5 Lessons Learned from the 2024 Paris Games

Eiffel Tower with Olympic rings on it. — The 2024 Olympic Games did not disappoint.

wrapping up the olympics with My top 5 takeaways

Shannon’s August update

All I can say is WOW, just wow. The Paris Olympics did not disappoint; it had it all: the incredible victories, the heartbreaking upsets, the stories of Olympians overcoming all odds just to be there to compete, near misses, close calls, world records broken, and even a scandal or two to round it out. I don’t know about you, but I didn’t want it to end.

I’m a new fan of rugby, my husband is sad that he didn’t grow up next to an ocean to make surfing his sport, Zoe has solidified her love of our Team USA soccer girls, and Tucker now wants to be a pole vaulter. Just like always, the Olympic spirit shone bright, and the world’s greatest athletes showed us over and over again what it means to have grit, perseverance, and trust in our own abilities.

I could go on and on about my love for the Olympics, but here are my 5 takeaways from Paris 2024:

1. Focus is essential.

Focus on what is most important to succeed. There were so many situations and circumstances that could have rattled these Olympians, but true to form, the best athletes persevered. There are always going to be things that want our attention, but this is when we hold true to what we know and what we want and focus on the most important thing to succeed.

2. Rest matters.

Taking a break will make you stronger. There were lots of athletes (most notably led by Simone Biles) who have taken a break from their relentless training and competition regimens. Whether it was to regroup, find their passion again, allow their body to heal, have a baby, or just rediscover their drive, all of these athletes proved to us that it is 100% okay to stop and take a break for a moment in order to come back stronger!

3. Have fun.

Success is sweeter if you’re having fun. I don’t know about you, but when the athletes were smiling, enjoying the moment, and taking it all in, it seemed like the positive energy (and winning energy) was flowing their way. There’s something about loving what you do and being grateful to be doing it that truly matters, and I loved seeing it on full display!

4. Trust your process.

So many of the athletes competing had experienced ups and downs leading up to these Olympics, but it was their trust in the relentless training they had done, the preparation they had, and all of the groundwork they had laid over the past 4 years. Life’s biggest moments can seem overwhelming, but if you have 100% trust in all that you have done to get you there and all of the people who have helped you, it’s a day you can let all of that preparation and hard work shine!

5. Positive self talk.

What you say to yourself matters. I absolutely loved reading the lips of athletes as they were about to compete or experience a make-or-break moment. Each and every one of those athletes was reinforcing that they could do it, that they believed in themselves, to trust their training, to execute what they knew, and to go for it. When we tell ourselves positive things, positive things happen more frequently. Remember, what we focus on expands!!

I love the Olympics with my whole heart, and I’m sad it’s over. The only thing that is keeping me going right now is that the Paralympics start on August 28th, the next Winter Olympics in Milan Cortina, Italy, are only a little more than 530 days away, AND Salt Lake City, UTAH, will be hosting the Olympics AGAIN in 2034!!

Thank you to all of the athletes that competed in the 2024 Paris Olympics—I am a better person because of you! Citius, Altius, Fortius!!