Tag Archives: Champions

Plan B

Climb Mountains Not So The World Can See You, But So You Can See The World.

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In the 1984 Olympics, heavyweight boxer Henry Tillmanplanned out a very careful strategy. He decided he would fight defensively, simply warding off his opponent’s blows until he saw an opening for a strike of his own. Minutes into the fight, it became obvious to Tilliman that his opponent had planned the same strategy! After the bell sounded, ending the first round, Tillman stepped back, dropped his hands, and mentally shifted gears. He recognized that his initial game plan might not work, but he had come prepared with a second plan. He switched to a take the offensive mode of fighting, won the match, and ultimately won a gold medal.

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Figure skater Kristi Yamaguchi also had a “plan B”for her Olympic bid, Originally, she had planned to perform her most difficult jump – three revolutions in the air and a graceful single – skate landing know as the triple salchow. A slight stumble in the early portion of her routine led her to make a change. She cut the triple salchow to a double, regained her balance, caught up with her music, and then went on to perform another triple jump – the lutz.2

No matter how much we rehearse or plan, things don’t always go as we desireTrue champions are those who are prepared to adapt if necessary and switch to what works.