Pursuit of Gold with Laura Wilkinson

By Laura WilkinsonSports Education Self-Improvement Fitness Swimming

Pursuit of Gold with Laura Wilkinson episodes

February 09, 2021 S1E33 - How to Keep Moving Forward in Uncertain Times with Our Host, Laura Wilkinson
Today’s episode is a little different as Laura doesn’t interview a guest, but instead addresses head-on an issue that is impacting athletes throughout the world. There is a sense of weariness and exhaustion that Laura is observing in many athletes as they deal with postponements, cancellations, and what feels like an eternal holding pattern in their lives as this pandemic drags on. With her vast amount of experience, Laura possesses a great deal of wisdom and she shares it here today to help you navigate these ever changing circumstances and continue moving forward to achieve the goals you have set for yourself.

She starts by sharing her own recent history and current situation, reviewing the pandemic’s impact upon herself and other athletes, and explaining what it means to train with a moving target as well as how to accomplish it. Laura also stresses the importance of staying in the moment, looking at this unusual time as one of life’s precious opportunities, and offers a stirring analysis of the greatest gift you can give yourself. Laura sugarcoats nothing in today’s episode, demonstrating that life is filled with difficult patches to navigate, that it is up to us to decide who we want to be as we face these difficulties, and also passionately reinforcing the fact that we do, indeed, have the potential to not only get through all this but to thrive in the process.
Episode Highlights:

· Laura’s recent history and current situation
· The pandemic’s impact on athletes
· Training with a moving target
· Staying in the moment
· This precious opportunity
· ‘Cool Runnings’
· The greatest gift you can give yourself
· Who do you want to be?
Quotes:

“I actually have a nice titanium plate and 6 screws in my neck now.”

“It was devastating to so many athletes on different levels.”

“Now there’s pretty much nothing on our schedule until the Olympic trials in June.”

“Even though the target may be shifting and moving around, you’re aiming for that bullseye, and that has not changed.”

“We are going to have to adapt.”

“You are capable of getting through this and thriving.”

“You could handle anything as long as you stayed in the moment and gave it everything that you had.”

“They get back up and try again.”

“Instant gratification is actually not normal.”

“If it’s important to you, it is worth fighting for in that long term.”

“We need to remember that there’s so much more that goes on than just what we’re seeing in that little clip.”

“A gold medal is a wonderful thing, but if you’re not enough without one, you’ll never be enough with one.”

“Those moments magnify your character for better or for worse.”

“I have not only won all those things, I have failed miserably at all of those events as well.”

“I choose to be a champion both in character and in integrity.”

“If I may lose, let me stand by the road and cheer as the winners go by.”

“What can you do right now in this moment to the very best of your ability to help you continue working toward that goal?”

“It will give you peace.”
Links:
The Pursuit of Gold homepage: http://thepursuitofgold.com/
5 Smart Strategies to Confidence: https://www.laurawilkinson.com/learn
Laura’s Social Media:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lala_the_diver
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheLauraWilkinson
References:
Episode 27 with Dr. Ben Houltberg
25 min
February 02, 2021 S1E32 - The Secret to Dominance with World Champion High Diver Gary Hunt
Today you will be treated to an ‘extreme’ episode as World Champion High Diver, Gary Hunt, joins Laura for an absolutely fascinating conversation. A legend in the high diving world, Gary is actually a 2-time World Champion and an 8-time winner of the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series. Before he took on the daredevil world of high diving, Gary competed in 10-meter platform diving, and, in fact, took home a Bronze in the 10-meter Synchro at the 2006 Commonwealth Games. If you have ever wondered what it takes to have the courage and skill to dive off of cliffs and castles, and even out of helicopters, and still continue to set even loftier goals for yourself, you’ve come to the right place.

In this conversation, Gary tells his story all the way from first getting into diving all the way to what he is doing now and what his lofty and inspiring new goal is. In the process, he shares his favorite places to dive, his craziest and most memorable dives, the dangers he and his colleagues face, and the mental preparation that allows him to do what he does so well so consistently. Finding coaching in a relatively new sport, maintaining focus, his exciting new goal, and the impact that COVID has had upon him, his sport and his training are all discussed as well. Gary’s calm, thoughtful and humble nature shines through in this episode as he shares his vast amount of experience and insight into a sport which would seem unthinkably perilous to so many of us. Combine all of these qualities with his penchant for setting new goals and pursuing passion projects, and you will undoubtedly agree with Laura’s assessment of Gary Hunt as truly ‘an inspiration’, certainly one well worth listening to here today.
Episode Highlights:

· How Gary found his way to diving
· Transitioning from platform to high diving
· His favorite places to dive
· Gary’s craziest high diving story
· The potential dangers in high diving
· The process involved in introducing a new dive
· The worst lead up he has to do
· Gary’s mental preparation
· The Red Bull World Series
· How he’s navigated coaching
· His favorite moment in diving
· His perfect score dive
· Preparing for dives
· Using juggling to remain focused
· Gary’s new goal
· How COVID has impacted him
Quotes:

“I started noticing the divers in the other side of the pool looking like they were having much more fun than I was.”

“It was like a new door was being opened before me with so many possibilities.”

“Sometimes when it’s really windy, you just want it to be over.”

“The training is often much more scary than the actual competitions.”

“I couldn’t remember anything about after the dive.”

“You have to expect that it’s not always going to go your way.”

“There are horror stories of people being swept away.”

“We feel like we’re in safe hands.”

“In the times where it hasn’t gone well, I think I’ve learned from it.”

“I was the first of a wave of new high divers that were really going to push the boat out.”

“I entered the sport at the right time.”

“I think diving from a helicopter is one of my highlights.”

“Usually, I will do one of each dive before the competition when we get to a new location.”

“This dream of competing on 10-meter again just started to get more and more interesting.”

“I prefer looking ahead and just focusing on my training.”

“As long as your head’s into it and you’re focused, you can do it.”

“You are an inspiration…giving yourself new passion projects…new goals.”
Links:
The Pursuit of Gold homepage: http://thepursuitofgold.com/
5 Smart Strategies to Confidence: https://www.laurawilkinson.com/learn
Laura’s Social Media:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lala_the_diver
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheLauraWilkinson

Learn more about Gary:
https://www.instagram.com/garydiver/
51 min
January 26, 2021 S1E31 - When the Journey Brings You Full Circle with Olympic Diver and Coach Gabi Chereches
Laura’s longtime friend, Gabi Chereches, joins her for a very special episode this week. Currently a coach at The Woodlands Diving Academy, where he and Laura first met almost 30 years ago, Gabi’s many diving accomplishments include 3 Olympic Games, and 9 NCAA All-American honors. As a coach, he has guided athletes to both Junior and Senior titles and at numerous World Championships, and he was named the 2014 USA Diving Developmental Coach of the Year. Gabi has led an incredible life and he shares his fascinating story with Laura and all of you here today.

Their conversation tracks Gabi’s life and career from his days growing up in Romania through his remarkably successful diving career and up to the current day where he is proving equally successful as a diving coach. In the process, Gabi shares such details as what his life was like during Romania’s revolution, experiencing great success at an early age, his life changing interview at the Barcelona Games, and his move to live in the USA. Learning to speak English, his differing Olympics experiences, his college years, and how he handles tough or disappointing moments in his life are also discussed. Gabi draws the episode to a close by describing the weirdest time in his life, his coaching career and coming full circle in his life, what success means to him now, and by offering some parting advice for athletes and coaches. Laura and Gabi’s close friendship is fully evident in this heartfelt conversation today, as Gabi reviews his remarkable life, the lessons he has learned throughout, and the wisdom he has to offer us all regarding what is truly important in the arenas of both sports and life.
Episode Highlights:

· Gabi’s start in diving
· Growing up in Romania during the revolution
· Enjoying so much success at such a young age
· The impact of his NBC interview at the Barcelona Olympics
· His move to the USA and his American family
· How Gabi learned to speak English
· His differing Olympic experiences
· His college experience
· Gabi’s third Olympics Games
· Handling disappointment
· The weirdest time of his life
· His start and progression as a coach
· Coming full circle
· Gabi’s current definition of success
· His parting words of wisdom
Quotes:

“I still remember my first jump off the 10 meter…it was scary.”

“Diving is a very scary sport sometimes…if you have that ‘no fear’ it helps a lot.”

“I actually appreciate that I went through that because…now that you reflect back, it makes you a better person.”

“When you have a team like that, it becomes your family.”

“It was such a unique experience…it was awesome…I got spoiled pretty quickly.”

“I was watching ‘Beavis and Butthead’.”

“All you guys were pretty tough on me.”

“We’ll call you out when you’re being a punk, you know, but we’re going to love you no matter what you do, for sure.”

“Going into Atlanta, it felt more like home.”

“Going to Tennessee, it was a no-brainer.”

“Unfortunately, I just did not have a great performance in the 2000 Olympic Games.”

“It’s not just one meet – it’s the journey.”

“We’re just going to keep pulling you back in, too.”

“This is how I’m going to give back.”

“If you guide them through that process, then their journey becomes a little bit better, a little bit more family-type feeling for them.”

“You have to figure it out, how to make them feel ready and right in their mind to approach certain skills and certain dives.”

“I’m very lucky that I’m able to experience this.”

“It’s been a cool ride so far.”

“Let’s learn from each other.”
Links:
The Pursuit of Gold homepage:   http://thepursuitofgold.com/
5 Smart Strategies to Confidence:   https://www.laurawilkinson.com/learn
Laura’s Social Media:
Instagram:   https://www.instagram.com/lala_the_diver
Facebook:   https://www.facebook.com/TheLauraWilkinson

Learn more about Gabi:

Gabi Chereches - TeamUSA
Woodlands Diving Team: Woodlandsdiving.org
51 min
January 05, 2021S1E30 - For the Love of Sport with Speedskating Legend Bonnie Blair
Everyone is in for an extra special treat as speedskating legend, Bonnie Blair, joins Laura for this week’s episode. The first American woman to win five Olympic gold medals at the Olympic Winter Games, Bonnie dominated the sprint events of long track speedskating across three Games. At the time of her induction into the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame, she was the most decorated female U.S. Winter Olympian of all time, and was also one of the most decorated female U.S. Olympians in individual events. Today, she shares the stories of her life, career, and achievements in the most open, honest and down to earth way, clearly demonstrating that she is as much a champion off the ice as she is on it.

In sharing the story of her life and career from her earliest memories, Bonnie touches upon her many Olympic experiences, as well as her schooling, training, and her stint in track cycle racing. She also details the impact her dad had upon her and her career, the ways in which she handles pressure, her post Olympic competitions, and what life has been like for her and her family during COVID. She finishes up by discussing the dynamic she shares with Laura of being an Olympian parent whose children are pursuing sports, and offering valuable advice for all to take to heart. Entertaining, warm, and thoroughly engaging, Bonnie Blair is a superstar professionally and personally, a shining example of one who has discovered the winning formula in both sport and life.
Episode Highlights:
Bonnie’s journey through skating from the very beginning
Her ‘school through the mail’ experience
Bonnie’s first Olympic experience
Increasing her training diligence and consistency
Bonnie’s second Olympics and how they differed from her first
Her track cycle racing experience
Bonnie’s third Olympics and the years leading to them
Her dad and the impact he had upon her career
How Bonnie handles pressure
Her fourth Olympic Games, her preparation for them, and Dan Jansen’s win
Bonnie’s post-Olympics competitions
Life for Bonnie and her family during COVID
The dynamic of an Olympian parent with their kids who are pursuing sports
Quotes:

“I was racing at the age of 4.”
“She just won the race and she’s thanking me!”
“It really kind of became a lot about personal best for me, and challenging that clock.”
“It’s funny to see these people we look up to, like fanboying or fangirling other people, too – it’s awesome.”
“We didn’t have somebody with US Speedskating who was a media person who handled any of this.”
“I know what I need to do.”
“Doing that thing for the very first time is a very powerful moment.”
“When they actually announced that the other girl won, I was so relieved.”
“I like that you’ve won so many that you don’t know!”
“Everybody gets there a different way, and everybody has their own path, and what works for one person doesn’t necessarily work for another.”
“Hone in on your strengths.”
“All these different coaches really gave me something at a time when I needed it.”
“The only person I can control is me.”
“He’s my younger brother that I never had.”
“To this day, hearing the national anthem has a whole different meaning to me.”
“It ended on a perfect note.”
“I did it because I loved it, the challenge of the clock, wanting to be the best that I could be, chasing those personal bests, and to me, you know, that’s kind of what it was all about.”
“It’s fun being a mom of kids that love their sports and are following their own journey.”
“What I did was stupid crazy…to try to think that you have to live up to something like that…that’s not right.”
“It’s really all about the love of doing something, and then giving it everything you’ve got.”
Links:
The Pursuit of Gold homepage: http://thepursuitofgold.com/
Mental Training: https://www.laurawilkinson.com/learn
Laura’s Social Media:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lala_the_diver
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheLauraWilkinson

Connect with Bonnie:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bonnieblairc/?hl=en
Twitter: https://twitter.com/bonnieblair?lang=en
1 hr 9 min
December 22, 2020S1E29 - Finding the Positive Side of Challenges with Paralympic Champion Allysa Seely
Joining Laura on today’s episode is the incredibly inspiring American Paralympic champion, Allysa Seely. Diagnosed with a combination of brain, spinal and connectivity disorders which eventually led to the amputation of her left leg below the knee, Allysa responded by going on to become a 3-time World Champion and a Paralympic Gold Medalist. Despite the challenges presented by her ongoing medical concerns, Allysa continues to persevere, and is currently training with an eye to competing in the Tokyo Paralympic Games in 2021. Hers is a story of exemplary commitment, resilience, and determination, and she shares it all with Laura here today.

They begin by discussing the story behind the unique spelling of Allysa’s name and her DIY projects, which gives just a taste of her remarkable commitment to achievement. Allysa then shares the details of her start in the triathlon, her diagnosis and its ongoing impact, her journey as a paratriathlete and the great success she has achieved therein, as well as her preparation for the upcoming Paralympics. She also discusses the importance of her team, her unique nutrition necessities, her ESPN Body Issue experience, and how she is feeling these days since a recent stint in the hospital. Make no mistake, Allysa’s story is not solely about her diagnosis and the impact it has had upon her life. It is about having the steely resolve to recognize challenges, meet them head on, and go beyond simply overcoming them to actually using them as fuel to achieve even greater results, rendering Allysa Seely a truly inspiring example for everyone to follow not only in sport but in every aspect of life.
Episode Highlights:
Some of Allysa’s DIY projects
Her start in the triathlon
Allysa’s diagnosis of Chiari II malformation, its symptoms, and her reaction to it
Her brain and spine surgery, rehabilitation, and return to running
How her science background has helped her
Transitioning from triathlon to paratriathlon
Her amputation and returning to racing
Her World Championships and Paralympics experiences and their impact
Allysa’s team
Nutrition, sleep and recovery for her
Allysa’s training schedule
Her ESPN Body Issue experience
How the Tokyo Games postponement has affected Allysa
How she is feeling these days since her last hospital stay
Quotes:
“I really just fell in love with the challenge and the camaraderie and the exhilaration of the sport so I haven’t left yet.”
“The bike has definitely been the lasting challenge for me…I have a love/hate relationship with it.”
“The back part of my brain – the cerebellum – is not actually in my skull, it’s herniated into my spinal column.”
“It’s not super common, so there’s many times I’m explaining it to medical professionals as well.”
“I ran my first 5K as an amputee in December after losing my leg in August.”
“Learning to walk and run was actually easier than when I had my foot.”
“I do think very little was expected of me.”
“People who believe in you, but yet love you whether you win or lose, right?”
“My neurological disability is absolutely more challenging than the amputation.”
“Because of the injury to my brain, my body is not able to digest food like most others do.”
“For the first time in my life, we’ve been able to…fully support my training, build muscle mass, and not worry about my weight throughout the season as much.”
“Nutrition is so important to achieving your best.”
“Not a single person cared that I was unclothed.”
“I’ve had a really rough year this year.”
“All in all, I think it might have worked out okay for me. Hopefully, next year’s going to be way better.”
“We can’t change the cards we’re dealt, and so we just have to make the best of what we have…those who are able to cope with the changes and stay on track and stay motivated are the ones that are going to find the most success next summer.”
“Although these few months have been hard, I don’t think it counts me out. If anything, it lights more of a fire under me to prove that I can overcome this and everything else thrown my way to be the athlete and the competitor that I want to be.”
“Impossible is a dare.”
Links:
The Pursuit of Gold homepage: http://thepursuitofgold.com/
Mental Training: https://www.laurawilkinson.com/learn
Laura’s Social Media:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lala_the_diver
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheLauraWilkinson

Connect with Allysa:
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/triallysa/
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/allysaseelytriathlete/
52 min
December 15, 2020S1E28 - When Your Passion Becomes Your Way of Life with Olympic Swimmer Cammile Adams
Laura is very excited to welcome two-time Olympic swimmer, Cammile Adams, to the podcast today. Originally from Houston, Cammile started swimming at four years old, and went on to specialize in the 200m butterfly, eventually becoming a two-time NCAA Champion and seven-time NCAA All-American. She also competed for Team USA at the World Championships, earning a silver medal in 2015, and also represented her country at the London and Rio Olympics. Having retired from competitive swimming after Rio, Cammile currently runs a number of SafeSplash Swim Schools in and around Houston.

In this episode, Cammile describes her swimming career starting with her twin sister and her father at an early age, through her college, professional and Olympic experiences, and finishing with her dream job running her swim schools. Along the way she shares the influence her coaches and mentors have had upon her, her unique fly stroke, one of the darkest moments in her life, and the importance of building a ‘tribe’, of having wise counsel around, and of balancing life within and outside of the pool. She concludes the conversation with her valuable advice for young athletes, borne out of her vast amount of experience and earned wisdom. Fully evident throughout today’s episode is the idea that sports can teach a person so much about themselves and help them grow the skills necessary for life in general. Cammile Adams provides living proof of this fact, as her incredible learning journey, shared here today, clearly demonstrates.
Episode Highlights:
The USA House
Cammile’s early start into swimming
Competing with her twin sister
The story of Cammile and Ashley’s college recruitment
The influence of her coaches and mentors
Cammile’s unique fly stroke
Her college experience
The value of working on things ‘outside of your normal box’
Her first Olympics
Moments in life where ‘your tribe’ speak truth to you
One of the darkest moments in Cammile’s life
The importance of having wise counsel around you
Balancing life outside of the pool and in the pool
The transition to going pro
The road to her 2016 Olympics
Her 2016 Olympics experience
Cammile’s SafeSplash Swim Schools
Cammile’s advice for young athletes
Quotes:
“I’ve actually never played another sport.”
“Ashley really swam for the friends.”
“I think I learned more about the person I want to be from Steve, than, like, the swimmer I want to be…he did truly change my life.”
“Sports isn’t just about sports.”
“I think shoulder surgery may be one of the best things that happened to my swimming career.”
“This is not always a fun, comfortable feeling to be in, but this is an opportunity.”
“I got to become a student of the sport of swimming and that was my entire focus.”
“Think about what you can do outside of the water to make yourself better in the water.”
“I needed to figure out how to fight through.”
“I also just truly believed that it was an absolute privilege to swim for Texas A&M.”
“Not letting the highs be too high and the lows be too low…within life and within sport.”
“One of these is not like the others.”
“It made me to be very aware of my emotions.”
“You have all these, almost like, end of life kind of thoughts…it’s very real stuff.”
“No one had warned me that that feeling was coming.”
“I needed that, like, roundhouse kick in the face – grow up!”
“How much growth I had made, not only in the sport, but also personally…2015 was just a really special summer for me…all the parts were just aligned.”
“You train your entire life for this, and then it’s gone within seconds.”
“It’s one of those ways, like, God teaches you to deal with adversity.”
“It was such a hard lesson for me, I think.”
“It was just like the perfect life balance that I needed.”
“This is my dream job, and I have it at, you know, 27 years old…and I honestly can’t imagine ever doing anything else.”
“If you fail to prepare, you are preparing to fail…a statement that I live by.”
Links:
The Pursuit of Gold homepage: http://thepursuitofgold.com/
Mental Training: https://www.laurawilkinson.com/learn
Laura’s Social Media:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lala_the_diver
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheLauraWilkinson

Connect with Cammile:
SafeSplash Swim School: https://www.safesplash.com/
Cammile’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cammileadams/
1 hr 8 min
December 08, 2020S1E27 - How to Be Resilient Through Adversity & Improve Performance with Dr. Ben Houltberg
Dr. Benjamin Houltberg, VP of Research and Practice at Search Institute, is Laura’s very special guest on today’s episode. Ben is a developmental scientist, and an experienced licensed marriage and family therapist, as well as a former elite athlete. He is widely published in topics such as the socialization of adolescent emotion regulation, promoting resilience through adversity, character, and identity development in sports. As you will discover, he is also well versed in the practice of Mindfulness, and he is here to share his vast amount of experience, knowledge, and advice with you today.
Ben begins by sharing his journey from his first interest in sports and his running career, through to his current position, and then offers a thorough analysis of both performance based and purpose based identity, as well as the continuum between them. From this analysis, he expands upon performing out of fear and coping with it, mental health, his perspective on overcoming the challenges that this past year has provided, and the importance of gratitude and positive emotions. While examining the foundation for dealing with adversity, Ben explains the concept of Mindfulness, and actually leads Laura and our listeners through an exercise. He finishes the conversation discussing virtue development and high performance and sharing his advice for young athletes. Ben’s overriding belief that we are all of value, not because of our performance, but because of who we are, is evident throughout this inspiring episode. His is an impactful and important message for absolutely everyone to hear and to heed.
Episode Highlights:
Ben’s journey from his start in sports to his current position
Performance based identity, purpose based identity and the continuum between the two
The impact of ‘performing out of fear’ and recognizing when you are struggling with it
Steps to follow for coping with the fear
Emotional regulation and co-regulation
Mental health in the world of sport and society in general
Michael Phelps’ ‘Weight of Gold’ documentary
Ben’s observations and guidance regarding 2020 and moving forward from it
The importance of feeling gratitude and expressing it to others
The impact of positive and negative emotions
3 foundational aspects to preparing for adversity
Mindfulness and its importance
A mindfulness activity
Virtue development and high performance
A study regarding the impact of negative emotions and connection
Ben’s advice to young athletes
Quotes:
“My same exhilaration for sports began to transfer over to my desire to want to understand how the mind works and how relationships work.”
“In the process of trying to study this, I experienced my own kind of healing in some of the wounds that I experienced as an athlete.”
“When results start to get wrapped up as the main definer of your self-worth, then it has devastating consequences.”
“I really firmly believe that there’s a lot of athletes who ‘choke’ or ‘bonk’, or whatever you want to call it, that really comes from an overstimulated sympathetic nervous system.”
“Often, our body responds even before we are able to process it cognitively.”
“Our external lives and relationships and stressors all can have positive or negative consequences physiologically on us.”
“We deal with stress and pain better when we have a purpose that’s bigger than ourselves.”
“These athletes that have this more purpose based identity, they achieve at really high levels as well, but they don’t have the consequences of high levels of depression or anxiety or shame.”
“Throughout history and throughout research, we just do better when we’re connected to others and we have this connection to some type of transcendent purpose.”
“What do I value? What is most important to me?”
“Relationships are so powerful for our emotional health.”
“How can I serve the people around me right now?”
“The foundation of the self becomes really important…the mindset skills are also really important.”
“Invest in your relationships – in healthy ones.”
“Being mindful in your day-to-day is really just…a non-judgmental awareness of being in the present moment.”
“For me, breath also represents a connection to God or even for some people to everybody around them, the source of life.”
“You are valued. You are loved. You are known. You are free. And your worth does not depend on your performance. And you have something to offer this world that nobody else can take away…there’s a purpose in what you can contribute to those around you.”
“When we do have that solid foundation, we are able to also give our best, and I think that’s where virtue development and high performance come together.”
Links:
The Pursuit of Gold homepage: http://thepursuitofgold.com/
Mental Training: https://www.laurawilkinson.com/learn
Laura’s Social Media:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lala_the_diver
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheLauraWilkinson
Connect with Ben:
Search Institute: https://www.search-institute.org/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drbenhoultberg/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/benhoultberg
58 min
December 01, 2020S1E26 - Grins, Gold & Becoming a #GirlDad with Olympic Swimmer Nathan Adrian
Laura is absolutely thrilled to welcome Olympic champion swimmer Nathan Adrian to the podcast today. Nathan is an eight-time Olympic medalist who has played key roles in some of the fastest relay teams in history. From 2008 to 2019, he won gold at World Championships, Pan Pacific Championships, or the Olympics every year but one. He has 16 World Championships medals (LCM) to his name, and has served as a USA Swimming Foundation Ambassador since 2014.
In today’s episode, Nathan shares his history in sports and specifically swimming right from the start up to current day. Along the way, he discusses his college experience, his experiences at Worlds and the Olympics and what he learned from them, his training, becoming Team USA’s Captain, and his sense of joy and optimism as well as some tips he follows to maintain it. Nathan also recounts some of his most memorable performances, the importance of having humbling moments and knowing yourself, and his cancer diagnosis and its impact upon him. He draws the episode to a close by sharing how the pandemic and Tokyo postponement have affected him, and his thoughts on becoming a father in the near future. Nathan’s fascinating journey is one filled with both highs and lows, and, throughout it all, he demonstrates the wisdom to tease out the lessons to be learned from each experience – lessons not only about sports, but about life in general, which he translates into valuable advice for us all here today.
Episode Highlights:
Nathan’s start in sports and journey to swimming
His college experience
Nathan’s advice for athletes when choosing their college
The impact of training with Mike Bottom’s professional team
What he learned through his first Worlds and Olympic Trials experiences
Nathan’s first Olympics
The differences between his three Olympics
Expectations for those who make the USA Olympics Swimming Team
His experience as Team Captain
Nathan’s sense of joy and optimism and some ways he maintains it
How his approach to training changes for swimming yards or meters
Nathan’s most memorable performances
The importance of having humbling moments and knowing how you operate the best
Transitioning from college to pro
Nathan’s diagnosis of testicular cancer
His return to training after his treatment
The impact of the pandemic and the Olympic postponement
Becoming a parent soon
Quotes:
“I was always competing in my own little third child way.”
“I was trying to keep up with these guys, all the time, everyday.”
“No matter how hard you think you have tried, or no matter how any given competition has gone up until that point, like, your next race might be the one.”
“Team USA and USA Swimming do a great job of, you know, helping you, make you feel secure.”
“I felt like my job there was to go to swim as fast as I could on the relay for Team USA and then try to just soak up all the knowledge and experience, and just watch people go through what they need to go through to be successful.”
“We are going to do whatever we can to give you something to be successful.”
“You don’t want to be Captain to be enforcer of rules or punishments.”
“I do seem to err on the side of optimism.”
“What contributing factors perhaps put me in, you know, this sort of rut, and what can I do in the future to try to avoid that?”
“My freestyle, I have, I’d say, let’s just call it like five different gears…let’s call six gears.”
“It takes a long time at the beginning of the season to sort of groove those neuropatterns out, but once you’re clicking…you just kind of do it.”
“I think every athlete that gets up to a certain level has these sorts of stories where they just totally sucked, and no matter what their resume is, that story is still there.”
“You really have to know yourself.”
“You, as the patient, still have to make actual decisions.”
“The diagnosis itself will definitely change your outlook, especially, I think for an athlete who is all about that delayed gratification, that payoff at the end of the season.”
“I still look forward to going to practice even to this day.”
“It certainly shaped my own paradigm moving forward…I almost got so much just ripped away.”
“My wife was a saint through it.”
“Something feels off…like, my left foot doesn’t sweat – it’s like the weirdest thing ever.”
“Your body has this incredible way of finding a way to compensate and, you know, figure out a way to still move through the water.”
“I’m just getting a little bit better each and every week.”
Links:
The Pursuit of Gold homepage: http://thepursuitofgold.com/
Mental Training: https://www.laurawilkinson.com/learn
Laura’s Social Media:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lala_the_diver
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheLauraWilkinson
Connect with Nathan:
Homepage: http://www.nathanadrian.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nathangadrian/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/nathangadrian
1 hr
November 24, 2020 S1E25 - Breaking barriers with World Champion weightlifter Kristi Brewer
Joining Laura on the podcast this week is elite Olympic weightlifter, Kristi Brewer.
K Mighty, as she is known, didn’t even start weightlifting until her mid-30’s, and in her relatively short career so far, she has earned the title of Master World Champion and Master Worlds Best Lifter, and in the process broken 12 world records. She competes for the USA on a national and international platform, and is the oldest national ranked weightlifter on the senior circuit. Kristi is also a CPA, a mom to two wonderful girls, and, not surprisingly, a scheduling genius, all of which you will learn more about here today.

In this episode, Kristi shares the story of her rather non-traditional journey to weightlifting through her steady progress in the sport to the current day, and her plans for the future. Along the way, she touches upon her training history, being a ‘remote athlete’, her competitions and the pressure associated with them, the insignificance of ‘weight on the scale’ in the bigger picture, and the impact her training has upon her daughters. She also offers a glimpse of her stellar organizational and scheduling abilities, what it’s like to compete for Team USA, and how we can help cheer her on. Unmistakable throughout is Kristi’s love of the sport and what it has done for her, her pride in being an example for others especially her children, and, above all, the fact that her story clearly demonstrates that ‘life is not over when we become a mom or when we hit a certain age’. Truly, new beginnings are possible at any point in our lives, so listen in today and be inspired by the mighty Kristi Brewer.

Episode Highlights:

· Kristi’s non-traditional journey to weightlifting
· Her training history
· Being a ‘remote athlete’
· Her competition history
· The source of the pressure and expectations on Kristi
· The story of winning her first Master World Championship title
· Competing internationally in the Open Division
· The insignificance of ‘weight on the scale’ in the bigger picture
· The benefits of weight training
· Cutting weight during the holiday season
· Kristi’s daughters’ perspectives on her weightlifting
· Kristi’s scheduling expertise including visual schedules
· Competing for Team USA
· Her current goals
· How we can cheer Kristi on

Quotes:

“I didn’t find weightlifting actually until my second child when I was 35.”

“I love the intensity of it, and also the monotonousness of the training.”

“Weightlifting also just fit my personality as well as my body type.”

“I didn’t have time to be good at both, and I didn’t want to just be mediocre, I wanted to be really good at one, and so…it morphed into weightlifting.”

“I was so terrified of being a remote athlete.”

“I do train alone in my garage, and I’ve been doing that for 4 of the 5 years that I’ve been an athlete.”

“Ultimately, I had to trust myself that I could make these lifts without someone there telling me what to do and when to do it.”

“You don’t actually know what you don’t know until you just do it.”

“I love that women are, like, breaking all kinds of barriers…showing the world that, like, just because you’re in your 30’s or your 40’s doesn’t mean life is over. You can start something new then, and be awesome at it.”

“Through the variety of my different competitions and experiences, the ones…that I’ve done the best at are the ones that I went in with to have fun.”

“The biggest pressures are definitely self-inflicted.”

“Most people aren’t as concerned with us as we are, but that’s something really easy to say but hard to, like, take to heart.”

“Just because it hasn’t been done doesn’t mean that I can’t do it.”

“I hate BMI.”

“Weightlifting has been this huge, huge, huge mind shift of just how powerful a woman’s body can be and how awesome muscle is.”

“If I don’t stick to the plan, I won’t compete.”

“I love being that living example…we can relate on a totally different level.”

“I am way more for experiences over money.”

“Every day is blocked out into work, training, family, and then basically just fitting that all in.”

“Our days are pretty structured, but that structure creates freedom.”

“We do believe that I did get COVID.”

“Tokyo 2021 is out – that’s not something that I’m qualified for.”

“I am a firm believer that you need to make time for yourself.”

“Every time I see your stuff I just smile and I’m encouraged.”

Links:
The Pursuit of Gold homepage: http://thepursuitofgold.com/
Mental Training: https://www.laurawilkinson.com/learn
Laura’s Social Media:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lala_the_diver
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheLauraWilkinson

Connect with Kristi:

Kristi’s homepage: https://www.kmighty.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/k_mighty/
46 min
November 17, 2020S1E24 - Special birthday Q&A with our host Laura Wilkinson and daughter Arella
This week’s episode is a little different, because today is Laura’s birthday! And to celebrate, she has a very special guest who will be asking the questions – her oldest daughter, Arella. Many of the questions that Arella will be asking Laura have been submitted by listeners, and she has also added a few of her own. Towards the end of the podcast, Laura turns the tables and asks Arella a couple questions as well. You will quickly discover that Arella is an excellent interviewer who might just be ready to host her own podcast someday, and you’ll also learn a lot more about Laura, her sport, her faith, her physical and mental training, and, of course, her Olympic experiences. Today’s episode is an excellent opportunity to learn so much about the life of an Olympian and her family, and if there is more you would like to know, be sure to send in your questions to Laura and they might just be answered on a future episode!
Episode Highlights:

Questions for Laura:
How do you set your goals when everything is changing?
Since you compete all over the world, and you have met lots of different people, has it ever given you the opportunity to share your faith with a fellow athlete?
Why do you love ‘Learning to Fly’, the song by Petty so much? Is it inspirational or is it just because you think it’s a cool song?
Coaching mental and physical abuse – how can we combat this as athletes?
Recovering from intense diving practices
How do you overcome the feelings of personal failure?
Why do some divers wear swim caps now?
What Gym did you go to gymnastics at before you did diving?
Who are some of your mindset coaches or influencers at this point in your life?
What dive has caused you to have the largest mental block, and how do you overcome it?
What made you want to go to the Olympics?
What are your chances of qualifying for Tokyo?
How did you get into diving?
How many medals do you really have?
How many sports did you do before you did diving?
How many times have you gone to the Olympics?
What is your hardest dive ever?
What’s your easiest dive?
Questions for Arella:
What was the first sport that you did?
What did you do after gymnastics?
How do you get bored in gymnastics?
Why do you enjoy Ninja Warrior so much now?
Do you have any big goals for Ninja Warrior?
Are there any lessons that you learn while you’re training for Ninja Warrior that help you in your everyday life?
What is your new dream that you just came up with that you want to be when you grow up and why?
Do you want to talk about the workout that you created during homeschool after you watched the Navy Seals?
How has homeschooling been going?
Quotes:

“Your ultimate goals don’t need to change…what changes is your path to get there.”

“Research what other athletes in your sport are doing out there right now, like, stalk Instagram or Facebook or YouTube.”

“Obviously, the biggest part of being able to share your faith is starting relationships with people. That has to come first.”

“That’s really when you get a chance to show people what your faith is, what it means to you, and begin to have those discussions if they’re open to that.”

“’I’m going to free fall out into nothing. I’m going to leave this world for a while’, and to me, that just encapsulates what it feels like when I’m diving 10 meter, and I’m just in my happy place, and I’m in my zone, and it kind of feels like a place of worship for me because I’m using the gifts that God has given me.”

“Episode 11 with Kaillee Humphries, she talks about mental and verbal abuse…from one of her coaches…and also in Episode 20, with Tracy Hanson, there was kind of a very long term abuse going on there.”

“It’s kind of like a small car accident every time.”

“Sometimes it’s not your body that’s wearing out, it’s your mind…if that’s the case, go play.”

“If you’re not failing, you’re not going to succeed.”

“It’s to keep the chlorine from absorbing into their hair.”

“Mostly, ‘Flips’ was my home gym.”

“The Bible has just been, kind of, my firm foundation since I gave my life to Christ.”

“If you’re ever going through a really hard time, Psalms is a wonderful place to go.”

“It really broke a barrier for me to all of a sudden, I could do anything.”

“I tried a bunch of sports until I finally found diving.”

“My biggest challenge is really getting my body back to the point where I can get my entries clean again.”
“I didn’t give up just because I had a bad dive…I came back and I won the competition.”

“In 2000, it was in Sydney, Australia. In 2004, it was in Athens, Greece. And in 2008, it was in Beijing, China.”

“The back 3½ somersault pike just felt really, really, really hard.”

“Sometimes, the simple ones are the hardest.”

“My easiest dive is probably just, like, jumping in the water…a pencil dive.”

“My first sport was gymnastics.”

“I did soccer and now I’m a Ninja Warrior…I did diving…before soccer.”

“The trapeze bar is probably my favorite.”

“I keep trying over and over again until I finish the route.”

“I want to be…the first woman to be a Navy SEAL.”

“I like hard and challenging things.”

“I started working out while I was doing my Math.”

“I really like homeschooling – it’s really fun!”

“I think we should make another episode.”

Links:
The Pursuit of Gold homepage: http://thepursuitofgold.com/
Mental Training: https://www.laurawilkinson.com/learn
Laura’s Social Media:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lala_the_diver
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheLauraWilkinson
35 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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