What’s in a Wipeout?

I needed the Olympics to end last weekend.

Don’t get me wrong. I love them so so much.

They give me awe, delight, surprise, shock, breathtaking beauty, curiosity, compassion, inspiration, confusion, reverence…you get it.

But, why is it that when I watch these incredibly disciplined athletes, I completely lose all of my discipline? 

I was up way too late for 2 weeks straight.

One of the things I’m still contemplating after these snowy Olympics was…

The wipeout.

I saw incredible feats and athleticism that absolutely awed and baffled me.

“How on earth do they leave the earth to do those spins, flips, turns while on skis traveling at incredible speeds?!?”

And I saw some wipeouts.

I’ve been contemplating those.

(Here I’m not including Lindsey Vonn’s crash during her downhill race on 2/8, or other crashes that caused injuries. Those are so scary, heartbreaking, and sobering. My heart goes out to Vonn and others who will need to do some serious recovery.)

I want to focus on those who pushed themselves to their limit and wiped out and were able to get back up.

Then on the next run, they did their best run (or skate) ever.

For some, they could wipeout, get back on their feet, finish their race, AND still get into the finals. 

Jaelin Kauf (USA) did this in the brand new Olympic event Dual Moguls. (This is such an intense event! Fast skiing + crazy tricks!)

“That was an impressive recovery by Kauf. That’s the mentality you need in duals. It’s never over. Get back up. Keep skiing.” 

– Commentator at the event

And then there’s Eileen Gu.

“Way back on Feb. 7, Gu opened her Olympics by falling off the very first rail in the very first run of the slopestyle qualifying. She came back an hour later and put down a strong run, saying she would’ve bet it all on herself to come through.

On Feb. 14, Gu bit it on second jump in big air qualifying, turning her last try into an all-or-nothing affair.

Because she landed it, she got to the final where she won her second silver medal. It also cost her a day of training in the halfpipe for an event she hadn’t been near in more than two months.

On Saturday, she’ll be in a three-run final, which will make it 16 trips down the mountain over 15 days.”

– Associated Press, JOSEPH WILSON, EDDIE PELLS

The event was rescheduled to Sunday.

And that’s when Gu won GOLD women’s freestyle skiing halfpipe.

In moments after a wipeout, each athlete had to decide what the wipeout meant.

Did it mean they would never succeed?

Did it mean all their hard work was for nothing?

Did it mean they should give it all up?

Or did it mean they needed to make a slight adjustment?

Or that they needed to get focus a bit more?

Or get their head in a better mindset?

Or that they needed to cry, talk to a safe person, and practice some more and surrender?

I’ve been contemplating my own wipeouts. When I was an actress auditioning and performing, when teaching, when dating, when running my businesses.

I can be hard on myself, which makes it take longer to get back out there and try again.

Now I want to see wipeouts differently. Mine and other people’s.

My next wipeout may be right before I knock something out of the park.

Which brings me to Tenley Albright.

70 years ago, she won the first gold for women in Winter Olympics history. (I’ll do math for you. It was 1956!)

In skating. In Cortina, Italy (where the Olympics just took place).

Tenley Albright is now 90 years old. And she was in Cortina, last week, when US skater Alysa Liu won her gold!

When I taught acting at Boston University’s Film and TV Dept, I included a Tenley Albright quote in my syllabus every semester.

“If you don’t fall down, you aren’t trying hard enough.”

I wanted to encourage my students (and myself) to feel ok “messing up”.

And now?

I want to give people a safe place to learn and practice, wipeout, practice, so they can land their presentations with vibrancy and confidence. 

So, I have created the Speak BOLDLY Sprint. There’s a waitlist for it. Sign up here!

In this 7-week virtual group program, you will learn the strategies you need to deliver compelling, impactful, memorable presentations.

You will get your reps in, so you can leave these 7 weeks with the confidence and experience you need to WOW your next audience.

If one-on-one coaching is intriguing to you, click here and let’s chat.