Show them what crazy can do

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Have you been watching the Olympics? I tune in as often as I can; I suppose you can call me a superfan. I’ve always enjoyed sports, and I’m constantly in awe of what these athletes can do. As I’m watching, I’ve been reminded of a NIke ad from a few years ago. Do you remember this??

It features footage of women athletes at the top of their game, with a voiceover by Serena Willaims, saying:

“If we show emotion, we're called dramatic. If we want to play against men, we're nuts. And if we dream of equal opportunity, delusional. When we stand for something, we're unhinged. When we're too good, there's something wrong with us. And if we get angry, we're hysterical or irrational or just being crazy.?

But a woman running a marathon was crazy. A woman boxing was crazy. A woman dunking, crazy. Coaching an NBA team, crazy. A woman competing in a hijab, changing her sport, landing a double cork 1080, or winning 23 grand slams, having a baby, and then coming back for more — crazy, crazy, crazy, crazy, crazy and crazy.

So if they want to call you crazy, fine. Show them what crazy can do.“

That monologue resonated with me in much the same way as the one from Barbie last summer, and I think a lot of women will agree. “Crazy” is a commonly weaponized word, especially for women. It’s been used to discredit us for centuries (more on that later), but “crazy” women are often those who go where few women have gone before.?

If you don’t know this woman, her name is Kathrine Switzer. In 1967, at just 20 years old, she was the first woman to ever (officially) run the Boston marathon. Even her running coach at the time initially doubted she could do it — until she ran 31 miles alongside him. At the finish line, he passed out cold, but she felt great. Switzer signed up the next day.?

More than one person called her some form of crazy (and worse) that day. I don’t know about you, but the only crazy person I see in that photo is the race official trying to stop her.?

This year, the Olympics have achieved gender parity for the very first time. It’s a pretty exciting achievement, but there’s still a long way to go. While Title IX gave girls and women more equality and protections, female athletes are still sidelined at all levels. A lack of coverage can mean that women’s sports are perceived as “less than,” but that’s not the case in the slightest. Just look at the excitement around women’s college basketball this spring!?

The lack of coverage is disappointing, especially when you consider how influential sports can be on leadership ability! 94 percent of female CEOs played sports, with 52 percent playing at the collegiate level, indicating correlation between sports participation and leadership. And it makes sense. Organized sports teaches you to work in a team, to set and achieve goals, how to receive feedback, and many other important lessons. If you were more of an indoor recess kid, that’s okay! You can still learn from powerful, inspirational, “crazy” female athletes.?

“Life is not about gold”?

If you’ve ever done an activity that puts you in direct competition with others, you know that losing is a difficult experience. It’s tough, even for the most high-level athletes. However, research has shown that not all losses are created equal. My colleague, Victoria Husted Medvec , co-authored a study that analyzed the emotional reactions of bronze and silver medalists at the 1992 Summer Olympics — both at the conclusion of their events and on the medal stand. Their research found that bronze medalists actually appeared happier than silver medalists. The silver medalists tended to compare themselves with the gold medalists, and focused more on how they “almost won gold.” In contrast, bronze medalists turned their comparisons to the fourth place finisher, with thoughts of “at least I won a medal.” The study was replicated in 2021 , with similar findings.?

As I wrote this newsletter, in fact, I got news that I’d won silver in the Nonfiction Authors Association’s Book Awards last week for The Mirrored Door.?And yes, I instantly thought, “Why not gold?"

It reminded me of what I see often in the workplace, women frozen in place by their own perfectionism , overcome by FOMU (fear of messing up). When we can’t accept anything but perfection for ourselves, it can rob us of opportunities. This almost happened to Dutch runner Sifan Hassan , who left the Rio Olympics in 2016 devastated by a fifth-place finish in the 1500m. So devastated that she temporarily quit the sport. What brought her fully back? A “crazy” idea; running three events at the 2020 Tokyo games. But this time, she focused on the reward of pursuing the goals, not the outcome. “I said, ‘Life is not about gold. I’m lucky to be at the Olympics… If I don’t get [gold], I don’t get it.'”

She won two gold medals. And a bronze.?

Put yourself first?

In 2020, American gymnast Simone Biles made waves by withdrawing from the team competition. She had what gymnasts call “the twisties,” when a gymnast suddenly loses their sense of where their body is in space. It’s extremely dangerous, and can result in serious injury, paralysis, or even death. Still, she received substantial backlash for her decision. Gymnastic fans will remember 1996, when Kerri Strug performed a vault despite a painful injury , securing the gold for the United States. She was a hero, but she retired shortly after, at age 18.?

Biles didn’t bow to pressure . Instead, she chose to put her health, her safety, and herself first. Now she’s back, the oldest gymnast (at 27) to qualify for the games since the 1950s —?that’s “crazy!” As women, it’s expected that we’ll put the needs of others above our own, but selflessness ain’t all it’s cracked up to be. When you’re faced with pressure to do something that is in opposition to your health, wellbeing, priorities, or anything else —?take a page from Simone Biles.? When you’re a woman, the word “no” can be a radical act.

Embrace “crazy"

Women were first allowed to compete in the Olympics in 1900, but only in five categories . There were 22 then. There are 5,000 this year. Progress —?not on the field, in the office, or in the voting booth — is not possible without the work and the courage of “crazy” women. To avoid calling women crazy, it’s sometimes masked by other words, like “emotional,” “difficult,” or my favorite, “hysterical.”?

“Hysteria,” which comes from the Greek word for womb, hystera — was the first mental health condition attributed solely to women. Nearly 4,000 years later, the media politicized the word “hysteria” during the start of the suffrage movement. It was used against women who wanted university entry and women who spoke publicly. Critics were supposedly concerned that they would “overwork” their brains. Sounds ridiculous, doesn’t it? It would be funny if people weren’t still using the word to discredit women.?

Embracing the label of "crazy" is about rejecting the limits others try to impose on us and pursuing our dreams with unwavering determination. Women athletes, like Serena Williams, Kathrine Switzer, Sifan Hassan, and Simone Biles, have shown that "crazy" is a compliment, a testament to breaking barriers and shattering expectations. Keep your eyes on the prize, and let your "crazy" light up the world.

My very first podcast for The Mirrored Door was The Visibility Factor with Sue Barber. Her passion for helping people to become more visible is evident in her book , podcast, and the kindness she showed as I took the plunge to share my book.? You can hear our conversation here and learn more about Sue here .?

The Mirrored Door: Break Through the Hidden Barrier that Locks Successful Women in Place is now available! Winner of the 2023 NYC Big Book award, it's the perfect gift for the professional woman in your life. Click here to get your copy!

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