Apolo Ohno, 8x Olympic Gold Medalist
Today, my guest is Apolo Ohno, who stands as a towering figure of achievement, transitioning seamlessly from his illustrious career as a record-setting Olympic speed skater to a thriving entrepreneur and motivational speaker.
With eight Olympic medals to his name, including two golds, Apolo remains the most decorated American Winter Olympian. His dominance on the ice not only captivated global audiences but also laid the foundation for his journey beyond sports.
In his post-athletic career, Ohno has flourished as a New York Times bestselling author, delving into topics of resilience and peak performance. He has also carved a successful path in business consulting, empowering organizations with strategies honed from his Olympic mindset.
Apolo’s entrepreneurial ventures span various industries, where he applies the same dedication and focus that propelled him to sporting greatness. As a motivational speaker, he continues to inspire audiences worldwide with his personal story of overcoming adversity and achieving excellence, demonstrating how dedication and resilience are keys to success in any endeavor.
In this candid conversation, Apolo shared the real stories behind his rise as an 8x Olympic medalist and his challenging transition into life after speed skating.
1. The Power of Failure. Apolo revealed that despite naturally becoming the number one ranked skater in the U.S. at age 14, he didn’t take his training seriously and finished dead last in his first Olympic trials. The intense shame and pain of that failure ignited a maniacal training regime and a “do or die” obsessiveness that propelled the rest of his career.
2. Discovering the Flow State. Reflecting on his childhood, Apolo noted that despite being highly rambunctious and having an incredibly short attention span, he experienced a unique metamorphosis on the ice. The world around him would completely melt away, allowing him to enter a beautiful, automatic “flow state” where his intense focus drowned out all outside distractions.
3. The Great Divorce of Retirement. Having approached his sport without a backup plan, Apolo faced a severe identity crisis after his 2010 retirement, an experience he compared to a “great divorce”. To navigate this transition, he had to completely unlearn the robotic, invincible armor of his athletic days and embrace empathy and vulnerability—traits that were traditionally viewed as non-starters and weaknesses in competitive sports.
4. A Passion for Conscious Capitalism. Today, Apolo dedicates his time to investing in health and wellness technologies, advising businesses, and speaking about high-performance mindsets. Driven by a desire to help others trust their inner intuition, he is currently writing a new book on stoicism and focuses his energy on curating deep, soulful conversations that make a positive impact.
