When three-time Olympic medalist Elana Meyers Taylor finally steps out of the bobsled for the last time, maybe after the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, she will be able to look back at a trail-blazing career in which she became the first woman to earn a spot on the U.S. National Team competing alongside men as a four-man bobsled pilot.
While she won four golds at the World Championships, gold has thus far eluded her grasp during the Olympics. As she prepares for Beijing, she shared a lifetime of lessons in this episode about how to cultivate a mindset of “continuous learning,” one that constantly improves her and opens her to new opportunities that make her life a model for others.
One thing seems assured: if she wins gold, she will enjoy it for a while and then start looking for the next opportunity. “Every time I speak with a young person, I tell them the benefits of sports and try to encourage them to play as many sports as they can,” she said, “but with the emphasis that it can be a vehicle to whatever career they’re going to do next. And there will be a next for all of us.”
Bobsled aficionados and business leaders, alike, will enjoy Meyers Taylor’s insights on the joy of competing at the highest level while not allowing your wins and losses to define who you are.
You will learn:
- 4:00 The power of role models to open new possibilities for others.
- 10:30 Why failing at her Olympic softball trial was best-case scenario.
- 13:00 How to trade “obligations” for “opportunities.”
- 24:30 Why bronze medalists are the happiest on the podium.
- 38:00 Why business leaders should be like “multi-sport” athletes.
- 40:00 Why respect is the glue that binds successful teams.
Resources:
- Follow Elana Meyers Taylor on Twitter.
- Watch Elana Meyers Taylor break down the bobsled race and her husband’s proposal on the podium.
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