Primer from Doctor JoAnn Dahlkoetter, guest speaker at 1-5-03 Iron University!

1. OLYMPIC THINKING - LEARN THE WINNING STRATEGIES OF CHAMPIONS 2. BOUNCING BACK FROM LIFE'S MISFORTUNES 3. KNOWING WHEN TO STEP AWAY AND WHEN TO RETURN 4. DETACHING FROM THE OUTCOME

*** OLYMPIC THINKING TOOLS and TIPS by JOANN DAHLKOETTER, Ph.D. **

* Learn the WINNING STRATEGIES of the WORLD'S GREATEST ATHLETES *

Through my work with top athletes I've noticed there are a group of traits that define the champion's mentality. The characteristics that make a champion can be attained by anyone who wants to excel in running or triathlons. Below I've provided several powerful examples that illustrate the mind set and effective patterns of Olympians and I outline how you can translate these strategies into your everyday training.

******* BOUNCING BACK FROM LIFE'S MISFORTUNES ******

The road to success is rarely easy or smooth. So many things can come between you and your goal. Thus it's important to acquire the proper tools to handle any barrier that comes your way. The Olympic Games are filled with examples of athletes who had to overcome tremendous hardships on the road to the victory stand.

Most people are familiar with Joan Benoit Samuelson's phenomenal recovery story when she won the Olympic marathon trials in 1984 only 17 days after undergoing knee surgery. She went on to win the gold medal in the first-ever women's Olympic marathon - a pivotal event for women's sports and for the marathon.

At the recent Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, we were introduced to Chris Witty who was diagnosed with mononucleosis only three weeks before her event. Yet she found a way to cope with her illness and win the gold medal in the women's 1000 meters while setting a world-record in the process.

However, the real comeback story of the 2002 Winter Games was Chris Klug, who claimed bronze in the parallel giant slalom event in snowboarding. Eight months before, Klug had to overcome a serious liver ailment to qualify for the Salt Lake Games. In July 2001, Klug lay on the operating table with his life in the hands of a doctor. Klug, who suffered from the same liver disease that killed former football great Walter Payton, needed a liver transplant to save his life. The transplant did exactly that, and by the end of the year, Klug was back on the World Cup circuit.

At the Winter Games in Utah, Klug won his final heat of the day, despite having to use duct tape to repair a boot buckle that broke on the first of his two races. He went on to win the bronze, and we saw the first-ever Olympic medal awarded to an organ donor recipient. Moments after the race, Klug scaled two retaining fences to share hugs with all his supporters.

The message is that anything is possible, but you have to believe in yourself, and you have to fight. Each of these athletes set a goal and they had to overcome a terrific obstacle to reach their destination. They used that obstacle as a vehicle for learning. They stuck with their plan and moved ahead in spite of their setback. They did not let it take away their dream.

********* KNOWING WHEN TO STEP AWAY AND WHEN TO RETURN *********

Sometimes you have to step outside the training arena. When nordic combined skier Todd Lodwick was training for the Winter Olympics, there came a point when things were not going well. He said, "I knew that the missing link between me and the gold medal was my jumping. I realized I wasn't having fun." His coach said, "It's not like you can go to a store and buy confidence." He advised Todd to take two months off from skiing. The break did wonders for him. He came back with a vengeance and he was on fire. Todd had a strong World Cup season and came to his third Olympic Winter Games looking to win the United States' first Olympic medal in the nordic combined. His seventh-place finish fell short of his goal of a podium, but it was the best American finish in an individual nordic combined event in Olympic history.

Sometimes taking a break can be the best thing you could possibly do for yourself. It's hard to stop training when that's the only lifestyle you've known. But when you recognize that you are not progressing, and you step away from your sport, sometimes you can gain the greatest gift of all. You can come back with a desire like you've never before experienced. Once you regain that sense fun and joy in your training, your performances will skyrocket.

*************** DETACHING FROM THE OUTCOME **************
Just before beginning the long program in the Winter Games figure skating competition, 16-year old Sarah Hughes said, "OK, I'm not going to worry about getting the gold medal, or any medal. I'm just going to go out there and skate and have fun with this." With a near perfect program, Sarah moved from fourth to first and captured the gold medal at the 2002 Salt Lake Games. She was the fifth-to-last skater of the night and had to watch favorites like Michelle Kwan and Irina Slutskaya skate for the gold after her. Hughes cleanly landed seven triple jumps, including two triple- triple combinations, to claim first place. It marked the first time that a skater had jumped from fourth place in the short program to win the Olympic title since the 1988 Games.
She said: "In the past I was always worrying about what was going to happen afterward. This time I just enjoyed my moment of skating."
Letting go of the outcome can open your mind and body to exceptional levels of strength, awareness, energy, and enjoyment. Detach yourself from the winning, be fully present with what you are doing, and the results will take care of themselves. When you become overly concerned with receiving awards or medals you create considerable tension and pressure that can interfere with the pleasure and satisfaction of your activity. Detaching from the external results reduces stress and adds to your performance.
Detachment does not mean that you do not care about your performance. Of course you care deeply about how well you are doing. The outcome is a gauge to assess how much you've improved and it's an essential means for personal growth and discovery. So acknowledge it for that purpose.

Detachment means letting go of all the ego implications that we ascribe to success. A win or a loss is never an evaluation of your self-worth or your value as a human being. By letting go of the results, you gain a healthier outlook on your sport. You become a more balanced person when you see each event as only one small part in a universe of endeavors. In practicing detachment, you can experience more personal freedom and take more risks without fear of failure.

Even if you may never run as fast as Joan Samuelson, or ski like Todd Lodwick, you can train, with their same fluidity and joy, and you can learn to think like a champion.