We recently marked the one-year countdown to the 2020 Summer Olympics which will take place in Tokyo, Japan. This time next year, the world’s greatest and most elite athletes will be gathered together…more than 11,000 athletes representing 206 nations will compete for over 300 gold medals. A year may seem like a long time, but in the world of the Olympic Games, you cannot start planning, training and working soon enough.
The Olympic motto is Citius, Altius, Fortius, which is Latin for "Faster, Higher, Stronger”. It dates back to 1894 when it was proposed by the French educator and historian Pierre de Coubertin who became known as the ‘Father of the Olympics’ and was responsible for the creation of the International Olympic Committee. The three words “faster, higher, stronger” encourage the athlete to give his or her best during competition and to view their hard work and efforts as a victory. The motto means that winning is not necessarily the biggest and only priority, but that giving one's best, pushing yourself to the next level and striving for personal excellence are exemplary goals to strive towards. This message is a powerful one and it can apply equally to the Olympic athletes and to those of us watching the games from afar.
What does it mean to be an Olympic athlete and how does one get ready for the biggest and most challenging competition of their life? The athletes prepare for the Olympic Games through many years of intense and focused physical and psychological training. While it is true that most Olympians are born with physical advantages that help them achieve world-class and record-breaking levels of performance, they also work for years with coaches who develop an individualized training plan to help them reach their peak performance level.
Not only do these athletes devote huge amounts of time to training, but because so few of them get paid for their sport, they must also fit in time to earn a living. They are so much more than hard working competitors-in-training, they are also mothers, fathers, daughters, sons and co-workers.
You’ve undoubtedly heard the expression “failing to plan means planning to fail”? Since the Olympics only occur once every four years, the athletes must plan their training years in advance. For example, distance runners spend several years building their cardiovascular strength and increasing their mileage goals before graduating to more advanced training in order to prepare for their events. It is also quite a crucial part of the advance planning and training for all athletes to strength-train so that they are able to withstand injuries as their training gets more intense.
The physical side of preparing for the Olympics is obviously extremely important, but so is the mental training. It is very challenging to stay motivated and maintain a positive attitude. The road to an Olympic medal is often paved with lots of setbacks and obstacles. As if the training isn't difficult enough, once the Olympic competition begins, the athletes face the added pressure and stress of performing in front of an international and worldwide audience against the best competitors in the world. Many athletes work extensively with sports psychologists in order to mentally prepare for what is likely the biggest competition of their lives.
We can learn so many lessons from the Olympic athletes…discipline, focus, commitment, and passion. The fundamental principles that help make the Olympic athletes the best in the world may be applied to the way we live our lives. We don’t have to be training for a gold medal in order to wake up each day and put forth our best attitude and effort.
We can choose to sit on the sidelines over the course of the next year and simply await the pageantry and splendor that will be on full display in Japan. Or we can make a decision to live the next 365 days of our lives like a champion would…training, practicing, developing our physical muscles as well as our mental ones, and seeking out coaches to support us along our journey.
How about getting up an hour earlier to be able to fit in a workout before our day begins?
We can aim to fit in a few extra fitness classes per week, perhaps even trying something new that looks a little challenging.
Our sugary cereals and granola bars could be switched out for protein shakes or eggs with veggies.
We can chart our goals and watch our progress unfold before our eyes.
Most fitness centers have personal trainers available to help us, some at little or no extra cost. Like an Olympian, we too can have someone cheering us on and pushing us to reach our goals.
Let's make the Olympic motto our own personal mantra over the next year as we push ourselves to go a bit faster, aim a little higher and work to get stronger.
As we enter this year of “training” and living like an Olympic athlete, perhaps we should also immerse ourselves in a bit of Japanese culture. If you decide you want to learn a few popular phrases, all you have to remember is one: "domo" (pronounced doe-mow), which conveniently is an all-purpose phrase that can mean "thank you", "excuse me", and "you're too kind”. Better yet…if you want to have an Olympic year, start saying the phrase “yori takaku, tori hayaku, yori tsuyoku” over and over again…which translates to the inspiring and motivating words - FASTER, HIGHER, STRONGER!
I look forward to seeing you on the Medal Podium!