Olympic Gold Medalist on Going From 100% Me to Focusing on Others
As part of Enterprise Engagement Alliance YouTube channel series on Meaningful Meetings, Lessons Shared, a two-time Olympic Gold Medalist whose career was shortened by a near-death experience, explains what it’s like to go from the pinnacle of success focused 100% on one’s own self to almost restarting from scratch with a focus on others.Click here for EEA sponsors; here to subscribe, and here for an RRN media kit.
Background on His Journey
Hightlights of Insights
Imagine going from a life of 100% dedication to being the No. 1 performer in one’s field to one of focusing almost exclusively on others. That’s what viewers will learn in this 30-minute Enterprise Engagement Alliance Meaningful Meetings: Lessons Shared YouTube Sshow with Connor Fields, two-time Olympic Gold winner in BMX or bicycle motocross.
Click here to hear directly from Fields what he has learned from his experiences and shares with audiences at organizational events or read on for a summary.
Through two Olympics games, he has a unique claim to fame. He is the only Olympic athlete who has both won Gold at the Olympics, and nearly died while in competition. He went from the highest of highs, to the lowest of lows, and says he gained unique experience on performance, as well as a perspective on life through this journey that he shares when speaking at events.
Fields was recently featured on a Meaningful Meetings, Lessons Shared 30-minute show, hosted by Bruce Bolger, Founder of the Enterprise Engagement Alliance and Jaki Baskow, Founder and CEO of Baskow Talent. These shows highlight what people can learn and how at live events from the life experiences of successful people in all walks of business and life. The hosts ask guests about what they have learned from their journeys both good and bad and how they bring these insights to life for organizations at live or hybrid events.
These shows are a playlist on the Enterprise Engagement Alliance Purpose Leadership and Stakeholder Management YouTube channel and are summarized in articles in EEA’s ESM or RRN media and summarized in a regularly updated library.
Background on His Journey
Besides being a two-time Olympian, he is the first and to date only American to win Olympic BMX Gold. He attended and graduated college while competing. Retired from BMX competition, he is now a keynote speaker, a broadcaster for NBC, and host of "Outdoor Nevada" on PBS.
His journey into BMX (bicycle motocross) racing began unexpectedly when his mom discovered a flyer at a local bike shop where she came across an advertisement for the Las Vegas BMX track. His first visit had him hooked, he says.
Connor Fields’ journey from the spotlight of the Olympics to returning home was a profound transition. Initially, at the age 15, he was driven by a dream to win an Olympic medal, which he achieved after eight years of dedication and hard work. However, his career took an unexpected turn due to a near-death accident, which abruptly ended his competitive days when his plan was to compete in one more Olympics.
Winning at the Olympics was a pinnacle moment for Connor, he says, describing the experience of winning at the games a multi-sensory and emotional rush, but the aftermath of his accident brought a period of uncertainty and introspection. He describes the experience as a common challenge for elite athletes who face the end of their sports careers. This life-altering event shifted his focus from personal achievement to helping others. Now, Connor finds fulfillment in coaching, corporate speaking, and promoting sustainability, emphasizing the joy of aiding others in achieving their goals.
His near-death experience played a significant role in this transformation, he underlines, teaching him about life’s fragility and the unique satisfaction that comes from supporting others. This shift from a self-centered pursuit of excellence to a mission of helping others marks a complete turnaround in his life, balancing out his previous single-minded focus on personal success.
Hightlights of Insights
Fields shares several key life lessons with corporate groups and others:
- Adaptability and resilience: He highlights his journey from being a young BMX enthusiast to becoming an Olympic athlete and its sudden end due to a traumatic accident...He tells of the commitment he wrote on his wall as a teenager to one day compete in the Olympics; the trouble he got into for writing on the wall; and the gift he received of it many years later when the parents finally sold the house and cut it out of the wall as a gift to him, and how he adapted after a near-death experience ended his career prematurely.
- Purpose and passion: He discusses the shift from focusing solely on the personal goal of being the No. 1 athlete in his field every day to focusing on helping others.
- Perspective on life: He shares how his near-death experience changed his perspective, taught him the fragility of life and the satisfaction that comes from helping others. This experience led him to appreciate the different kind of victory that comes from aiding others in achieving their goals.
- Balance and selflessness: He reflects on his transition from a self-focused athlete to someone dedicated to helping others, illustrating the balance of satisfaction between personal ambition and altruism.
- Inspiration and motivation: He uses personal stories, such as writing his Olympic dreams on his wall as a child (and the fact that his parents did not make him wash if off), to inspire others to pursue their hopes and dreams. He encourages audiences to identify and strive for their own goals, and to write them down on a place where they can be reminded of them every day.
Fields shares that this method that helped him achieve peak performance during his Olympic can be applied in both sports and business to ensure optimal performance during critical moments. By structuring training and preparation phases, individuals can maximize their potential when it matters most.
Enterprise Engagement Alliance Services
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2. Learning: Purpose Leadership and Stakeholder
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