I was moved to tears by Joannie Rouchette’s performance at the Olympics last night. Still grieving the loss of her mother, she somehow managed to skate beautifully. There were no excuses. No interviews beforehand about how she might not due well under the circumstances. Joannie just went out there and skated her heart out. Not only was I impressed by her emotional strength, I was impressed with her media trainer, who clearly did a great job.
I wonder if Lindsey Vonn and Yevgeny Plushenko were watching because both athletes, at the very least, could use a media training refresher.
Lindsey Vonn
Lindsey Vonn has spoken early and often about her shin injury and how it is impacting her skiing. Her husband has complained about the tough course conditions. He has also blamed an Austrian coach for purposefully making the super combined course too tough for Lindsey to ski with her injury. (Nope, Lindsey did not medal in the super combined event.)
Yevgeny Plushenko
Similarly, Yevgeny Plushenko claims he was robbed of a gold medal in the men’s ice skating competition. He has even presented himself with a platinum medal on his website.
Sponsors
News Flash Lindsey and Yevgeny: No one likes a sore loser, least of all, sponsors. (Both athletes would benefit from some media training.)
If I were a sponsor with money to spend, I’d look no further than Joannie Rouchette. She is the essence of true courage and grace under pressure. Joannie skated for her mother and her love of the sport. And that is worth more than all of the gold in the world.
No matter how Joannie finishes in the standings– in my book– she is platinum.
Coaching
If you would like more information about our media training or on-camera coaching services for athletes, please contact us. We would be delighted to customize a program that fits your exact needs.
Chicago-Based, National and Online Options
While we are based in Chicago, we often travel to both coasts to work with athletes. We also offer online coaching for those who prefer to work with us remotely.
photo credit: <a href=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/thelastminute/4375244242/”>Duncan Rawlinson. Duncan.co</a> via <a href=”http://photopin.com”>photopin</a> <a href=”http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/”>cc</a>
