What can this year's Olympic Games teach us about high performance?????

Author: Yasmin Rashid, Senior Organisational Development Consultant

Did you watch? The riveting 2024 Paris Olympics provided us with many a moment of awe and excitement as we cheered on Olympians from around the Globe. These high performance athletes have committed hours of practice to mastering their craft in the hopes of placing their names in the history books and their feet on the podium.?

So, what does it take to give the performance of your life in front of an audience of millions??

You don’t have to be a professional athlete to ask yourself this question. All of us are required to perform at work, in education, and in our daily lives. These high-performing athletes teach us valuable lessons on what it takes to maximise our potential and performance, not only in sports, but in the workplace and beyond.?

Here are a few inspiring lessons that can be applied by all of us wanting to perform at our best when it counts most...

1. You can be the first to do something despite it never being done before.?

Botswana national, Letsile Tebogo, made history when he won gold in the 200m men’s track, dethroning the USA’s Noah Lyles in his signature event and becoming the first Olympic gold medal winner from Botswana. But this wasn’t his only first. Tebogo is now the first runner from an African nation to win the 200m final at the Olympic Games, cementing his name in the history books and showing us that the past doesn’t dictate our future.?

“It means alot to the African continent because now they see Africa as a sprinting home."

To achieve this amazing feat, Tebogo had to overcome significant limitations. “I used to train without shoes,” Tebogo told NBC sports. Letsile’s story relates to many professionals who have, similarly, achieved ‘firsts’, in their lives, whether you are the first university graduate within your family, the first female executive in an organisation, or the first to introduce a new concept to the market.?

Tebogo’s win reminds us to dream beyond limitations because it may not have been done in the past, but you can certainly be the first.

2. High performance requires self-care. Mental health matters.

One of the most celebrated athletes of all time, U.S gymnast Simone Biles has achieved unparalleled success in her sport. At 27 years old, Simone has won 30 World Championship Medals, (23 of them gold) and 11 Olympic medals (7 gold), earning her the title of the G.O.A.T. (Greatest of all time). It goes without saying that Biles epitomises high performance and mastery of her craft, but she also teaches us a valuable lesson on the importance of self-care and preservation.?

"It's okay not to be okay."

The 2024 Olympic Games was Biles’ big comeback after struggling with mental blocks and a bad case of the ’twisties’ during the Tokyo Olympics resulting in her decision to step down. In that moment, Simone displayed bravery, circumspect, and maturity, recognising that her mental health and unprocessed trauma was negatively impacting her performance and putting her in danger of a significant injury or worse. It couldn't have been an easy decision and sadly she faced a slew of unwarranted backlash from online commentators.

After taking a break from the sport, focusing on her mental health, attending therapy sessions, and working with coaches she trusted, she slowly regained confidence in her skills, qualifying for the 2024 Paris Olympics.?

In the comeback of the century, Simone showed us that self-care pays off as she silenced the critics once again, taking home 3 golds and 1 silver medal, leading her team to gold and becoming the most decorated US gymnast ever.?

"Three years ago I never thought I'd step foot on a gymnastics floor again." she told press after winning gold in the 'all-around gymnastics final'.?

Simone's story shows us that even the best of the best are susceptible to burn out and that high performance and caring for our mental health go hand in hand. In the words of the GOAT, "it's okay not to be okay."

3. Don’t compare your performance to others, just try to outperform yourself.

Speaking of gymnastics, we can’t finish this article without mentioning high-performing, odds-defying athlete, Rebeca Andrade of Brazil.?

In the world of elite gymnastics, if you compete against Simone Biles she’s likely to win.? Simone performs skills that no other female gymnast can, making her incredibly difficult to beat.?

Andrade, a gymnastics giant in her own right, has often taken?the 2nd place spot when she competes against Biles. So, how do you compete against the best in the world, while maintaining your motivation and self confidence?

Well, if we are to take lessons from Rebeca the answer is true perseverance and focusing not on beating your competitor, but on outperforming yourself. Perseverance is a key theme in Andrade’s story. Hailing from a disadvantaged area of S?o Paulo, Rebeca walked two hours every day to attend the gym where she practiced as a child. On top of that she recently had to overcome potentially career-ending injuries to make it to this year’s Olympics.? Despite this, she made it to Paris, leading her team to win bronze in the gymnastics ‘team finals’ and coming second to Biles in the women’s ‘all around’ and ‘vault’ finals earning her 2 silver medals to add to her collection. Throughout, she displayed great pride in her accomplishments because to her they were as good as gold.

However, her positive outlook didn’t stop her from going for gold even until the last minute. During the final gymnastics event of the Paris Olympics, Andrade managed to clinch first place, surpassing Biles by 0.033 points.

“I knew it would again be a difficult day, but I again gave 110% of me. It got me another medal, and it's a gold one, which is simply amazing.”

Finally, it was the Brazilian national anthem that was sung as she stood on the podium and Brazilian fans swelled with pride.?Andrade stood atop the first all-black women’s Olympic gymnastics podium, an image that quickly became a viral sensation as Simone Biles and teammate, Jordan Chiles bowed to Rebeca, giving her her well-deserved flowers.

All three ladies showed us that competition is healthy when it’s done with humility, grace, respect for each other’s accomplishments, and enjoyment! Andrade’s story also teaches us to persevere, to define what success means to us, and to focus on bettering ourselves rather than dwelling on comparisons with those around us.

These are just some of the many lessons on high performance that we have taken away from this year's incredible 2024 Olympics. At Potentia, we’re inspired to apply these gems in order to amplify potential We hope you’re inspired too!?

Author: Yasmin Rashid, Senior Organisational Development Consultant