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Former Olympian Connor Fields is aware of the highs and lows of chasing a dream: setting a aim, coming near reaching it and falling brief. Nonetheless, his journey is in contrast to another.
Fields is the one athlete in Olympic historical past to win a gold medal and practically die whereas competing.
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On Thursday, Fields shared his outstanding story with the Inman Join New York viewers throughout his session “Unstoppable: Building Resilience in the Face of Adversity,” exploring the crucial query, “Now what?”
Connor Fields
“You’re going to hear the story that led to me having that unique claim to fame, the moments that left me with that question, and how I was able to answer it and move forward each time,” Fields mentioned. “You’ll leave with four answers and four strategies that you can put to use immediately to increase resilience, grit and, ultimately, help you achieve your goals.”
In 1999, at simply seven years outdated, Fields took up BMX racing to channel his extra vitality. From that second, he knew he needed to dedicate his life to the game. Watching BMX make its Olympic debut in 2008 additional fueled his ambition, particularly after the U.S. rivals did not carry residence a gold medal.
Decided to achieve the Olympics, Fields reworked his dad and mom’ storage right into a health club, the place he appeared to posters of BMX professionals for motivation. Most memorably, he wrote on the storage wall, “I will win World Champion and one day be Olympic champion.”
Setting a aim — whether or not it appears achievable or not — requires “surrounding yourself with people who support that goal. But the thing that goes hand in hand with that, [which] isn’t talked about nearly as often, is putting yourself in proper situations that will help you to achieve that goal,” Fields emphasised.
Reaching objectives is just not aided by indulgences resembling consuming cheeseburgers or having drinks. Each determination impacts efficiency, and people indulgences affect vitality.
So again to the large query, “Now what?” Fields requested the viewers.
Connor Fields (Picture by AJ Canaria Inventive Companies)
For 4 years, Fields formed his life round qualifying for the London 2012 Olympic Video games. He entered the Olympic closing because the primary seed and the favourite to win.
Nonetheless, he faltered underneath the strain, putting seventh out of eight. “I completely blew it. I choked in front of millions of people,” Fields mentioned. Within the face of disappointment, he requested himself, “Now what?”
Self-reflection is essential, and standing earlier than a mirror and acknowledging private shortcomings may be difficult, nevertheless it’s important for development.
Fields employed a sports activities psychologist and spent the subsequent 4 years getting ready mentally for an additional shot at Olympic gold.
Quick ahead to Rio 2016, and Fields made it again to the Olympic closing. This time, he was prepared.
“I had the best start of my life, but I was beat to the first corner by one other rider,” he mentioned as he painted the image for his ICNY viewers. “I realized who it was — the other American. So I am now faced with the absolute hardest decision that you could be faced with in this moment; I’m sitting in silver medal position with my teammate, my friend, my roommate, in the gold medal position. What do you do?”
Fields selected to assault, “I didn’t make every decision in my life for the last eight years to make this decision to settle, even if settling meant an Olympic silver medal.” He handed his teammate, took the lead and crossed the end line as an Olympic champion.
Modern-day Olympic gold medals are over 90 p.c silver with a coating of simply six grams of gold, Fields mentioned. He believes this symbolizes the unseen struggles behind victory — dedication, sacrifices and perseverance.
After successful the gold medal, the query as soon as once more grew to become “Now what?”
The following 5 years introduced new challenges, together with the pandemic, the primary Olympic postponement and uncertainty. Regardless of all of it, Fields made it to race day on the Tokyo Olympics as the favourite.
He gained his quarter-final and semifinal. Then, tragedy struck. “I woke up alone in a hospital bed, scared, confused, with no idea what was going on,” Fields mentioned.
Onstage behind Fields, a information report appeared on the display screen, asserting the devastating crash. “Breaking news now out of Tokyo tonight, where one of our Las Vegas Olympians is seriously hurt on the BMX track.” Fields was knocked unconscious, stretchered off and rushed to the hospital.
“I suffered one of the worst accidents in the history of the Olympic Games: broken ribs, collapsed lung, torn ligaments in my shoulder, worn bicep and the big one, a traumatic brain injury,” he mentioned.
Fields’ concern was whether or not he would survive. As soon as he stabilized, the subsequent concern was whether or not he would keep in mind who he was. Simply days earlier than, his largest concern had been ending fourth. Now, he confronted the battle of his life.
Now what?
The 18-month-long rehabilitation course of started throughout which Fields started relearning steadiness, speech and driving. With an unimaginable assist system, he made a miraculous restoration.
“It shouldn’t take a near-death experience to put that type of perspective back into your life,” he instructed the viewers. It’s necessary to set objectives and to go after achievements … however if you do come up brief, end up trying within the mirror, or, within the occasion that you simply catastrophically fail, don’t ever lose perspective.”
Fields left the ICNY viewers with 4 takeaways:
- Once you set your aim, write it down.
- Power your self to take a tough look within the mirror, determine your weak spot and assault it.
- Rejoice success.
- Do not forget that prior success doesn’t assure future success, and, within the occasion that you simply catastrophically fail, maintain issues in perspective.
“Then, after you leave Inman, with all of these new skills and tools that you have learned and these new connections that you have made, there’s only one question left: Now what?” he concluded.
