☀️ The gold medal question
I've been keeping an eye on the Winter Olympics these past few days. While I do wish that in another lifetime I could pursue my secret childhood dream of doing professional figure skating, this is not what sparked the topic for this edition.
It was, in fact, determined by a commentator who, during one of the biathlon moments, said something like, "You can just see that champion mindset. That's what separates the best from the rest."
Hm. Okay. But what does that really mean?
There is a general sense of appreciation for the idea of having an Olympic mindset. The discipline, the mental toughness, the ability to perform under pressure, everything becomes this catch-all explanation for success in sports, in work, and in life. "Train like an Olympian." "Think like a champion." But when you look at what it takes to reach that level, it's not just inspiring, but also complicated.
To become an Olympic-level athlete, you have to be ruthlessly selfish. You miss weddings, you skip funerals, you train through injuries that would stop most people cold. You develop mental skills that help you block out doubt and push through pain. These skills, in any other context, might look like red flags.
So where's the line? What can we learn from Olympians that translates to regular life? And what should we leave on the ice?
This edition is about the mental skills elite athletes use, the hidden costs that come with them, and what we can (and can't) take from the Olympic mindset.
📖 3 Articles to Spark Your Curiosity
The "Olympic mindset": Do elite athletes make elite employees?
Olympians are determined, resilient, and perform under pressure. They also miss funerals, struggle with imposter syndrome, and need to learn when not to apply their athletic mindset. This piece explores the transferable skills and the ones best left on the field.
→ Read on Big Think
Champion Mindset: An Olympic Coach on the Power of Purpose
Olympic coach Steve Magness breaks down sustainable excellence: winning the battle against self-sabotage, balancing exploration with commitment, and caring deeply without letting it consume you. The foundation of peak performance is internal, not external.
→ Read on Next Big Idea Club
How Olympians train their brains to become mentally tough
Mental toughness is cultivated through specific techniques. Goal-setting that shifts focus from outcomes to process, self-talk that builds belief, imagery so vivid your muscles fire, and arousal control to stay in your optimal zone.
→ Read on The Conversation
🗞️ 3 Headlines Worth Exploring
Winter Olympics 2026: All your questions about the Milano Cortina Games, answered
The most geographically dispersed Winter Olympics ever, spread across northern Italy with six separate Olympic villages. From Mariah Carey headlining the opening ceremony to the return of NHL players for the first time since 2014, here's everything happening at these Games.
→ Read on The Guardian
The Olympic sport that has been invaded by the Spice Girls and Backstreet Boys
Ice dance's 2026 theme is "the 1990s," which means Gen Z skaters are performing deadly serious athletic interpretations of "Wannabe" and "I'm Too Sexy" in front of billions. Great Britain's team skates in Ginger Spice's Union Jack dress. The ISU wanted to appeal to younger audiences. Mission accomplished?
→ Read on MSN
In just 25 years, dozens of places will be too warm to host the Winter Olympics
By the 2050s, only four cities could host the Winter Olympics with natural snow. February temperatures in every Olympic host city since 1950 have warmed by an average of 4.8°F. Milano Cortina required 2.4 million cubic meters of machine-made snow.
→ Read on CNN
☀️ 3 Actions to Step Out of Your Comfort Zone
Practice process goals, not just outcome goals
Pick one thing you're working on this week and shift your focus from the result to the execution. Instead of "finish the presentation," try "spend 30 focused minutes outlining the key argument." Olympians know that controlling the process is more effective than obsessing over the outcome.
Find your optimal energy level
Before your next high-stakes moment (a meeting, a difficult conversation, a deadline), notice how you feel. Are you too amped up or too calm? Experiment with regulating it. Try deep breaths if you're anxious, or upbeat music if you're flat. Elite athletes know their sweet spot. Find yours.
Use imagery for one challenging task
Before tackling something difficult this week, close your eyes and walk through it mentally from start to finish. See yourself doing each step. Two minutes of visualization can make the real thing feel less daunting.
⚡ 6 Quick Resources
🎥 To watch: An Olympic Champion's Mindset for Overcoming Fear
Olympic champion Allyson Felix on fighting to change her sponsor's maternity policy and why you don't need to be an Olympian to create change.
→ Watch on TED
🎿 To save: Your Insider Guide to Cortina During the Olympics
Where to ski, stay, dine, and après in the Queen of the Dolomites during the Games.
→ Read on Ski Magazine
🏅 To know: Eight of the Greatest Displays of Sportsmanship
From Jesse Owens and Luz Long in 1936 to Andrew Flintoff consoling Brett Lee, moments that remind us sports matter beyond the scoreboard.
→ Read on BBC Sport
📸 To admire: Highlights From the 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympics
The New York Times' best images from the Games against the breathtaking backdrop of the Dolomites and Alps.
→ View on The New York Times
💪 To check: What's It Like to Be an Olympian?
Five Olympic triathletes reveal what TV viewers never see: the nerves, the Village atmosphere, and why "once an Olympian, always an Olympian."
→ Read on Strava
🔒 To stay safe: The Milan-Cortina Games Are a Prime Cyber Target
With 3 billion viewers and massive digital infrastructure, Italy's cybersecurity command center is monitoring threats in real time.
→ Read on World Economic Forum
🎲 This week’s wonderfully random corner of the internet
🗺️ Olympics Map
An interactive world map visualizing every Olympic medal since 1896. Filter by year, sport, or event to see which countries dominated which disciplines. Watch the map shift as you move from ancient Athens to modern Milano Cortina.
→ Explore medal history at olympics-map.vercel.app
📝 Word of the Week
Arete (Greek) - Excellence or virtue; the fulfillment of one's purpose or function. In Aristotle's philosophy, it's not just skill, but skill guided by practical wisdom.
For the ancient Greeks, arete wasn't about being the best at something. It was about knowing when and how to apply your abilities appropriately. A hero had arete not because they could fight, but because they knew when fighting was the right response.
This is what separates the Olympic mindset we can learn from and the one we should leave on the ice. Mental toughness is arete when it helps you focus under pressure. It becomes a vice when you push through a mental health crisis because "champions never quit."
🧘♀️ Question of the Week for Introspection
Think about one area of your life where you've been trying to "think like a champion" or push through like an athlete. Is that mindset truly helping you, or is it the wrong tool for the job?
See you next Sunday! Until then, keep your eyes open, your questions big, and your sense of wonder alive.
Your curious internet friend,
Ruxandra
