The Motivation, Dedication and Determination of an Olympian
Tokyo 2020 - Came and then quickly disappeared. Tokyo 2.0 arrived, materialised and here we are into week two.
Whilst the word elite conjures up many thoughts and misconceptions, to be awarded the honour of being an Elite Athlete, you must work tremendously hard to get to that position. Many GB athletes secured their spot 2 years ago and the pandemic meant their training regime was tipped upside down. Of course, team GB provides the best support available, however, focus an athlete has starts and ends with the individual. So how do you stay motivated? What keeps the moment going? Remember that even elite athletes were in lockdown, and they would have faced uncertainty about their imminent future.
Determination and the sheer conviction that you have achieved a possible once in a lifetime opportunity and giving up is not an option because this is your life-long work. During the first lockdown we saw so many examples of team GB athletes training in their gardens, homes, garages, because their bodies are finely tuned machines and like the most precious of machines, needed to be maintained and taken care of. They couldn’t just stop.
Dedication to the cause and focus is what sets the elite athlete apart from the norm, along with self-sacrifice, ruthlessness, and a self-belief that they are the best in their chosen field. That’s why they achieve glory asthe world watches in awe.
We have been fortunate enough to get to know and be in the presence of two such people. Close up, of course they are just like us, but when you get to know them, they have a different psychological approach to life because they have discipline in droves that most people just do not have. It’s not about being better than everyone else, it’s about being different, it’s about a higher level of focus and behaviours that lead to excellence.
Bradley Forbes-Cryans started his career as a junior paddler at the age of 10 dreaming of becoming an Olympian. Bradley performed the run of his life at the World Championships in 2019, to finish just off the podium in fourth place and secure his Tokyo berth, beating some of the world’s biggest names in the process. Bradley secured his place in the Olympic final coming 6th in the semi-final with an excellent time. In the final, Bradley lost time in between gates 4 and 5 as well as penalty awarded late after his run meant he put himself in top three with four boats to go, but there were other paddlers to go, which meant anything could happen. At the end of the event, Bradley was placed 6th - “Being a top six Olympian sounds absolutely fantastic. Coming to the Olympic Games my only goal for myself was to do my best and I feel I can walk away from this feeling like I’ve done that.” Being able to witness his journey and watch his commitment to his sport is overwhelming and we are so fortunate and proud to have watched him compete.