S1E30 - For the Love of Sport with Speedskating Legend Bonnie Blair

Pursuit of Gold with Laura Wilkinson

Everyone is in for an extra special treat as speedskating legend, Bonnie Blair, joins Laura for this week’s episode. The first American woman to win five Olympic gold medals at the Olympic Winter Games, Bonnie dominated the sprint events of long track speedskating across three Games. At the time of her induction into the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame, she was the most decorated female U.S. Winter Olympian of all time, and was also one of the most decorated female U.S. Olympians in individual events. Today, she shares the stories of her life, career, and achievements in the most open, honest and down to earth way, clearly demonstrating that she is as much a champion off the ice as she is on it. In sharing the story of her life and career from her earliest memories, Bonnie touches upon her many Olympic experiences, as well as her schooling, training, and her stint in track cycle racing. She also details the impact her dad had upon her and her career, the ways in which she handles pressure, her post Olympic competitions, and what life has been like for her and her family during COVID. She finishes up by discussing the dynamic she shares with Laura of being an Olympian parent whose children are pursuing sports, and offering valuable advice for all to take to heart. Entertaining, warm, and thoroughly engaging, Bonnie Blair is a superstar professionally and personally, a shining example of one who has discovered the winning formula in both sport and life.

Episode Highlights:

• Bonnie’s journey through skating from the very beginning
• Her ‘school through the mail’ experience
• Bonnie’s first Olympic experience
• Increasing her training diligence and consistency
• Bonnie’s second Olympics and how they differed from her first
• Her track cycle racing experience
• Bonnie’s third Olympics and the years leading to them
• Her dad and the impact he had upon her career
• How Bonnie handles pressure
• Her fourth Olympic Games, her preparation for them, and Dan Jansen’s win
• Bonnie’s post-Olympics competitions
• Life for Bonnie and her family during COVID
• The dynamic of an Olympian parent with their kids who are pursuing sports

• Quotes:

• “I was racing at the age of 4.”

• “She just won the race and she’s thanking me!”
• “It really kind of became a lot about personal best for me, and challenging that clock.”
• “It’s funny to see these people we look up to, like fanboying or fangirling other people, too – it’s awesome.”
• “We didn’t have somebody with US Speedskating who was a media person who handled any of this.”
• “I know what I need to do.”
• “Doing that thing for the very first time is a very powerful moment.”
• “When they actually announced that the other girl won, I was so relieved.”
• “I like that you’ve won so many that you don’t know!”
• “Everybody gets there a different way, and everybody has their own path, and what works for one person doesn’t necessarily work for another.”
• “Hone in on your strengths.”
• “All these different coaches really gave me something at a time when I needed it.”
• “The only person I can control is me.”
• “He’s my younger brother that I never had.”
• “To this day, hearing the national anthem has a whole different meaning to me.”
• “It ended on a perfect note.”
• “I did it because I loved it, the challenge of the clock, wanting to be the best that I could be, chasing those personal bests, and to me, you know, that’s kind of what it was all about.”
• “It’s fun being a mom of kids that love their sports and are following their own journey.”
• “What I did was stupid crazy…to try to think that you have to live up to something like that…that’s not right.”
• “It’s really all about the love of doing something, and then giving it everything you’ve got.”

Links: The Pursuit of Gold homepage: http://thepursuitofgold.com/ Mental Training: https://www.laurawilkinson.com/learn Laura’s Social Media: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lala_the_diver Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheLauraWilkinson Connect with Bonnie: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bonnieblairc/?hl=en Twitter: https://twitter.com/bonnieblair?lang=en