Do you know what stops you?
The beautiful morning sunlight was glazing over the Beijing Olympic stadium. “Your throws are amazing,” a coach from another country commented during my warm-up. However, I knew I would fail in my competition.
“No matter how far I throw, my competitors will beat my mark because they are much better prepared. They don’t work full time.” This thought had been stuck in my mind for the past month.
After our event, we got crowded into the red elevator that was taking us to the media zone. “How was the competition for you?” the javelin thrower from Germany asked. “My knee ligaments are torn. I competed here for the experience,” said a very accomplished thrower from the USA, Kara Winger. “I had huge back pains during my throws,” the Olympian from China added.
I had to sacrifice the Olympics to discover two major lessons that elevated my life:
- No one is prepared perfectly for anything. Even for the Olympics…
- Our thoughts enable us or stop us from reaching the incredible results of which we are capable.
If I had repeated my warm-up marks during the competition and not given up on myself, I would have been the finalist in the Olympic Games.
What thoughts are stopping you?
Inga Stasiulionyte, Olympian, Master Performance Coach, and sports industry consultant, shares the high-performance insights and case studies of the challenges that her clients face.
