By giving her the freedom to find a passion and pursue it, I allowed her to develop her own love affair with sport, competition, and teamwork. By instilling a respect for intellectual pursuits and musical discipline, I encouraged her to incorporate balance into her life and discover multiple sources of joy.
Olympic champions are not cookies. Parents can’t take an award-winning recipe, mix ingredients in a prescribed order, force them into a hot environment, and scoop out a champion.
Parents can only raise children to be who they are.
Kids with an Olympic temperament, the physical attributes for sport, and an overwhelming desire to excel, will rise to the top. Especially if they have permission to find their own passions, the encouragement to pursue what they love, and a balanced life where sport is not the only thing that matters.
This is what I tell those who ask how I raised an Olympian.
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