#29 - Apolo Anton Ohno: 8-time Olympic medalist – extreme training, discipline, pursuing perfection, and responding to adversity

In this episode, 8-time Olympic medalist, Apolo Ohno, discusses the lessons he’s learned from his remarkable career in speed skating and the extreme physical and mental training — and determination — required to reach greatness.

We discuss:

• Apolo’s childhood with his single dad, early success in sports, and falling in love with skating [7:30];
• The differences between inline and ice skating, and short- & long-track speed-skating, and the evolution of the clap skate [21:00];
• The mental game and the physical game: intense training and mindset [29:30];
• Apolo’s early success in short-track that led to an amazing opportunity and his reluctance to go for it [40:15];
• Early days at Lake Placid, first experience on the world stage, and a little self-sabotage [56:45];
• Tough love parenting, making a commitment, training like Rocky, and developing the mindset of a fighter [1:17:30];
• 2002Olympics, winning his first medal, and rising above the sport [1:32:45];
• Apolo’s evolving training and body composition throughout his Olympic career [2:05:15];
• Going into the Lion’s Den to learn from Korean skaters and making a radical and risky change that led to his most successful Olympic games [2:12:45];
• Apolo’s tumultuous relationship with South Korea, from hatred to respect to admiration [2:29:00];
• Applying lessons learned through training, adjusting to life after skating, and the struggles many athletes face transitioning to retirement [2:46:30];
• The final years of Apolo’s career: intense focus, crazy training, mental fortitude, and resiliency [2:57:30];
• Officially retiring and contemplating a comeback [3:16:15];
• Where does Apolo want to be in 10 years? [3:22:45];
• The pursuit of perfection and flow states [3:29:30];
• Where you can follow Apolo [3:35:00];and
• More.

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