can have on the lives of others
Talon’s story
The biggest commitment that Robert has ever made
The power of forgiveness
Counting the days and appreciating the daily grind
Quotes:
“It was a day of legacy.”
“My face slams against my chest, I feel this crunch in my neck, and I immediately can’t feel or move anything below my neck.”
“The reality is, you will never walk again. You will never move your hands.”
“The one thing you have control over is your mindset. Your positivity, your ambition, your willingness to wake up every single day and fight is up to you.”
“I was going to give everything I had to get absolutely everything I can get.”
“I knew I couldn’t live with the regret of not going into this surgery.”
“It was like Death was sitting with me in that hospital room, waiting for me to quit.”
“If I don’t do this, I might die!”
“They look at me and they see potential, not some broken body.”
“The one thing we do know is that we are going to give you everything that modern science and medicine has to offer.”
“I came here to walk out of these hospital doors.”
“Appreciate every victory we have no matter how small they are.”
“There was just so much that I had lost that I had taken for granted in my life.”
“I couldn’t have graduated if it weren’t for this team.”
“Just being a quadriplegic is a job in itself.”
“It was my perspective that really fuelled me.”
“Remind me not to complain about anything ever again.”
“I think that’s very unhealthy when we dismiss our challenges.”
“There are so many positives in our lives that we can be focusing on right now.”
“If I could go back and change what happened to me on May 6 of 2017, I wouldn’t and I couldn’t, because…it has given me now the greatest purpose that I have in my life.”
“I forgive him whether he is sorry or not.”
“I’m either going to get out of this wheelchair one day or I’m going to die trying.”
Links:
The Pursuit of Gold homepage
5 Smart Strategies to Confidence
Conquer Your Fear in 5 Days

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

Connect with Robert:
Robert's homepage
Robert's Facebook
Robert's Twitter
Robert's Instagram
1 hr 1 min
March 16, 2021S1E37 - Learning to Run Free with World Champion Chanelle Price
World Champion runner, Chanelle Price, joins Laura today to share her remarkable story and the lessons she has learned through it all. A supremely talented elite athlete, Chanelle’s many achievements include competing at the 2007 USA Outdoor Championships at the age of 16, running the second fastest 800m of all time by a high school female which qualified her for the Olympic Trials when she was 17, and becoming the 2014 World IAAF Indoor Champion – the first American woman to ever win 800m gold at an indoor or outdoor world championship. Along with these great successes, Chanelle has experienced some devastating low points in her career, and she courageously discusses them all here today.

She begins by sharing how she came to find her way into track, her early successes, her struggles with insecurity, and the dark days of her time at college. Chanelle then provides a highly personal account of the factors that led her to contemplate suicide, and how beginning her journey with Christianity pulled her through that tragic time. She also discusses the many challenges she still had to face throughout this journey, the difference between her Olympic Trials experiences, and training for Tokyo during COVID. She draws the conversation to a close by highlighting the importance of maintaining a healthy relationship with sport, surrounding yourself with the right supportive people, her current definition of success, and the crucial role her ‘why’ plays in keeping her motivated and moving forward. Chanelle holds nothing back as she recounts the shining mountain peaks and dark, dark valleys she has encountered in her fascinating journey, and how these have helped her to become the woman she is today - an individual overflowing with faith, strength, character, and commitment, who undoubtedly ‘brings a smile to God’s face’.
Episode Highlights:
How Chanelle found her way into track
Her early success
Chanelle’s struggles with insecurity
Her college experience
Seeking a sponsorship deal
Chanelle’s contemplation of suicide
Her journey with Christianity
Drifting away from and returning to God
The many challenges Chanelle has worked through
Moving to train in Eugene, Oregon
Training for Tokyo during COVID
Chanelle’s Olympic Trials experiences
The importance of maintaining a healthy relationship with sport and surrounding yourself with supportive people
Her current definition of success
Chanelle’s ‘why’
Quotes:
“I just didn’t really find track fun. It felt more like punishment.”
“Once I started that singular focus on track once I got to high school, you know, it really paid off.”
“It was definitely the success that got me to like it.”
“That is where my sense of identity came from was my achievement on the track.”
“I don’t know who I am if I’m not Chanelle Price the track star.”
“It was like a 100 pound weight on my shoulders every time I went to race.”
“Behind closed doors, I was really, really, really struggling.”
“Chase after Me like you chase after track.”
“Your worth is not based off of how you perform out there on the track.”
“To whom much is given, much is required.”
“I was just a completely different person on the track.”
“You know, God, I’m going to come back to You.”
“The past 4 years have been the hardest years of my life…He answered, but it just wasn’t really what I expected.”
“I miss being that desperate for Him.”
“It was a very humbling experience.”
“God, I don’t know what You’re doing, but I’m about to break here…I don’t know if I can take this.”
“Every other month I said I was going to quit.”
“Maybe He’s telling me it’s time to move on.”
“I knew that this extra year was definitely a blessing in disguise for me.”
“Honestly, I considered retirement after that.”
“The woman that you have become through this journey is worth it.”
“I’m not thinking about anything else besides using my gift, and for me that’s when things seem to fall into place.”
“Some pressure is good, don’t get me wrong, but it shouldn’t get you to the point of suicide like it has for me in the past…that is not a healthy relationship with sport.”
“This is what you do. It’s not who you are.”
“The person that we become along the way - I think that’s what brings a smile to God’s face.”
“The sole thing that kept me going was my ‘why’.”
“Don’t sacrifice the gift.”
“There is always hope beyond what is happening in front us right now.”
Links:
The Pursuit of Gold homepage
5 Smart Strategies to Confidence
Conquer Your Fear in 5 Days
Laura’s Social Media:
Instagram: Laura's Instagram
Facebook: Laura's Facebook page

Connect with Chanelle:

Chanelle's Instagram
Chanelle's Twitter
Chanelle's Facebook
48 min
March 09, 2021S1E36 - Always be Learning Your Craft with Volleyball Olympic Medalist Rachael Adams
Having had to postpone today’s interview due to the recent winter storm in Texas, Laura is absolutely delighted to finally welcome Rachael Adams to the podcast. After getting off to a relatively late start in the game of volleyball, Rachael has gone on to great success in the sport including being a member of the U.S. Women’s National Volleyball Team, a professional player overseas, and an Olympic medalist. Throughout her career, she has demonstrated a desire to keep learning and to persevere through any challenge, which has served her incredibly well, and which is also clearly evident in her conversation with Laura here today.

Rachael begins by sharing her somewhat unique introduction to volleyball, the rapid progress she made, and how her parents’ approach to her career has helped her immensely throughout. She then discusses her experience with recruitment, college, getting to the Olympic squad, and playing professionally overseas. Rachael then finishes up by detailing her return to playing since her surgery, the sense of inner trust and determination which has helped her through it, her definition of success, and the website that she has created to offer support and inspiration to other athletes. A model of authenticity, Rachael Adams is a true champion in life as well as sport, and we are all truly blessed to be able to soak up the words of wisdom and inspiration which she shares here today.
Episode Highlights:
How Rachael found volleyball
Her rapid progress in the sport
Rachael’s parents and their approach to her career
Her recruiting process
Rachael’s college experience
The process of getting to the Olympic volleyball squad in the past and for Tokyo
Making the 2016 Olympic squad
Maintaining her mindset
How the pandemic and the Tokyo postponement have affected Rachael
Transitioning from college to professional volleyball
Rachael’s experience playing overseas
Her favorite country to play in
Coming back after surgery
Rachael’s inner trust and inner determination
Her definition of success at this point in her career
Rachael’s most memorable tournament
journeystrength.com
Quotes:
“Thank you for being such a great social media person.”
“Why have the crazy journey if you aren’t going to share and inspire others along the way, you know?”
“I became addicted to that learning process…my Dad always told me to be a sponge, and that’s what I became.”
“It’s been a kind of a crazy long journey, but I’ve learned a lot about myself through so many ups and downs.”
“I still feel like there’s so much left to learn.”
“So much a part of my career was self-driven.”
“They let me fail, they let me succeed, and didn’t try to sugarcoat everything.”
“Would I want to go to this college even if there was no volleyball?”
“You see more experienced players, more older players, more seasoned players, making Olympic squads than, like, younger players.”
“All you can do is, like, be your best, show up, put your best skills in front, be a good teammate, and hope that the body of work that you’re building is what the coaches want for the team.”
“It’s so much out of your control.”
“I’m literally just focusing on, like, one day at a time, one rep at a time, one accomplishment at a time, one practice, and just building little things from there.”
“You think you know everything, but you don’t, and you’re just very humbled.”
“You can’t be mindless in a foreign country.”
“The lonely grind…that’s what I’m in right now.”
“I totally feel you on so many levels.”
“It kind of feels like a little bit of your mission is to make sure other people know that they’re more than they might think they are.”
Links:
The Pursuit of Gold homepage
5 Smart Strategies to Confidence
Conquer Your Fear in 5 Days
Laura’s Social Media:
Instagram: Laura's Instagram
Facebook: Laura's Facebook page

Connect with Rachael:
journeystrength homepage
Rachael's Instagram
journeystrength's Instagram
51 min
March 02, 2021S1E35 - How to Face and Overcome Fear with Our Host, Laura Wilkinson
Due to the winter storm that hit Texas recently, and the ensuing power outage, Laura has had to postpone some of the fantastic interviews she had lined up for the podcast. However, today’s episode proves equally fascinating as she delves into something which we all experience, and about which she is asked all the time: fear. While no one is immune from it, there are ways to manage it rather than let it spiral out of control, and today, Laura breaks it all down for you.

She begins by defining what fear actually is, how healthy fear works and can help, the relationship between fear and control, and the only way to overcome fear. She also discusses the need to change the way we talk and think about fear through refocusing and reframing, the gift of gaining courage through fear and commitment, and then finishes with an offer to participate in her ‘Free 5 Day Fear Challenge’. This is a topic with which Laura possesses a vast amount of experience, and her insights and advice here today, once again, go far beyond the world of sports and into each of our daily lives, making this yet another ‘must listen’ episode of ‘The Pursuit of Gold’.
Episode Highlights:
Defining what fear actually is
Healthy fear
Fear and control
Overcoming fear
Changing the way we talk and think about fear
Refocusing and reframing
Gaining courage
Commitment
Laura’s Free 5 Day Fear Challenge
Quotes:
“Fear is huge in my sport…I am no stranger to fear.”
“Fear basically boils down to a strong feeling.”
“A healthy fear should not be absolutely paralyzing.”
“However big your fears are, you are not powerless against these fears.”
“Fear has no actual control over you, it’s only making you feel a certain way.”
“When we ignore our fears, they don’t get smaller, they begin to grow.”
“When we’re trying to push our fears away, we’re actively interacting with them.”
“The only way to overcome fear is to face it.”
“We have to begin trusting ourselves and our knowledge and what we know will help us.”
“You cannot have courage or be brave unless you are first afraid.”
“The most important ingredient to becoming courageous is commitment.”
“It’s normal to freeze up and get scared just before a big, important moment. That just let’s you know how important it is to you.”
“You can’t dip your toe in from the 10m to see if the water feels nice.”
“The thing on the other side of fear is more important to me than the fear itself.”
Links:
The Pursuit of Gold homepage
5 Smart Strategies to Confidence
Conquer Your Fear in 5 Days

Laura’s Social Media:
Instagram: Laura's Instagram
Facebook: Laura's Facebook page
15 min
February 16, 2021S1E34 - Turning the Tables on the Media with Emmy Award Winner Randy McIlvoy
Randy McIlvoy, Sports Director and anchor of KPRC 2 Television in Houston, is Laura’s very special guest on the podcast this week. A four-time Emmy winner, Randy has received numerous additional nominations, as well as honors from the Texas Associated Press Broadcasters Association. He and Laura have known each other for quite some time, but this is the first time that she has had the opportunity to turn the tables and be the one to interview this celebrated interviewer.
Randy begins by sharing his own history in sports, his development into sports reporting, and his tips for athletes who are interested in doing so themselves. He then discusses many aspects of his job including the most important character trait for it, the most difficult aspect to it, the importance of establishing relationships, and his advice for athletes preparing for interviews. Randy also reviews some of his most memorable moments in his job over the years, and offers his perspective on the sport that has transformed the most, the quality he feels elite athletes share, how COVID has impacted his work, and the sporting events he would like to cover that he hasn’t yet. The mutual respect between these two remarkably successful individuals is palpable during this conversation that is as comfortable as it is revealing, providing a behind the scenes glimpse into the world of sports reporting and the joy that can be found in making your passion your occupation.
Episode Highlights:
Randy’s history in sports
His development into a sports reporter
Randy’s tips for athletes wanting to get into reporting
The most important character trait for his work
The most difficult aspect of Randy’s job
The importance of developing relationships
Advice for athletes preparing for interviews
His favorite sport and game he’s covered
Keeping viewers excited
Randy’s memorable stories
His play-by-play experience
Interviews that made Randy nervous
The quality he feels elite athletes share
What has surprised him the most in interviews
The sport he believes has transformed the most and become the most competitive over the years
The ‘Tiger Factor’
How COVID has changed covering sports
The sporting events that Randy would still like to cover in person
Quotes:
“My dream was to play college baseball.”
“Breaking into TV, you know, I would have been willing to do whatever…I wanted to cover sports, I wanted to tell stories.”
“You’ve got to have a skillset that’s a little broader now that can kind of separate yourself from others trying to get after these jobs.”
“You can’t just sit back and let it come to you…you’ve got to grind. You’ve got to always look to improve what you’re doing.”
“You could easily let this job that we do, this profession, kind of consume you if you don’t find a balance.”
“Act like the camera’s not there.”
“Just have a conversation with the person asking the question.”
“You do know we just witnessed one of the greatest all time moments in college football history, right?
“It can get monotonous if you let it…you’ve got to go find stories.”
“You’re constantly in the planning stages.”
“I almost drove off the road.”
“You seem to experience everything with the athletes.”
“I’ve got to act like I’ve been here before.”
“You’ve got to be committed to what you’re doing.”
“You’ve got college golfers that come out and are just lighting it up.”
“The athletes were becoming a bit of the reporter for you.”
“You miss the contact, that’s what you miss. You miss the face-to-face stuff with them.”
“The Olympic Games would be cool to cover.”
Links:
The Pursuit of Gold homepage
5 Smart Strategies to Confidence
Laura’s Social Media:
Instagram: Laura's Instagram
Facebook: Laura's Facebook page
Connect with Randy:
Click2Houston homepage
Randy's Click2Houston page
Randy on Twitter
Randy's Facebook page
Randy's Instagram page
References:
Apolo Ohno Episode
56 min

About Pursuit of Gold with 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…

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