93. Getting Creative with Olympic Diver Brandon Loschiavo
This week, Laura shines the Pursuit of Gold spotlight on Brandon Loschiavo, an exceptional athlete whose journey is truly a compelling one, and whose impressive resume includes Big Ten championships, NCAA championships, seven U.S. national titles, a World Cup bronze medal, and a coveted spot as an Olympian. Following a brief retirement period post-Tokyo Olympics, Brandon has resurfaced with a resolute focus on competing in the men's ten-meter platform diving event at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Together with Laura here today, he addresses a number of pivotal themes, including unwavering determination, resilience in the face of adversity, the power of a positive mindset, and the art of adapting to life's challenges.
Throughout the episode, Brandon delves into his college years, which were far from a straightforward path to success, and his diving career which was marred by knee injuries that threatened to halt his progress. Rather than succumbing to these setbacks, however, Brandon relates how he embarked on a journey filled with creativity and proactive injury management. He also goes on to share with listeners a wealth of wisdom on such topics as life after competitive sports, strength training, coaching, and the unique challenges faced by elite athletes when transitioning into new roles. Tune in and join these two legendary athletes for this powerful reminder that success often stems from embracing challenges head-on - an invaluable lesson so very pertinent to all aspects of life.
Episode Highlights:
Overcoming adversity through creativity
Chasing Olympic dreams
Mindset and Olympic trials
Post-Olympic experiences
Embracing change and adapting
Resilience in the face of adversity
Seeking multiple opinions regarding injuries
Adaptive training approaches
Quotes:
"Simple mental skills and mindset shifts can make a huge difference in your confidence."
"I had that goal, I had that aspiration to make it to the Olympics, and I just put my head down and grinded for the long haul."
"It's not the last dive that matters. It's all 18. And I did 17 out of 18 well enough to just keep me not just in the game, but, like, well above second."
"I want to walk into the prelim feeling like it's the final. You don't want to just kind of, like, mosey through the prelim, because then you'll do terribly, and it's a cumulative event, so every list counts."
"When you're a hyper-focused athlete on these huge goals, there's life outside of it, but you kind of forget how to live."
"It felt good to find a new community, and I did for at least probably, like, the first two, three months. I made it a goal to not be defined as a diver when I was outside of diving."
"Coaches need coaches. And so I decided to have the team USA strength coach be my strength coach, write my programs."
"Strength training is a slow burn, just like getting an Olympic pursuit. it's a long-term investment that pays off at the end."
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