The Olympics are almost upon us, and the world stage is about to descend on Vancouver, BC, Canada.
The excitement is high, and the athletes are in their final stages of preparation.
Much of it is between their ears.
When they have the right mindset, anything is possible. They have visualized winning an Olympic medal since they were a child, and they have played it thousands of times before with eyes closed.
Back in 1988, I was fortunate to be living in Calgary where the Olympics were held.
I even worked at the bottom of the ski jumps during the Olympics, slinging chicken burgers. I didn’t last at that kind of job long (I don’t play well with crappy bosses), but I was there during the Olympics and got to partake in the festivities and excitement.
Do you remember Eddie The Eagle? Or the Jamaican Bobsledders?
They all made their debut in front of the world, here in Calgary.
And the lessons I learned from them have propelled me forward in business, hopefully they can for you too.
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Eddie ‘the Eagle’ Edwards was a sensation!
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…20 pounds heavier than any of his competitors
…no funding
…no decent ski jumping equipment (he had to wear six layers of socks to make his boots fit)
…extremely short-sighted (even though when skiing they fogged to such an extent that he could not see)
…living temporarily in a Finnish mental hospital due to lack of funds
…Scared of jumping from the 200+ foot jumps
…Edwards first represented Great Britain at the 1987 World Championships, and was ranked 55th in the world and this performance qualified him, as the sole British applicant, for the 1988 Winter Olympics ski jumping competition
Not exactly the favoured to win!
He didn’t…
…He finished last in both the 70 m and 90 m events.
But that didn’t stop him from winning over the crowds (even getting personally mentioned in the closing ceremonies of the Olympics, an Olympic first)
The worse he did, the more popular he became.
He quickly became a media celebrity and appeared on talk shows worldwide, even appearing on the Johnny Carson Show during the Games.
Eddie is JUST LIKE every successful entrepreneur I know.
They have taken far more than their share of bumps and bruises.
They don’t come from money… they had to find it themselves and struggle to keep it.
They are willing to do whatever it takes to make their dream a reality.
And they NEVER let excuses get in the way. (20 pds overweight, short-sighted, crappy equipment, broke, scared: enough to drive away most people from even bothering to try… not Eddie. Not the entrepreneurs I know either)
His latest? He was chosen as a torchbearer in the relay for the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. One of the worst (if not the worst) athletes in the 88 games, yet the most famous.
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How do you practice bobsledding in Jamaica?
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As with Eddie the Eagle, the Jamaican Bobsled team made international headlines in Calgary during the 88 winter games as well.
They had no snow to practice on, but they had sand!
Two Americans travelling in Jamaica saw a pushcart derby taking place in the sand. Realizing that pushcarts were very similar to bobsleds… an idea was born and the Jamaican Bob sled team was formed.
Consisting of military personnel, a railway engineer, and some fast sprinters, this mish-mash collection of athletes went on to inspire the world.
The entire idea of bobsledding in a tropical location like Jamaica was enough to cause some laughter, but just as much admiration for their motivation to compete.
They did not finish because they lost control of the sled and crashed during one of their four runs.
Rather than doing what most would do then, they actually got out of their sled and walked with it to the finish line to roaring applause from the crowd.
The great and late John Candy played the team coach in a movie (Cool Runnings) inspired by the Jamaican Bobsled Team. Great laughs to be had there!
They came back to compete in the 1992 Olympics, but finished poorly.
Which motivated them yet again to compete in the ’94 Olympics in Norway. There, they stunned the critics and placed 14th in the world, ahead of the US, Russia, France and Italy.
Next?
Gold.
In 2000, they won a Gold Medal at the World Push Bobsled Championships.
Not bad for a team without snow to practice on!
Unfortunately, they failed to qualify for the 2010 Winter Olympics…
…but they taught me an incredible lesson.
Success in life and in business is NOT always about being first.
Especially always trying to be first right out of the gate.
Both Eddie the Eagle and The Jamaican Bobsled team had many things going against them.
As do most entrepreneurs.
But they were willing to battle their inner demons and outside critics… and just knew that they would ultimately prove people wrong.
Which they did.
The entrepreneurs I know are as pigheaded as these guys… and it is that stubbornness that drives us all to great levels of success.
So when the Olympics start this Friday, remember the stories of Eddie the Eagle and The Jamaican Bobsled team.
Think about what they had to go through to get into the Olympics, and then to become worldwide sensations by LOSING.
In business you do not always have to be first in your market. Revenues are not indicative of your success. Being driven to be different is.
No matter what happens around you, and when things seem down, it is then that you must push yourself harder to break through to your next level of success.
Then the next.
And the next.
You are the only one that matters in your race for success.
Hold fast to your own Olympic dreams and keep on pushing yourself to greater and greater heights.
The ride is a blast… and I look forward to being there with you.
To your success.
Troy White
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