Two Olympic athletes encouraged University of Wisconsin-Madison students to “take the lead” in their own personal journeys at a meet-and-greet event Tuesday.
Their appearance at the event was part of a national tour that includes stops at nine other campuses. The series is called “It’s Your Race, Take the Lead: Stories from Olympic and Paralympic Athletes,” and is focused on encouraging people to persevere in their own lives.
Two-time speed skating gold medalist Shani Davis and Alana Nichols, Paralympic gold medalist in wheelchair basketball and alpine skiing, shared the stories of their past, advice for the present and goals for the future.
Davis, who started speed skating when he was six years old, said it was a challenge, and he did not excel right away. It was not until he “took control” of his training and his mindset that he had success.
Davis won a gold and a silver medal at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Italy, where he became the first black athlete from any nation to win a gold medal in a winter Olympic sport.
“It’s not going to be the easiest sometimes to achieve the things that we want to achieve or accomplish,” Davis said. “It’s going to be tough.” But according to Davis, success is about not giving up.
Nichols, who planned to play college softball on a scholarship, broke her back in a snowboarding accident when she was 17 years old.
But when she started playing wheelchair basketball, she said, she realized how much she enjoyed “getting sweaty” and competing.
“Before I knew it, it wasn’t about being disabled ... it was about me beating the guy next to me,” Nichols said.
She said her ability to adapt to challenges has enabled her to achieve her Olympic goals, and she encouraged UW-Madison students to adapt to challenges they face as they begin looking for jobs and applying to graduate schools.
“If you can take the lead in your own race and adapt to what life throws at you, I really believe you can be as successful as you want to be,” Nichols said.
UW-Madison senior Eric Lucari said he thought both athletes were “really inspiring,” and he felt motivated by Nichols’ dedication and perseverance.
“It makes me feel like I need to work that much harder in my own life,” Lucari said.
