As the Mila Cortina Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy draw to a close, both athletes and fans reflect on the determination, hard work and dedication displayed by Team USA. Along with earning 33 medals, coming in second place in global rankings overall, American athletes showcased true spirit and grit that will leave a lasting impression on viewers everywhere.
P.E. Teacher and Women’s Varsity Soccer Coach, Kasey Addiego continually reminds his athletes when the anxiety of letting their team and themselves down gets to their heads that not even professional athletes are perfect.
“If you look at professional athletes, even if you look at the best ones in the world, none of them are perfect. They all make mistakes,” he said.
Addiego makes a point to teach his athletes and students life lessons like responsibility, respect and teamwork that will stay with them after they graduate high school.
“If the sports program is working correctly, you’re learning lifestyles everyday,” he asserts.
Addiego reassures his players when he subs them out during a game that they should not give up.
“You get more opportunities, guys, so it doesn’t mean this is the end of the road, and just keep continuing to strive and push forward. Mistakes are gonna happen, it’s how do we learn, how do we imagine, how do we grow, move on?” Addiego said.
This was evident when two-time world champion Ilia Malinin (“the Quad G-d”), who was favored to win the gold medal in men’s figure skating, fell during his performance. Despite his 8th place finish, Malinin responded with grace and maturity, congratulating the winner, Shaidorov and coming to terms with his mistakes.
He described the ways he tries to get his players out of the mentality that their not as good as their competitors because of the school they come from, sharing “Just because you’re a little team, or just because you’re perceived as not as good, that doesn’t mean you have zero chance of winning, right?” This was showcased when the USA men’s hockey team defeated Canada and took home the gold medal after 46 years of not quite making the mark despite being deemed “underdogs.”
Alpine skier Mikaela Shiffrin bounced back after not medalling in two of her events to win the gold in the women’s slalom. This embodied a bit of advice Addiego tells his team to prepare them emotionally for games.
“When something bad happens, a goal gets scored against us or that type of thing, you can’t just drop your head. You have to keep your chin up and you have to keep pushing,” he said.
Several other USA athletes displayed resilience, showing up to the games despite devastating injuries or mental challenges.
41-year old skier Lindsey Vonn in particular came out of retirement to return to something she loved and finish her professional run strong. Despite acquiring an ACL tear weeks before the Olympics, Vonn still chose to compete. After hitting a gate early on in her race, Vonn broke her ACL-torn leg and was taken to the hospital. While recovering from the pain, Vonn asserted that she doesn’t regret taking the chance.
“It’s flipping the lens at which they look through it, so it’s not just focusing on the negative, but realizing that, hey, maybe it didn’t work, but you tried something different,” Addiego said in line with this idea.
In accordance with this, Vonn was able to see the positive of her crash and bring a sense of closure to her athletic career. This shows fans that they should not be disappointed in their failures but rather be proud of themselves for taking risks and trying.
Additionally, two-time Olympic gold medalist snowboarder Chloe Kim dislocated her shoulder in January and showed up to the games sporting a brace. Still, Kim managed to secure silver, coming up second to her protege, 17-year old Gaon Choi from South Korea. Even though Kim didn’t make history for being the first snowboarder to win gold in an event in three consecutive Olympics, she was content with her efforts and enjoyed seeing her mentee get a chance in the spotlight.
Cross-country skier Jessie Diggins fell in her first race and bruised her ribs but was able to fight through the pain to finish third in the 10 kilometer freestyle.
41-year old bobsledder Elana Meyers Taylor also had to face trials and tribulations before winning the women’s monobob event and gaining her first gold medal. A couple months before the Olympics, Taylor considered retiring after feeling physically exhausted and like she wasn’t at her best but a pep talk from her husband gave her the boost she needed.
Similarly, Alysa Liu took home the gold in women’s figure skating after an incredible skate where she was seen enjoying herself and showing off her skills. Liu was able to flip her mindset, taking advantage of the opportunity and having fun rather than getting hung up on the possibility of failure. Liu first got into competitive skating at a young age with her father, Arthur Liu spearheading her career. She retired at the age of 16 following the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics when her training became a burden that kept her from truly enjoying life rather than an outlet for self-expression. Upon rediscovering her passion for figure skating, Liu decided to come back on one condition: she would be in full control.
“So it’s all about the perspective you have to get into it, and what you let impact your thought process,” Addiego concluded.
