We are right in between two of my favorite moments in athletics - the Olympic and Paralympic Games. As a lifelong skier and former alpine racer (on mountains MUCH smaller than the ones we’re fawning over on TV), I look forward to watching athletes like Breezy Johnson, Mikaela Shiffrin, and Andrew Kurka shred down near-vertical slopes the way others might wait for the Super Bowl each year. We are in the two weeks between the Olympic and Paralympic Games, and while we wait for the next set of international athletes to arrive in Milan and Cortina, I wanted to hop into our One Summit community to share some thoughts on what we can learn from these Olympians and Paralympians.
When I watch these athletes compete in sports like Skeleton (you know, the one where people slide HEADFIRST down an ice course, going faster than I drive in my car), I feel like I am a different species than these superheroes! How can a human being willingly put themselves in such a precarious position once, let alone the thousands of times they do in practice? How does someone decide to sacrifice so much to chase this dream that lasts, on the course, maybe 2 minutes? These athletes give absolutely everything they have in every run, every race, and every match. Sometimes, it pays off spectacularly (hello, Alyssa Liu!) Other times, all those years of training, sacrifice, pain, and dedication end in defeat.
While I am in awe of the athletes who medal, it’s the athletes who’ve tried and missed their mark that leave the biggest mark on me. Take Lindsey Vonn, arguably one of the greatest alpine skiers of all time. No stranger to injuries over the years, Lindsey experienced a heartbreaking crash during these last winter games, resulting in surgery and a long, uphill road to recovery. But her philosophy of “daring greatly” (look up Theodore Roosevelt’s “Man in the Arena” speech if you haven’t heard this quote) and leaving it all on the course means she skis her hardest, all the while knowing that she might fall or fall short. THAT is resilience. Andrew Kurka is another athlete who embodies resilience. After becoming partially paralyzed from an ATV accident when he was thirteen, he had to say goodbye to his dream of becoming a pro wrestler. Through that despair, and thanks in part to a persistent physical therapist, Andrew discovered another sport that made him feel alive again: skiing in a sit-ski. Fast forward to 2018, where Andrew won a gold medal at the Pyeongchang Paralympic Games. He’s looking to repeat that performance in a few weeks, and I hope he does! But even if he doesn’t, he’s still won in my book.
All of these athletes who try, who dare, who go after something unknown, scary, and both physically and mentally painful have one major thing in common: resilience. And when I think of that common thread between these athletes and the rest of us, I don’t feel so different, after all. I feel deeply connected to their struggles, uncertainties, disappointments, setbacks, and health scares. These are things we all encounter, whether we are Paralympians, Navy SEALS, pediatric cancer patients, dog walkers, you name it! Life often feels like it happens to us, in ways that we don’t expect or anticipate or ask for. We all face moments that shake us up, make us question our path, or question the universe for putting us on this path in the first place. A pediatric cancer diagnosis is not a path that anyone would choose to walk on, and yet, the lessons embedded within it can be surprisingly transformative. We don’t often know what we are capable of until we face the impossible, and when we rise to meet those moments, we find that while we cannot always control the outcome, we can be resilient on the journey.
As we look ahead to the coming weeks with the Paralympics on the horizon, don’t forget that you can cheer on one of One Summit’s own in his fourth Paralympic Games! Dan Cnossen, one of One Summit’s dedicated mentors, a retired Navy SEAL, and a decorated Paralympic athlete (he’s won a total of 7 Paralympic medals so far!), will be competing in both the Para biathlon and Para cross country skiing events! If you want to learn more about Dan before cheering him on at the games, we’ve got you covered.
Seven years ago, we featured Dan in a Profile in Resilience where he shared important life lessons with our community. This is a great time to reshare his story and his wisdom. Below is a link to his Profile in Resilience, where he chats about his experiences as a SEAL and a Paralympian:
Back in 2021, Dan spoke in our Stories from the Summit virtual speaker series. It was an engaging discussion about his life, including his incredible Paralympic journey:
Do you have a great Resource in Resilience that you’d like to share with the One Summit community? Connect with Max at maxwell@onesummit.org to tell him more about it!
