Paralympics 2024: Turning Adversity into Triumph 🏆
Dr Lizzy Bernthal
Supporting businesses & their Directors to be empowered, resilient, confident leaders | Transforming Boardroom Dynamics so no body armour is required! | 25-Years Army to Lt Col
The Paralympic Games have just finished…...
Oh my!
If there’s one thing we can all take away from watching these incredible athletes in terms of leadership and resilience.
It’s…..
That things are only impossible if we allow them to be.
Each competitor has faced challenges that most of us can’t even imagine.
Yet there they were, not just surviving, but thriving…..and winning 🥇🥇🥇🥇
It’s a powerful reminder of the resilience we all have within us as leaders 💪.
More Resilience Than We Know
Take the story of Alfie Hewett, a British wheelchair tennis player 🎾.
Alfie’s journey wasn’t supposed to lead him to a world stage. He was born with a congenital heart defect and later diagnosed with Perthes Disease
Here he is, always turning what was once considered a "disability" into his greatest strength.
Through countless surgeries and setbacks, he’s become a five-time Grand Slam champion and achieved gold to top up his silver medal.
Alfie's story is a strong reminder that we have more resilience than we often give ourselves credit for.
These athletes teach us that resilience isn’t just about bouncing forward….
It’s about redefining the limits of what's possible.
Life will throw obstacles at us, and it’s up to us as leaders to decide whether they stop us—or fuel us to even greater success.
From Tragedy to Triumph
Then there’s USA’s Jessica Long, 🏊♀️ one of the most decorated Paralympians of all time.
Born with fibular hemimelia, she had both legs amputated below the knee when she was just 18 months old.
For many, that would be the end of any dreams involving physical achievement.
Not for Jessica!
She embraced swimming at a young age, turning what could have been a life-altering tragedy into an opportunity to dominate.
Now with over 31 Paralympic medals to her name across 6 games makes Jessica the epitome of turning adversity into triumph and one of the most decorated Paralympians in history.
Her story resonates with all of us who’ve faced personal setbacks. It's a reminder that tragedy doesn’t have to define us—what we do with it does.
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Making history
Dame Sarah Storey has made history as the first British Paralympian of all time to feature at nine Games with 19 gold medals and 30 Paralympic medals across both swimming and cycling. She has broken age and disability barriers - still winning at 46 years old and a mother of 2!
The Power of Community and Team Spirit
What strikes me most about the Paralympics isn’t just the individual feats of resilience......
It's the way these athletes come together, irrespective if it’s their team on the field or the community of their competitors....
There's a great bond that comes from overcoming shared adversity as they help and support each other.
This was epitomised by me the TV coverage showed one of the sprinters in 100m athletics delay the start while he helped his rival re bandage his leg for his race.
Team UK’s para wheelchair basketball is another example.
Watching them play, you can see how much they rely on each other—both on and off the field. That kind of teamwork and community is what powered them to the final for the 1st time 28 years .
We see it in our own lives too….
Whether it’s in the workplace, our families, or within our communities, we thrive when we’re part of something bigger than ourselves. We rise higher together.
What If We Saw Obstacles Differently?
The Paralympics show us that the only limits are the ones we place on ourselves.
These athletes have turned obstacles into opportunities, leaning into their challenges and finding ways to redefine success.
Imagine the results when apply that same mindset to our own lives as leaders!
I believe that challenges are stepping stones to success......never roadblocks.
The power of community, resilience, and teamwork is something we can all carry into our own lives, whether it’s in our leadership, our careers, or our personal challenges.
Let’s take a page from the Paralympians and remember that anything is possible if we choose to make it so.
Keep bouncing forward! 💪
Wishing you a week full of possibility and courage.
DM me if you’d like to dive deeper into how these lessons can support you or your team.
Take care,
Lizzy x
(Images thanks to gettyimages.co.uk and paralympics.org)
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5moDr Lizzy Bernthal....Absolutely inspiring! The Paralympic Games showcase incredible strength and determination, proving that our limits are often self-imposed.
🟡 Workplace emotional culture specialist improving employee engagement, team & stakeholder connection & impact I International Speaker I Former British Army Officer (Psychological Operations) Endurance Athlete I
5moThis is a powerful and inspiring message about the lessons that can be learned from the Paralympic Games. It's a testament to the resilience, determination, and power of community that these athletes embody.
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5moThe Olympics are a spectacle of pinnacle. But for the real triumph, there is nothing better than the accomplishment of the Paralympic competitors, let alone the medal winners! Outstanding! 🎯 🏸 🎾 🎖 🥇 🥈 🥉
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5moWhat a clear reminder that we are more powerful than we even know Dr Lizzy Bernthal. Success is exposed in the opportunities disguised as adversity.
Supporting female leaders in tech & healthcare break free from overwhelm into clarity, wellbeing, & impact by harnessing AI-EQ synergy🔥 | Trainer | TEDx Co-host & Speaker | Championing SDGs
5moGreat advice Dr Lizzy Bernthal It is so important to be able to turn tragedy into victory that is how true resilience is built