I didn't raise my daughter to become an Olympic champion, but she did. I raised her to handle failure.

People inquire really I raised an Olympic champion. They expect stories astir hiring backstage coaches, driving to competitions crossed the country, and arranging my life astir the athletics she loved.

But the goal, for my hubby and me, was to raise a happy, well-rounded, tin girl pinch the bully judgement to take a profession she loved. Raising an Olympic champion ne'er crossed our minds.

In school, she really loved swimming

In simple school, Gwen excelled connected her hometown swim team, and sometimes she stood connected the podium. Her life revolved astir evening aquatics practices, Saturday competitions, and clip pinch her aquatics friends.

While she nurtured her obsession pinch the water, I insisted she return violin lessons. As a music educator, I knew violin would thatch regular discipline, perseverance done challenges, and the restitution of contributing to an ensemble. One evening, arsenic I drove her to orchestra rehearsal, Gwen bargained pinch me: she would play violin that nighttime if I took her to the YMCA for an other swim session. I agreed, believing passion deserved arsenic overmuch nurturing arsenic subject did.

In her senior year, Gwen convinced the schoolhouse to merchandise her from first hr truthful she could do laps successful the pool. But I knew that earlier she could beryllium recruited to aquatics astatine a university, she had to beryllium admitted. So, I signed her up for assemblage entranceway exams and recovered the accusation connected assemblage essays.

She didn't get a aquatics scholarship

Despite her years of practice, Gwen grounded to secure a scholarship. She enrolled arsenic a walk-on and moved into a dorm room pinch 3 danasiwa swimmers. After 2 years of two-a-days, without ever scoring points for the team, her coach recommended she prosecute different interests.

Gwen's devotion to swimming ended successful what she viewed arsenic failure. It wasn't conscionable the quiet hours filling her day. It wasn't conscionable the nonaccomplishment of a team's social life. It wasn't conscionable the absence of a goal. Gwen had defined who she was by her occurrence successful the pool. She mislaid her consciousness of self.

We talked. My hubby and I assured her our love was unconditional. I told her that swimming didn't get to determine who she was and encouraged her to beryllium unfastened to caller possibilities. Open to change. To what the world mightiness person to offer.

Eventually, Gwen walked connected arsenic a runner pinch the way and section squad and competed for 2 years. She ran her last title pinch a accent fracture and dropped retired earlier the decorativeness line, ne'er clocking the times required to compete professionally.

She laughed astatine the thought of competing successful triathlon

These are the setbacks group don't cognize astir erstwhile they inquire really I raised an Olympic champion.

Gwen graduated pinch a master's degree, took a occupation pinch a Big Four accounting firm, and began building a accepted career.

Then, a fewer months later, while astatine her table filing firm taxation returns, Gwen Jorgensen, CPA, took a telephone from USA Triathlon. They had noticed her collegiate swimming and moving résumé, and they wanted an answer. Would she see a triathlon?

She told my hubby and maine she laughed astatine them. And past she said she was readying to enactment successful style anyway, and possibly she'd deliberation astir it. She didn't ain a bike, but they said they'd find 1 and group her up pinch a coach.

Gwen had learned that erstwhile 1 dream ended, different could begin. Swimming gave measurement to running. Running gave measurement to accounting. Accounting could springiness measurement to triathlon.

She accepted the offer. USA Triathlon recovered her a motorcycle and coach, and she started walking to triathlon competitions pinch her encrypted activity computer. But adding 3 regular workouts to an accountant's schedule seemed unsustainable. I said if she were superior astir the sport, she should return a leave, and I would help. She said perfectly not, recovered a fewer section sponsors, and reduced her activity hours.

Within 18 months, Gwen near her accounting occupation to prosecute triathlon full-time. Within 3 years, she vanished 38th successful the Olympics. Within 7 years, she won Olympic gold.

I didn't create an Olympic champion. I only offered my girl the devices to beryllium the personification she decided to be.