On Tuesday morning, February 10th, a little after 6 a.m., I leapt off my couch, tears in my eyes. My childhood friend, Ben Ogden, had just crossed the finish line of the cross-country sprint race at the Olympics, finishing second. The winner, the dominant Norwegian Johannes Høsflot Klæbo, looked over his shoulder as Ben hurtled down the finishing stretch behind him. Ben had just made history as the second US male to ever win an Olympic medal, ending a 50-year medal drought for the men. I jumped up and down for joy and called my parents, who had witnessed the race first-hand in Tesero, Italy.
Growing up as a cross-country skier in Vermont, I was regularly reminded of the resilience needed to compete in this sport. I would often struggle to motivate myself for a race. Races would take place in the freezing rain, blizzarding snow, and frostbite-inducing temperatures. What ultimately got me out the door was the reminder of the community waiting for me. Yes, the weather may have been terrible, but we were all out there braving it together.
On the global scale, this obviously looks a bit different. The top racers in the world are there to win. The Norwegians and Swedes appear nearly unbeatable. But at the end of the day, the camaraderie is there because everyone is participating in the brutal test of physical endurance together. When Ben won silver, he stood on the podium next to two Norwegians. Then he asked Klæbo to hold his medal while he did a backflip off the podium. Klæbo smiled and did his own fun little jump, inspired by Ben. In a sport this challenging, taking a moment to step back and have fun is an infectious moment of respite.
Ben's silver medal is not only historic but also indicative of his amazing ability to manage the mental battle of being a competitive athlete. His resilience is just as much about his mindset as it is about his physical capability. Resilience as an athlete means believing in yourself and recognizing what you can and can't control. For us non-Olympic athletes, this mindset is just as valuable. We may not be sprinting uphill on skis, but we each face unique pressures every day, and cultivating resilience can help us adapt and move forward.
Ben's performance in the 2026 Olympics has been inspiring to watch, and as he continues to build up his experience on the world stage, it's clear he is just getting started. In Ben's silver medal, I can see all the hard work that has gone into that culminating moment. The long days of training in bad weather, trying to avoid illness, and spending months racing and training away from family and friends. Ski racing at the highest level requires lots of sacrifices. This past month, Ben was able to set the noise aside and race, showing all of us what he is capable of and inspiring us to dig deep and achieve our dreams.
As I celebrate Ben's victory, I recognize that resilience in sport is akin to the resilience required in leadership. There are many similarities in the mental discipline required of elite athletes and the resilience leaders need to guide teams through uncertainty and change. For this reason, we often encourage our coaching clients to try something new and challenging. Leaders are able to take the resilience they build doing new activities - learning to sew, learning to play the piano, or training to run a first marathon - and carry that experience with them into challenging leadership situations at work.
If you are interested in learning more about building your own resilience or that of your team, contact us today to schedule a conversation.