The 2024 Paris Olympics was one of the most memorable Olympics in my lifetime. Looking back at the MANY memorable moments, and there were MANY, if I had to choose one that inspired me the most, it has to be Cole Hocker (American) winning the men’s 1500M gold medal. Cole Hocker ran collegiately at the University of Oregon where he won four NCAA titles. At 23, he was listed as a 30 to 1 longshot to win the 1500M men’s final in the 2024 Olympics.
To be one of the twelve runners in the final race competing for a medal, each runner had to finish in the top six in two qualifying races, which is no small feat considering they’re racing against the best runners in the world.
The two favorites in the final were Jakob Ingebrigtsen (Norway) and Josh Kerr (Great Britain). Both runners had a public feud with each other, broadcasting their self-proclaimed greatness in the media (and on social media). Each one was intent on defeating the other and winning the gold medal at the Paris Olympics in the 1500 meter final event.
Spoiler alert, Cole Hocker won the race in jaw dropping fashion. American Yared Naguse, Notre Dame grad, won the bronze medal, which is no small feat. Hocker’s victory inspired me for many reasons, even though the Paris Olympics didn’t lack for many other inspiring events.
Cole Hocker was NOT intimidated by the media hype surrounding Ingebrigtsen and Kerr, even though Kerr was the 2023 World Champion and Ingebrigtsen won the gold medal in the 1500M in the 2020 Olympics. The media and men’s running fans expected these two to finish in first and second place. Hocker disregarded popular opinion. He ran his own race.
Hocker’s confidence was boosted by his coach when he told Hocker he wasn’t nervous about this race because he was confident in Hocker’s ability in 2024. This one comment by his coach gave Hocker a new level of confidence that helped propel him to greatness in this race.
Hocker’s training for this race had him in the best fitness condition of his career. He knew what he was capable of. His reputation for being a strong finisher was well known and he knew he could finish strong in the biggest race of his career.
In other words, Hocker knows his superpower is “finishing” each race in which he competes. When you watch this race, it’s obvious to the world that Hocker used his superpower. Early in the race he was in 9th position (out of 12 runners). One minute later he was in 7th place. About 2:15 into the race he was in 5th place. About 3 minutes into the race he was in 3rd place. Then, as the runners approached the final stretch, he got boxed in by the 1st and 2nd place runners. Then, his superpower went into action and within the last 10 seconds of the race, he moved into 2nd, then into 1st place to finish as the gold medal winner! If you haven’t seen the race, watch it below:
This victory by Cole Hocker was an ASTONISHING example of finishing strong. In this case, his reward is a gold medal and he also broke the Olympic record. Kerr finished in second for the silver and Ingebrigtsen finished in fourth (no medal).
Cole Hocker’s victory in this race inspires me in so many ways. Following is a summary of those inspirations:
👊🏼 You have to qualify to be in the final race to compete for the winning prize.
👊🏼 You must have a strategy for each “race” you run.
👊🏼 Stick with your strategy in the heat of the race.
👊🏼 Know your superpower and use it at the right moment.
👊🏼 When the moment calls for boldness, be bold.
👊🏼 Ignore the hype swirling around you.
👊🏼 Have a coach who believes in you and tells you so.
👊🏼 Train hard to be the best you can be.
👊🏼 It’s not how you start. It’s how you finish.
👊🏼 Don’t trash talk your competition.
👊🏼 Stay humble even as others celebrate your victory.
What inspiration do you get from this amazing Olympic victory by Cole Hocker?
And, what does this have to do with midlife fulfillment?
Surely, most of us will not compete in the Olympics at any age, no less in our midlife seasons. However, do you face an “Olympics” moment in the future where the stakes are high? Are you excited about it or do you dread it?
Do you have a coach who believes in you? Are you as prepared as you should be? Do you face elite competition? Are you confident you can compete with the elites in your situation? Are you committed to finishing strong?
As for me, watching Cole Hocker’s performance in this race gives me such incredible inspiration in many areas of my life across the five key pillars. In some of his media interviews immediately after the race, he said he was still processing it. Clearly, the magnitude of the moment had not yet sunk in for him.
I am as impressed with Cole Hocker’s humility as his preparation and execution on the day that he stepped on the biggest stage of his running career.
I encourage you to commit to finishing strong, no matter the outcome. If you finish strong, you will achieve fulfillment. And, that’s what matters.
If you want help improving your motivation and commitment abilities, download the workbook below. This workbook can be used to improve motivation and commitment in any area of your life.
Image by master1305 on Freepik
