A Lesson in Resilience: How Lance Armstrong Wins Even When He Loses
Whatever you think of the cyclist Lance Armstrong, you cannot deny that he is one of the most remarkable athletes of his generation. Following a successful early career as a triathlete he went on to win the Tour de France a record seven straight times between 1999 and 2005. This is an incredible achievement in itself but when you consider that he achieved this having recovered from advanced testicular cancer it is extraordinary.
Having supposedly retired from racing he returned and raced the Tour in 2009 and achieved a podium spot by coming third in the overall classification. “For an old fart coming in here and getting on the podium with these young guys, was not so bad,” he joked. He also stated that he would be better prepared for the 2010 tour which clearly indicated his goal of winning an eighth tour.
However, Lance Armstrong’s performance in the 2010 Tour de France did not go to plan. It was a challenging race for many riders with a significant number of crashes and casualties. After the 8th stage, Armstrong reportedly stated that his tour was finished but that he intended to complete the race and support his team. I think this demonstrates another remarkable facet of Lance’s personality…
Preparing for the Tour and preparing for an eighth win takes huge physical and psychological investment. Lance built a team (Radioshack) with the goal of enabling him to win the 2010 Tour. The ability to reappraise and quickly accept that this goal would not be achieved – and refocus his energy and attention on his new role as a supporting rider – shows true resilience and mental toughness.
I think we can all learn a lot from Lance’s situation.
How quickly can you refocus your attention and energy when ‘plan A’ has to be abandoned? How much of a team player are you? Are you able to focus on the needs of the team as well as your own? Do you value, equally, members of your team who may not be leaders but play a key supporting role? Are you able to play different roles if you cannot play your preferred role?
Lance Armstrong is a remarkable athlete and true role model for mental toughness and resilience both when he is winning and when he is losing.
Sport Psychology applies psychological theory and research to enhance sport performance and enjoyment. Through our very own BASES Sport Psychologist, Watt Works utilise many aspects of Sport Psychology extensively in our consulting, coaching and training services for organisations across the private and public sector. We also provide dedicated Sport Psychology Services to the world of sport (as well as business) to develop athletes of any age or level.
Tags: application of sport psychology to business, Lance Armstrong, Mental Toughness, resilience, sport psychology, Tour de France
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