Golden Lessons: Lindsey Jacobellis

Challenge Your Thinking with Dr. Linda Tucker

Lindsey Jacobellis went to the 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino, Italy as the American snowboarding favorite. After a split second decision on her last jump she walked away as one of the "Unluckiest Olympian's" ever watched. At the age of 19 she became the target of too many naysayers and critics to count. It didn't seem to matter that she walked away having won the Silver Medal. Her critics wanted blood and there were more of them than most of us will ever have to face. At last count there were almost 30K articles written about her. It's been a long road for Lindsey since that day in 2006 and she has learned much about herself and her sport. Along the way she has become the current record holder for the most Gold medals won by any female at the Winter X Games and is once again heading towards the possibility of Olympic Gold. In our interview, Lindsey opens up about how she is facing those literal and figurative mountains again with a newfound mindset: that winning or losing she will not let either define her identity. She is here to remind us that when we learn to live through a loss, we often come out stronger and more prepared to handle a win. Set to compete in the 2018 Pyongyang Winter Olympics as "one of the athletes to watch" all eyes will once again be on Lindsey Jacobellis, however, this time she will be back with a secret weapon---a rooted self-assurance that no medal will ever be able to take away again.