What the Olympics Taught Me

February had me glued to my TV in the best way possible. The 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy were something special, and I found myself watching with more than just entertainment in mind. I was watching people show up for themselves at the highest level possible. I was watching people live out what I truly believe that when you commit to being your own Chief Self Officer, anything is possible. Let me tell you about the two moments I could not stop thinking about.

Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara — From 5th Place to Gold

If you watched pairs figure skating, you already know. Japan's Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara were two-time world champions heading into Milan. They were the real deal. But after a fumbled lift in the short program, they found themselves sitting in 5th place. Fifth. For a team of that caliber, that had to feel devastating.

And here's what got me they didn't fall apart. They came back the next night and skated a transcendent free program to "Gladiator," earning a season's best score and climbing all the way to first place. They won gold. And not just any gold, it was Japan's first ever Olympic medal in pairs figure skating. One bad night. One comeback. History made.

That is what being your own Chief Self Officer looks like. You don't quit when you stumble. You go back to what you know, you trust your preparation, and you show up anyway. Miura and Kihara didn't need a perfect week. They needed one perfect moment and they created it.

Elana Meyers Taylor 41, a Mom, and Finally Gold

Then there was the monobob. And if you missed this one, please go find it.

Elana Meyers Taylor, 41 years old, won the monobob gold medal by just four hundredths of a second. Four hundredths. That is barely the blink of an eye. She was sitting in second place through three of four runs, chasing Germany's Laura Nolte the entire way. Then she got in that sled one final time and gave everything she had.

She is a mother. She has come back from concussions, a torn Achilles, and years of people quietly counting her out. She had five Olympic medals before Milan, but none of them were gold. Until now. And sharing that podium with her was her 40-year-old teammate Kaillie Humphries, who gave birth just a year and a half ago and took bronze. Two mothers in their 40s standing on an Olympic podium together.

That is not luck. That is what happens when you refuse to let anyone else write your story.

But Here's What I Also Want to Say:

We celebrate the gold medalists, and we should. But let's not scroll past everyone else.

Think about Lindsey Vonn, also 41, who came out of retirement chasing one more dream, only to crash on the downhill and get airlifted off the mountain. From her hospital bed, she told the world the ride was worth the fall. That is not failure. That is courage.

Think about Ana Alonso Rodriguez of Spain, who tore her ACL, fractured her ankle, and separated her shoulder after being hit by a car in October 2025. She held off surgery just for a chance to compete in Milan, and walked away with two Olympic bronze medals.

Think about every single athlete who trained for four years, showed up, gave everything they had and didn't stand on a podium. They are not losers. They are people who chose themselves. They decided their dream was worth pursuing regardless of the outcome.

That is the whole point.

2,880 athletes competed at the 2026 Winter Olympics across 116 medal events. Every single one of them made a decision at some point to go all in. To bet on themselves. To keep going when it was hard and uncertain and maybe even a little scary.

That is what being your own Chief Self Officer means. It is not about winning every time. It is about showing up every time. It is about knowing your value before the scoreboard confirms it.

So What Does This Have to Do With You?

It is March 6th. Day 66 of 2026. And maybe like me, your first 66 days were not all fire and momentum. Some days I was on it. Most days I was caught up in the busyness of work and life and all of it. But I am still here. And so are you.

The Olympics reminded me that setbacks are not endings. That age is not a ceiling. That one bad night does not cancel out everything you have built. That the most powerful decision you can make is to get back in the sled, lace up your skates, and go again.

You are your own Chief Self Officer. Act like it.

Let's make March count.

Wishing you peace and happiness from my heart to yours!

Peace

Monita

Facts sourced from NBC Olympics and olympics.com