Making it to the Olympics is quite an accomplishment. Athletes train for years to be at their peak for a sliver of time, shunning the outside world, driven by a singular focus of being recognized as the best in their chosen sport. When you sit back and think about how incredible it must be to reach that point, you can’t help but stand in awe of their immense talent and greatness. The only thing greater than making it to multiple Olympics … is making it to multiple Olympics in different sports.

Today on HawkeTalk, we’ll spend time with Sarah Storey, a woman who has done just that. She’s the most decorated Paralympian in history who first burst on the scene as a swimming phenom. Once she decided to hang up her goggles instead of swimming off into the sunset, she grabbed a bike and became a world-class cyclist, dominating the road in the same fashion she did in the pool. She joins us today to discuss her path to greatness, how she overcame her disability, and the advice she gives others dealing with their own. If you’ve been sitting back, too afraid to jump into the game of life, listen to Sarah Storey, and you’ll get all the inspiration you need!

In this episode:

• (1:42) – Sarah’s athletic career begins at age 6.
• (4:28) – Sarah discusses the disability in her left hand.
• (10:30) – At 12, the level of competition grows.
• (15:54) – Two golds, three silvers, and a bronze medal at 14 at the Barcelona Olympics.
• (20:26) – Socialization challenges lead to mental health and eating disorders.
• (30:00) – Looking at the 2012 Olympics.
• (36:54) – Sarah is committed to making it to the Paris Olympics.
• (37:20) – Sarah discusses her future, but she has no concrete plans.
• (38:53) – Sarah encourages listeners to be extraordinary instead of ordinary.

Our Guest

Sarah Storey is the most decorated female Paralympian in history, with 16 gold medals, five silver medals, and three bronze medals. Born in Eccles, just outside of Manchester, she is a 29-time world champion in both cycling and swimming and an 18-time European champion. In 2005, a persistent ear infection caused her to switch full-time to cycling. Upon making the switch, her dominance continued as she set the para world record in the Women’s 3,000 individual race, breaking the record she previously set at The Tokyo Olympics. Sarah is a true champion and a shining testimony of the relentless human spirit and the willingness to persevere against all odds.

Hawke Media

• https://www.linkedin.com/company/hawkemedia/
• https://www.instagram.com/hawkemedia/?hl=en
• https://hawkemedia.com/
• https://twitter.com/hawkemedia
• https://www.facebook.com/hawkemedia/

Sarah Storey

• https://www.paralympic.org/sarah-storey
• https://www.instagram.com/damesarahstorey/?hl=en
• https://twitter.com/damesarahstorey?lang=en

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Making it to the Olympics is quite an accomplishment. Athletes train for years to be at their peak for a sliver of time, shunning the outside world, driven by a singular focus of being recognized as the best in their chosen sport. When you sit back and think about how incredible it must be to reach that point, you can’t help but stand in awe of their immense talent and greatness. The only thing greater than making it to multiple Olympics … is making it to multiple Olympics in different sports.

Today on HawkeTalk, we’ll spend time with Sarah Storey, a woman who has done just that. She’s the most decorated Paralympian in history who first burst on the scene as a swimming phenom. Once she decided to hang up her goggles instead of swimming off into the sunset, she grabbed a bike and became a world-class cyclist, dominating the road in the same fashion she did in the pool. She joins us today to discuss her path to greatness, how she overcame her disability, and the advice she gives others dealing with their own. If you’ve been sitting back, too afraid to jump into the game of life, listen to Sarah Storey, and you’ll get all the inspiration you need!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Being an Olympian requires grit, drive, dedication, and the type of discipline most of us will never quite understand. The sacrifices these incredible athletes make daily are unimaginable as they hone and fine-tune their bodies for that once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that comes every fourth year. Now, imagine you do this five times. That’s right. Training to be an Olympian for two decades seems unfathomable, but our guest did that today.

On today’s episode of HawkeTalk, we meet the incomparable Kikkan Randall. She’s a five-time Olympian and Breast Cancer survivor who knows a thing or two about how to survive the tough times and make it to the other side. Today, she’ll give us an inside look at the hard work it takes to be a world-class athlete and how she leveraged those experiences to become a Cancer survivor. If you’ve been looking for someone to inspire you to get off that couch and begin going for it and putting your best foot forward, look no further!

In this episode:

• (1:45) - Kikkan reveals that she began skiing at the age of 1.
• (5:21) – Kikkan reveals why she went back to being a cross-country skier.
• (10:00) – Making the Olympics as a youngster.
• (16:53) – Competitive life after the Olympics is discussed.
• (20:10) – The inspiration to build a women’s team emerges for Kikkan.
• (25:50) – The shocking performance of Kikkan and falling short of expectations.
• (29:52) – Kikkan develops a stress fracture in her foot and begins to worry.
• (35:38) – Her racing career officially comes to an end.
• (36:37) – The Breast Cancer diagnosis.
• (40:01) – Family becomes first, specifically her young son.
• (43:00) – Family and health are her top priorities.
• (44:50) – Closing advice for listeners.

Our Guest

Kikkan Randall is a 5-time Olympian, Breast Cancer survivor, public speaker, and mother. When it comes to skiing, she’s royalty, and for more than two decades, her name was synonymous with the sport. A native of Salt Lake City before moving to Alaska, she became an icon early on, qualifying for the Olympians while just a teen. From there, her life as an athlete ascended, and she became the American face of the sport. Her 2018 Olympic Gold Medal race is one of the most captivating moments in the sport's history and the signature moment of those games. After retiring, Kikkan has continued championing the sport while grooming the next generation of American skiing professionals.

Resources and Links

Hawke Media

• https://www.linkedin.com/company/hawkemedia/
• https://www.instagram.com/hawkemedia/?hl=en
• https://hawkemedia.com/
• https://twitter.com/hawkemedia
• https://www.facebook.com/hawkemedia/

Kikkan Randall

• https://www.kikkan.com/about/
• http://instagram.com/kikkanimal
• https://twitter.com/kikkanimal

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.