As you know I regularly talk about how grateful I am Canadians are proud and want to share the passion for all things and not let a moment go by…seize the day.
Carpe Diem!
Enjoy Pierre Lafonteine, Canada Swimming CEO shares a message with the Canadian Open Water Swim Team impressing on them the history of how Canadians support their countrymen to achieve their goals and the importance of expressing gratitude to those who help you achieve your goals.
Cheers Shelley Taylor-Smith
The greatest show on earth…. has come to the tiny village of Roberval, Quebec, Canada; the host for the 6th FINA World Open Water Swimming Championships, 15-23 July 2010.
Roberval, a town of 11,000 residents has welcomed in open arms, the 124 elite open water swimming competitors from 30 countries.
I will be writing daily blogs and sharing interviews with Champions - athletes, coaches, organisers, referees, officials and volunteers.
The following was reported by Steven Munatones, Chief Editor of Daily News of Open Water Swimming
Dr. Julio Maglione, the FINA President, opened the festivities with a bilingual address to the gathered media at today’s press conference. “I want to express my sincere gratitude to Swimming Canada, the city of Roberval and the local organising committee.”
Swimming Canada CEO Pierre Lafontaine echoed the gratitude of Dr. Maglione at today’s press conference. In his usual enthusiastic manner, Pierre said, “The local organizing committee even went so far in changing the water temperature of lac St-Jean.”
Pierre was referring to the notoriously historical cold water of lac St-Jean has increased in temperature to an unseasonably and unprecedented 24°C (75°C) that have greeted the swimmers at the championships. Most of the swimmers were quite happy and surprised to learn of the warm-water conditions.
“Swimming Canada is excited to host the world championships and we are thankful to Dr. Maglione for having confidence in us. Sport is a place where people can dream. That is the power of sport.”
Canadian National Team coach Ron Jacks repeated the excitement of Dr. Maglione and Pierre. “The 7-member Canadian team is in good spirits after a 5-day training camp in Montreal. The swimmers have had a great week of preparation in Montreal. The 10K will be our great event. With the event now being in the Olympics, we are seeing a surge of swimmers trying to grain that experience for the 2012 Olympic Games qualifier next year in Shanghai.”
“The Canadian team is comprised with some solid veterans such as Simon Tobin of Quebec, Zsofie Balaz of Toronto and Nadine Williams of Sherwood Park who all competed at the 2009 World Swimming Championships. I’m optimistic that we will get a few surprise performances from our veterans and rookies.”
The Canadian team includes Xavier Desharnais, Simon Tobin, Richard Weinberger, Zsofia Balazs, Karyn Jewell, Joanie Guillemetee-Simard and Nadine Williams.
Thanks Steven Munatones and Daily News of Open Water Swimming for that back end story on the Canadian Open Water Swim Team.
Enjoy my interview below with Pierre Lafonteine, Swimming Canada CEO.
Let me know how you are enjoy the videos and blog posts and what skill helps you have a more enjoyable open water swimming experience. I look forward to sharing the amazing experience of the FINA World Championships and the passionate hospitality of the host city of Roberval.
Cheers Shelley Taylor-Smith
FINA TOWSC member 2000-present
FINA Athletes Commission Chairman 1999-2000
7-time Womens World No.1 Marathon Swimming Champion 1988-1995
5-time Overall Winner & Fastest Time Overall Manhattan Island 48km Marathon Swim
Director & Founder Champion Mindset Consulting
I am writing to you from one of my favourite places in the whole world…. Roberval, Quebec, Canada; the host city for the FINA World Open Water Swimming Championships 2010.
Last month I visited Christmas Island. Now to my overseas subscribers this is an island with a difference. The Australian Attorney General’s Department invited me to present and present I did. 3 days and 9 presentations later….I was a changed woman! Christmas Island changed my life.
I have to say that without a doubt the most emotional presentation of my career was presenting to the Asylum Seeker Students. I felt it was my privilege to meet them. We talked about dreams, goals, marathons, journeys, mental toughness, resilience and keeping your eye on the prize! It was one of my finest moments.
Ralph Waldo Emerson said one of my favourite quotes. “What lies behind us and what lies before us are small matters compared to what lies within us!”
Today Swimming Canada CEO Pierre Lafontaine (as interviewed below) said it even better at the FINA World Swimming Championships 2010 press conference: “Great things happen when people do great things unselfishly, for the right reason. I think you see it in great events in the Olympics and recently in Africa with the World Cup. And you see it here in Roberval.”
If we all accepted Pierre Lafonataine’s observations, took a small part of his amazing leadership and became acutely aware of the awesome power that lies within, the world would be radically and immediately altered in a positive way. I have only recently come to realise the power that I own and that is, the power of what is WITHIN me.
Self-reliance is all about freedom from the control or influence of outside parties. It’s a simple concept that encourages each of us to take responsibility for our own needs–physical, emotional, spiritual, social, and economic. To put it more directly, it’s an understanding that nobody owes you anything!
Your Champion Lesson - How to develop your greatest asset - YOU!
You must constantly ask yourself these questions:
1. Who am I around? What are they doing to me?
2. What have they got me reading? What have they got me saying? Where do they have me going? What do they have me thinking?
3. And most important, what do they have me becoming?
4. Then ask yourself the big question: Is that okay? Your life does not get better by chance, it gets better by change.”
Cheers to thinking like a Champion!
Shelley Taylor-Smith
It has been an amazing couple of weeks in the world of personal achievements.
I was in awe standing at North Head watching “Our Own” Aussie 16yr old Jessica Watson sail through Sydney Heads completing her solo sailing circumnavigation…well it brought me to tears. Then followed the American 13yr old who climbed Mt Everest. WOW!
Congrats to my fellow West Australian, Patrick Hollingworth who successfully climbed the Summit of Mt Everest last week. I received a SMS text message. “Shelley. Can you believe it. I climbed Mt Everest. From Your Hero Pat” Yes we can believe it! And you’re my hero Patrick for following your dream and never ever saying never! (Pat below with Sherpas Lakpa & Angkaji, at 8850m on the summit of Mount Everest.)
I’m always intrigued when I ask people to fill in the end of that sentence: “Life is a ….”
So last week I posted the question on facebook and was amazed at how many different answers came. (email me now courses@championmindset.com.au Shelley, here is my response to “Life is a …”)
Battle is one of the most common answers that pop up. B*&ch is another…
Then these ones.
..Game…
.. an adventure!
.. a pleasure, one after the other
.. box of chocolates
.. fantastic experience that should be enjoyed with the ones you love.
.. nice spot in the sun to warm up before the days mayhem
.. blessing and we are not here forever.
.. Marathon not a track meet
.. Rollercoaster!!!! - has its ups and downs but you need to jump on the ride and not sit on the sidelines watching life go by
.. “GIFT” and the gift will only be as wonderful as “YOU” make it!
.. ♫ “Highway”.. and im gonna ride it…♫
… precious miracle. We’re only given one chance, so live each day as if it’s your last. But remember, life will reward you with how much you put into it…
.. Cabaret old chum….!
.. Grand opening. Not a dress rehersal.
.. Game Day!
.. Minestrone
I choose to look at life like a game. It’s meant to ‘play’. You have heard me say many times in my presentations and workshops “thanks for playing it 100%”. Granted, I’d be lying to you if I said that it’s all ‘play’ and always ‘fun’.
Look I’m human too and I have ups and downs. Yes I do! As I’ve stated many times, I’ve failed more than I’ve succeeded in life and with my business too. Being my own boss I have had to fire myself a few times and learn new skills, adapt and grow. At the end of the day though, take all the ups and downs, and sum it up, it is a game…
And it’s a game to be WON! I know you can win. And know that it’s relative…
I meet and work with people who are already successful, who have achieved their millions and the ‘win’ for them is different than someone working to achieve their first goal, lose weight, get fit, swim a marathon, run a marathon, take that first step “admitting” they have a problem, stop procrastinating, get out of their comfort zone, follow their dream to launch their business ….
We’re all at different places in the game.
And in the course of the game, sometimes we win, sometimes we lose, however we get to start over everyday and build on the next, learn from our mistakes…
You were built to win… Built to prosper… Built to achieve your birthright…SUCCESS!
Take small steps and just keep moving forward each and every day and in a year, you’ll shock yourself at how far you’ve come….
I admire Jessica Watson for her persistence and courage and willingness to learn…despite the setbacks she had in the beginning. Despite all the doubters, the nay-sayers. Today she is Australia’s hero with her simple message “Anything is possible. If you have a dream and you work hard you will achieve.”
I wonder, like you, what will be the next BIG thing for her…
Or Patrick - who swam to Rottnest earlier this year as a warm up for his Mt Everest Summit. He said he felt most ‘natural’ climbing mountains, where most others feel ‘unnatural’, however he dove in and went for it. He made mistakes in the past. He didn’t focus on his mistakes. He learned from them and said he would prepare himself the best possible way. He stayed focused on his bigger goals. And look what he did. He became the 3rd West Australian to climb Mt Everest. Not bad huh!
HINT- when your goals are bigger than your obstacles, it’s easy to stay the course.
2 unique people, with 2 different skill sets. I could list hundreds here…
However the one thing I see they have in common. They are willing to get in the game! Next, they are willing to make A LOT of mistakes while playing the game. They just keep playing.
I talk regularly to my coaching clients…well after they have let go of me, which for some is a struggle…
I mean I am a coach not a crutch! So speaking to one of them the other day about some set backs they’ve had in their business recently and they were discouraged… (yes, they are real people too that get discouraged and down sometimes). At the end of the day though, they minimized the setback and discouragement and focused on what they wanted…
So who didn’t fall off their first two-wheeler?
Which reminds me of my dear marathon swimming mate, James Kegley, telling the story about his son Jesse when he took off his training wheels (see picture below); “It is so much fun to watch him grow and ask to try new things…the training wheels came off after a friend rode by without them.”
We all learn a lot from each other… Get in the game… Play to win!
And when you lose sometimes, just keep getting BACK in the game!
>>> Oprah failed before success…
>>> Michael Jordan failed before success… (he was cut from his high-school basketball team)
….And the list goes on. You’re born to win!
Shelley’s Success Lesson for this Week:
1. Commit to Actually DOING Whatever It Takes — Then DO It…
Even if you think you can’t do something well the first time, try it anyway. Select one activity that looks as difficult as your first two-wheeler, and schedule a time this week to get on it.
2. What have you been putting off doing because you thought you couldn’t do it well?
3. Study Oprah, Michael Jordan or someone you admire who has succeeded after many setbacks Research. Read. Study them. Learn how they overcame … whether their mindset, motivation, mental toughness Learn their “playing the game” strategy and start applying it today so you too can win!!!
And if you’re still stuck falling off your two-wheeler… then consider giving me a call to discuss the Champion Mindset Motivation Coaching Program on
0414 594 245.
Now get on your bike ….get on with playing the game!
Cheers Shelley Taylor-Smith
CHAMPIONS OF THE WORLD THE NEW ORLEANS SAINTS
Todays blog is courtesy of my Champion buddy from New Orleans Mr Kerry Daigle. Thanks Kerry, You’re the Champ!
“They weren’t supposed to win. After all, the New Orleans Saints were a 5 point underdog (or more…depending on who you spoke to). The media had latched on to what they claimed was the greatest quarterback of all time in Peyton Manning, a New Orleans native playing for the Indianapolis Colts. The problem was the media forgot that ‘Super Bowls’ are won by teams and not by one person. New Orleans had the better team.
“Oh, wait a minute, you might say, the better team was the Colts.” Or at least that’s what the media said. So, you bought the story. A lesson to learn is that teams win championships, not just one person.
“Build for your team a feeling of oneness, of dependence upon one another, and of strength to be derived from unity.” Vince Lombardi
Someone once said that winning is not as important as ‘playing the game’ and having fun. Sure, having fun is one thing but winning is everything. Especially in this case.
Vince Lombardi wrote, “Winning is not a sometime thing. It’s an all time thing. You don’t win once in a while. You don’t do things right once in a while. You do them right all the time. Winning is a habit. Unfortunately, so is losing.”
Lombardi continues, “There is no room for second place. Everytime a football player goes out to play to ply his trade he’s got to play form the ground up…from the soles of his feet right up to his head. That’s ok. You’ve got to be smart to be number one in any business.. But more importantly, you’ve got to play with your HEART …with every fibre of your body. If you are lucky enough to find a guy with alot of head and a lot of heart, he’s never going to come off the field second.”
I think Vince Lombardi was watching ‘Cool’ Brees (Drew is his first name) from above. After all, have you ever seen a “player” play with his heart more than Drew Brees? The difference in the game is the Colts used the playbook and they did play with their head. New Orleans coach Sean Peyton and his team played with their hearts. Enough said.
Ironically, Lombardi’s grandson is now the quarterback coach. Interesting, isn’t it?
Put it all together. It was destiny. Or maybe it was a plan. Ask Sean Peyton. He would know. After all, nothing was going to stop the New Orleans Saints.
“A great leader never sets himself above his followers except in carrying responsibilities.” JULES ORMONT
What I’ve learned over the years is the heart controls the mind and the muscles in the body. At this point is where you will find champions. The champions fight and play hard and with a positive mental mindset. They play like champions. They think like champions.
“Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan “press on” has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.” CALVIN COOLIDGE
I’ve also learned another lesson. I’ve also learned from the New Orleans Saints that the humblest of all men are the strongest. 75% of everything we heard from the media for the last two weeks was about the Colts and their ‘greatness’ while New Orleans sat back being humble but strong in their courage and believing in themselves.
The Saints played with their hearts and didn’t mind the ‘blood, sweat, and tears’ they experienced along the way to become the World Champion Football Team in Super Bowl XLIV. They enjoyed the discipline and hard work they engaged in to become winners. They were a team of ‘left-overs’…….players that other coaches forgot about.
No, I don’t believe they will be called “America’s Team”. The Dallas Cowboys own that title. This is the ‘DREAM TEAM’. A team of players and coaches who believed in their dream. A group of ‘WHO DAT’ fans that continued to believe in this football team for 43 years. Sure, some attended games with bags on their heads years ago but they still came to the games hoping one day they could remove those bags. Now, they can forever throw them away.
The DREAM TEAM has arrived.
The Colts had to not only play the Saints……they had to play the whole state of Louisiana. A state of 4.5 million WHO DAT fans full of emotion. The Colts knew that coming in. Especially, Peyton Manning. That was too much to overcome.
If you could take a ‘silent voting poll’ among NFL players I can almost guarantee you that 80% were pulling for New Orleans in their hearts. Call it ‘gris gris’……or ‘voodoo’….or just call it destiny. It was New Orleans’ time. It was meant to be. They were unbeatable and proved it by dismantling all the ‘great’ quarterbacks in the NFL this season, especially in the playoffs.
31 to 17. World Champs.
Who dat, who dat say dey gonna beat dem Saints? Who dat? Who dat?”
Thanks again Kerry for this amazing article.
Cheers one and all
Shelley Taylor-Smith
Kerry Daigle is a contributing writer for THE ACADIAN, a public speaker, an author and life coach specialising in mental fitness. Kerry is also a professional boxing agent and works in all 50 states in the United States and 22 countries. More of his articles with THE ACADIAN can be found on www.keeppunching.com Kerry lives in Lafayette, Louisiana with his wife, Mickey, and his daughter Angela.
“The smallest good deed is better than the grandest intention.” - Unknown
Yesterday I put my hand up to assist an acquaintance not knowing what I put my hand up for. A Facebook friend, Tommy McNeil posted an update: “Who wants to go for a walk through Gwelup in 30 minutes? There is a catch!” I did not know what the catch was but I said yes anyway.
As I assisted Tommy for the next 2hrs in a letter-box drop in 35degrees Celcius for his upcoming home-opening not once did I think: “Hmmm if I had known it was this kinda walk maybe I would not have said yes”.
What did I think about as I pounded the pavement? I dreamnt! I dreamnt of my ideal home with this opportunity to peruse the homes and the surrounding neighbourhood. It was a lot of fun!
When I got home there were many comments on facebook saying “Thanks Shelley for supporting Tommy”. Tommy said thank you many times over but it was not about receiving thanks. I said “Tommy how do you think I got to the top of my game…. all by myself ?…. Nope, I had heaps of support!”
And it got me thinking how many times do you put your hand up and say yes before you know what you have agreed to help with?
So today’s blog is courtesy of Dr Robert Anthony. I believe in Serendipidity as today I received this message below and felt it perfect to share. So thanks to Dr Anthony. Enjoy the read….
….A number of years ago it became popular to talk about and practice “random acts of kindness”. That is still an excellent focus of attention. It is especially true if you are someone who is caught up in your own world so much that you seldom see the opportunities that exist around you for lending just a little touch of kindness.
Your actions can be so simple; give the cashier eye-contact and genuinely say thank you, hold the door open for the elderly person with a cane, carry something for someone whose hands are full or thank the people you live with for doing their share of the mechanics of living.
Think back to a random act of kindness someone did for you and how good it felt. If you are someone who prides yourself on being self-sufficient, the next time someone offers you a random act of kindness, receive it. You will be giving both of you a gift.
Notice all the times you have opportunities to bestow a kind act on someone and listen to the reasons you don’t do it. Some of the most common excuses are being too busy, not wanting to interfere or be intrusive, or not knowing what to say or do. There are no right or wrong ways to be kind. Dare to push your limits a bit and take the first step.
Today practice a random act of kindness and tell no one about it.
“Character building begins in our infancy and continues until death.”
- Eleanor Roosevelt
Today will bring you a new awareness, a lesson or a manifestation that you are making progress - IF YOU LOOK FOR IT! No matter how large or small, please record it. It will only take a few moments and will AUTOMATICALLY put you in the Flow.
Enjoy life’s moments right now and your energy will flow.
Cheers Shelley Taylor-Smith