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ALL I REALLY NEED TO KNOW I LEARNED AT THE OLYMPICS (p. 2 of 3)

1 | 2 | 3 | AUG '04

Lesson #3
DON’T PLAY HEAD GAMES

"One of the most unheralded areas of sport is the call room, the marshalling area before the race. That’s where the psych games happen. Everyone is around you now, shaking their legs or singing or running by to try and intimidate the others. The call room is where the game is won or lost. I learned there never to be threatened by people around me."

Charmaine Crooks was named to her first track and field Olympic team in 1980, the year the event was boycotted by most Western countries. She won a silver medal four years later in Los Angeles in the 4 x 400-metre relay and participated in three more Games. She has since worked with both the International and Canadian Olympic committees.

Charmaine Crooks
Track and field (4 x 400 m relay, 400 m, 800 m), 1984, 1988, 1992, 1996.

Lesson #4
LUCK IS FICKLE

"When things go wrong in competition, people say, ‘What terrible luck.’ But when I balance my so-called good luck against the bad, I’ve had more good. So when something bad happens, that’s just the way it is. That is sport. It can happen both ways."

Ian Millar says he never would have participated in the Games unless he thought he could walk away with gold, but the 57-year-old has yet to win a medal. He expects to take his last jump in Beijing in 2008.

Ian Millar
Equestrian, 1972, 1976, 1984, 1988, 1992, 1996, 2000, 2004.

Lesson #5
YOU ONLY GET ONE CHANCE

"Nobody gives you credit for what you did in the past; nobody gives you a head start. You’re dealing with minute differences, mentally and physically. Who is the best on the day of competition is very tight. It’s a one-shot deal – and some days, it’s your day; some days, it’s someone else’s turn."

Cyclist Alison Sydor launched her Olympic career in road racing at the 1992 Barcelona Games where she finished 12th. Four years later, in Atlanta, she was in the saddle of a mountain bike and won silver.

Alison Sydor
Cycling (road and mountain), 1992, 1996, 2000, 2004.

1 | 2 | 3 | AUG '04