Olympic Day Magic + A Challenge for Sports Parents

When I hear parents saying things like ‘my kid will never make it to the Olympics,’ I think about my 8 year-old self that declared my dream of becoming an Olympic champion.

My parents had every reason to dismiss my dreams: For one, I hadn’t even earned a spot on the local YMCA team — an age considered “late” in the sport of swimming; I was still in lessons, learning how to swim all four strokes.

But they didn’t. Instead, they held space for me to BELIEVE in the not-yet seen + dream my wild dreams, and supported me in all the ways they could.

Maybe it was because, all along, their story has been one of beating the odds by believing in what’s possible — pregnant as teens, college set aside for later, they were determined to provide us opportunities they never had — working multiple jobs to make ends meet.

When I found myself stuck in an abusive club environment + navigating a darkness I now know was depression and suicidal ideation, my parents encouraged my decision to change teams — to one that was over 60 miles away. An undertaking not possible without the support of my entire family + the families of the club team I was joining.

That’s the thing about dreams:

It takes a village.

Behind every podium moment is a tribe of human helpers + encouragers + coaches + guides. 

Behind every podium moment are hours + hours of struggle, fear, self-doubt, frustration and exhaustion — because no matter what arena, we are humans. 

We all need a tribe. A coach. A community. People who hold space for our big, wild dreams.

I realize that not every journey ends at the top of the podium; in fact, no journey does.

The top of the podium is a pit-stop in the greater journey we’re on; the journey that is this life.

Standing atop the podium with my teammates is one of the greatest moments of mine — and what I know for sure is that our gold medal represents so much more than the results on that night back in 2000.

It represents HOPE. 

It’s a daily reminder to me of the power that lives inside of us.

A power we can harness by BELIEVING in all possibilities — and showing up to do hard things. Again and again. With help. 

//

So, I challenge all of us raising + teaching + coaching + encouraging this next generation to lean into the places + spaces we are putting limits on kids and their dreams. 

Pause. 

Exhale.

Breathe.

And get curious. 

Why are we so quick to dismiss their dreams? 

What are we trying to protect them - or ourselves - from? 

And why are we so quick to put pressure on our kids to chase down dreams that were never theirs to begin with? 

I’m in this with you, doing the work. 

#olympicday #olympicday2020

Samantha Arsenault Livingstone is an Olympic Gold Medalist, high-performance consultant, speaker, educator and mental health advocate. She is the founder of Livingstone High Performance and the WHOLE Athlete Initiative (the WAI), providing pillars of support to individuals and organizations to elevate mental health and improve performance.

In addition to private and group coaching, Samantha consults with teams and organizations on athlete wellness initiatives, leadership, strategic planning, rising skills and developing high-performance cultures. She is a certified instructor of Mental Health First Aid for adults working with youth and a facilitator of Mindful Sports Performance Enhancement. 

Samantha is the founder and facilitator of two, multi-module online courses, the Rise Free Academy and Ride the Wave — inspiring, empowering and equipping others with the skills + supports needed to become more mindful, courageous, resilient leaders.

Samantha and her husband, Rob, live in the Berkshires with their four girls. To learn more about her offerings, go over to www.samanthalivingstone.com