Pursuit of Gold with Laura Wilkinson

Joining Laura today on a very special episode is the man, the myth, the legend, Greg Louganis, currently the Sports Director for the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series. As you probably already know, Greg is a 4 time Olympian, and the only man to ever win consecutive double gold medals in diving at the Olympics. He is also, of course, the man who came back to win Olympic gold in dramatic fashion after hitting his head during a dive, and we do discuss that as well as many other topics during the show.

In our discussion, Greg shares how elite athletes, including himself, handle cancelled or boycotted competitions, deal with distractions, and maintain motivation while processing criticism. We also explore the importance of the trust between a coach and athlete, dealing with feelings of failure, and the incredible story of Greg’s 1988 Olympics experience. We finish up by looking at his perception of challenges actually being opportunities, and I ask him how he would like to be remembered. Throughout this fascinating conversation we discover Greg’s lifelong focus upon learning to perform to the best of his ability rather than competing for awards – a valuable attitude for us all to emulate in both sports and life in general.

Episode Highlights:

How athletes are handling the cancellation of the Red Bull Cliff Diving Season

Quotes:

“If you think of an elite athlete in many sports, it’s like a carton of milk…it has an expiration date.”

“I always wanted my performance to speak for itself…I was out there to prove something.”

“It’s human nature to root for the underdog, and for many, many years, I was not the underdog.”

“I think the most important thing is to observe and listen.”

“It was never my goal to win gold…my goal was to have the best performance that I could on that given time, and just be the absolute best that I could be…the results will take care of themselves.”

“This pandemic is proof – we have such little control, ultimately.”

“As long as I was in the pool in training, HIV didn’t exist, nor did my relationship…that was my safe space, my sanctuary.”

“I always thought…a bad takeoff was a great opportunity.”

“Emulate what you admire, but be your own person.”

Greg’s homepage: https://greglouganis.com/

Greg’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/greglouganis/

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

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:

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

Laura is joined today by a very special guest, who is also her very good friend, Mariel Zagunis. In addition to being a four time Fencing Olympian, winning back to back Olympic Gold in 2004 and 2008 as well as a pair of team Bronze medals, Mariel was also selected by her fellow athletes to be the 2012 Team USA flag bearer in London. Today, this highly accomplished athlete engages with Laura in a frank discussion about the many ways that the Olympic postponement and COVID-19 have impacted their lives.

In this episode, these two friends discuss many aspects surrounding this year’s Olympic postponement, including its effects upon their mental and physical training. They also share the positives to be found in the current circumstances, what they believe their sports will be like next year, what drives them to continue to compete, and their shared experiences of being both a Mom and an Olympic athlete. Finally, Mariel offers her advice to all athletes on handling this ‘difficult season’. As you listen, you will discover that these are two highly talented and committed athletes – kindred spirits in the quest for continued excellence during this pandemic and beyond – whose real, raw, and honest conversation proves as enlightening as it is heartfelt.

Episode Highlights:

The many effects of COVID-19 and the Olympic postponement upon Mariel and Laura’s lives and physical and mental training

Quotes:

“For athletes who have to prepare for one day or, you know, a series of tournaments, it’s very difficult right now to know what you have to do.”

“We plan our entire life around the Olympics. The Olympics doesn’t wait for anybody. And now it’s like, we have to wait for the Olympics.”

“It’s definitely a tough time mentally and emotionally, not so much physically.”

“Just getting one more year to do that thing I love before maybe my body totally breaks down and doesn’t let me do it anymore - kind of excited about that.”

“Any time you’re just so emotionally and physically invested into something and then it ends or it’s taken away…it just kind of sucks the wind out of you.”

“I just want to set that example for the female athletes to show that we can do it and you can continue if you really want to.”

“Focus on what you can control, and then you’re going to feel a lot more at peace.”

Mariel Zagunis Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mariel.zagunis/

Mariel Zagunis bio: https://www.teamusa.org/usa-fencing/athletes/Mariel-Zagunis