I’ve learned much from the athletes I’ve had the privilege of discipling, mentoring, and coaching. This list includes several professional athletes and five Olympic athletes. We can learn much from their character and apply it to our spiritual, professional, and personal lives.
I believe the Apostle Paul was chosen to preach to the Gentiles because of his familiarity with the Greek and Roman cultures – the same cultures that brought us the Olympic Games. He knew sports were a big part of their lives and used the principles of athletic competition to equip Christ’s followers living in Greek and Roman cultures to be spiritual athletes.
He appealed to the culture of the Gentiles with a familiar language that motivated them, as seen in his words in 1 Corinthians 9:24-27:
“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore, I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.”
Over the years, I’ve observed clear patterns in the traits that separate the talented from the extraordinary. The good news is that these traits are not limited to athletes. They are the same in any space where excellence is essential.
Inspired by the current summer Olympics in Paris, I’ll focus on traits shared by every one of the five Olympic athletes I’ve had the pleasure of working with. All of them are faithful Christians who have competed with the best in the world. Mental resilience
Top performers learn to turn nervous energy into calm focus in the gym or on the world stage. Every Olympic athlete I’ve worked with has this trait. They are recognized not just for their potential but for their ability to deliver when it matters most. Massive shifts in life are often determined by a few minutes where our abilities shine, creating a quantum change in life. A giant slalom skier told me she’s always terrified on top of the mountain, and the trick is to switch that off in one instant.
Discipline
Building up to the defining moments of life involves the mundane, daily grind of incremental improvements that are utterly unglamorous. Learning to make 1% daily improvements guarantees outsized success, as most people are dabblers. Elite athletes adhere to strict training schedules, follow healthy diets, and maintain disciplined lifestyles to ensure peak physical and mental condition. Delayed gratification was the essence of a short track practice I observed many times, where skaters go in tight circles at insane speeds, and one move may cost you everything.
Passion and drive
Before you devote much of your life to mastering something worthy, you need the fuel to keep going when success is nowhere on the horizon. Like great professionals, athletes may have stumbled upon their discipline by chance or coincidence, but what drives them is a fire that cannot be extinguished. This intrinsic motivation drives them to push beyond their limits and stay committed, even when the going gets tough. Another friend described the twice-a-day wrestling practices since he was a boy as a mission that allowed him to endure many disappointments and injuries.
Coachability
Athletes know better than anyone that a coach is their ticket to success. They are humble, attentive, and genuinely obedient, a rare quality among high performers. They actively seek advice from their coaches and peers and are willing to make necessary adjustments to improve their performance. I’ve been stunned by how a mountain of a man who could kill me with his bare hands could listen to every word I say and do everything I’ve asked of him with no pushback or grumbling.
Attention to detail
They know that one signature move or technique could be the difference between no medal and a gold medal. Their attention to every detail of their field is nothing short of inspiring. Elite athletes are meticulous in their approach to every aspect of their performance, from nutrition and sleep to technique and strategy.
When we watch the Olympics, it’s easy to think these athletes belong to a superhuman race. But having worked with some of them, I know their amazing performances depend not only on talent but also on qualities anyone can cultivate.
Are you ready to live like the spiritual athlete Paul was speaking of? To find out, you can take our free assessment, which provides a detailed score across 11 dimensions of life. It only takes five minutes to answer 40 questions. Click here to get started!
Watch the video below for more stories like this.Christian Ray Flores is an evangelist, entrepreneur, and founder of Xponential Life, a high-performance coaching program for purpose-driven professionals.
