For sixteen days every four years, the Olympics take center stage. This year, it was Milan and Cortina that displayed a spectacle of sport, grit, determination, elegance, strength, veracity, sportsmanship, and the power of the human spirit.
Within the span of two short weeks, the world watched as ordinary people performed extraordinary feats - and the next two weeks of the Paralympics will be equally as incredible. We witness greatness of the human heart mixed with courage that defies odds.
Yet our glimpse is a snapchat fraction of their story. A bobsled run takes seconds, yet they’ve practiced for a lifetime. They’ve been in the gym, at the track, on the ice and the slopes for years, sometimes decades. They’ve fallen, navigated injury, dealt with tragedies, won medals, broken records, and stolen our hearts.
They’ve done all of this beyond the cameras, in early mornings, late nights, and amidst bruises, and sacrifices beyond imagination. Yet they show up, work through tears to make it to the starting gates, to bring their A-game to the ice, and soar above the snow.
And they don’t do it alone. It takes a village, hope, and hardcore belief in what’s possible.
Their story is far longer than the milliseconds worth of coverage the media gives them. Their story is far greater than medals and podiums. Their story is their journey…one that continues far beyond the closing ceremonies.
The messiness of life, the stumbles merge with triumphs, heart and grit collide to build dreams on stage and off and that the comeback often far outweighs performance. It’s all on the line and we leave it all out there. Lindsey Vonn reminds us, “I tried. I dreamt. I jumped.” No regrets. Alyssa Liu told us it doesn’t matter if she falls, as long as she’s out there, that there’s no way to lose.
Watching athletes at the Olympics always leaves me speechless or in tears, sometimes both. Every four years, these humans take us along on a tiny part of their lifelong adventure. They share bits of their story, pieces of their heart, infectious attitudes, and fierce determination to show up and do their thing.
Making it to that moment, that walk through the opening ceremony is a phenomenal feat only few achieve, and while still fewer come home with sparkly hardware, all retain their internal sparkle throughout the games.
This time around, like the previous summer Olympics, there was a huge focus on mental health, out in the open, front and center, for all to see, and no one was forced to be quiet about it. Amidst the milestones and microphones were mic drops of various proportions.
Most of these fierce humans made sure the world knew that while many focus on the medals, there’s far more to the journey and the story than taking the podium. Like the words uttered by the likes of Mikaela Shiffrin, Breezy Johnson, and Alyssa Liu, making it to accept the possibility of the moment was an effort in itself.
In our daily lives, making it to that spot might be the start but it might also be a pinnacle of the day. Two months into the start of this new year, snowpocalypse in some places, on the trudge till spring and summer beginning to turn to fall in others, there’s a bit of a shift, a waiting, a frizzle of energy that takes a bit longer to charge to get to that next season.
Sometimes it’s a lot to get out of bed, sometimes your feet slam the floor and you’re on your way. Sometimes it’s an ‘I don’t want to go to school’ kind of day and others you’re excited for next before your head hits the pillow. And sometimes you’re dreaming of that afternoon nap before making it through that office door and others you’d stay at school or work late because that second wind has kicked in and you’re raring to go.
Our story might be captured in a snapshot of a grade, an award, a promotion, or a medal, but it’s only one tiny fraction of that entire picture. We are made of decisions, choices, the ones in the messy growth moments the rest of the world doesn’t see.
Who do you want to be? What path are you on? Where do you want your journey to head?
In Olympics terms, as one flame extinguishes, another lights. There’s a handover from one winter space to the next, from present winter games to the next summer ones, and from Olympics to Paralympics. Nearly instantaneously, one goes out, another brightens.
Our own personal quests are similar. While the time between flames might be longer, there’s always another spark around the bend. Simone Biles needed some time to heal; she came back with more power than before. Alyssa Liu stepped away when skating wasn’t fun anymore; she returned with infectious joy felt throughout the arena. Mikaela Shiffrin wasn’t sure she could handle the possibility of winning - the most decorated alpine skier ever slammed post-it mantras on her mirror to remind her that doubt can mingle with courage and it would be fun to try. Her fun to try turned golden.
Wherever you are in your story, remember everyone was once a beginner.
Chloe Kim had a day one on a snowboard. Hillary Knight skated on a heck of a lot of ice before winning her first gold. And Eileen Gu took the most non-linear path possible shutting down haters and doubters with every action to stay true to herself and her craft.
It’s not where you start that matters. You just have to start.
And it’s not even about where you finish. It’s the climb. The messy middle between that first step and your personal feeling of success. A medal doesn’t make the story; the person who took the journey does.
So if the winter doldrums are knocking you off your game, if doubt is louder than your own voice, or if you’re feeling unsure of where to go from here, take the next step, do the next right thing, show up for yourself, put a mantra post-it on your bathroom mirror and remind yourself that you matter. You’ve got this.
Whatever that dream journey is, take the step. No matter where you are, take the step. Your story is more than a glimpse - it’s a lifetime. It’s your turn to jump!
Tips and tricks to stay grounded in your journey
“Don’t let the noise of the world keep you from hearing your inner voice.” - Steve Jobs
Your timeline is yours
“The expert at anything was once a beginner.” - Helen Hayes
I bet you were in kindergarten with a fellow five-year old who told you she knew exactly what she wanted, and perhaps, when she grew up, she did just that. Or perhaps, that same kid found a zillion other things she loved, tried, juggled, did for a while, or turned into passion and purpose driven decisions that shifted her journey from one direction to the next. And, really, most of those young minds didn’t have a clue at what or who they wanted to be just yet; the amount of curiosity and wonder they’re about to embark on would wow them beyond measure. No matter what society, your family, your community, or the media says, there’s no timeline for your becoming.
From pre-school to graduation, there’s an educational path. Traditional or otherwise, there’s something. Yours might look different than your neighbors. Yours might not fit the cookie cutter playbook. Yours is equally as powerful and important as the next.
With life’s wanders and wiggles, challenges and privileges, obstacles, setbacks, triumphs, and connections, your timeline is yours to create, your story to tell, your voyage of discovery. You can start early; you can start late. The most important thing is you quite literally start. Throw off the restrictive harness-laden belief of this must happen at this time or this comes before that.
Do you, live your life, you’ll find your way.
And when you hit your self-described milestones, celebrate them. Shout from your own tiny rooftop how empowered and proud you are of your timeline, your version of success, and the steps you navigated to get where you are. You earned it!
Where you start does not dictate where you finish
“You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated. In fact, it may be necessary to encounter the defeats, so you can know who you are, what you can rise from, how you can still come out of it.” - Maya Angelou
One of my favorite parts of the Olympics is the stories. Here, you learn the obstacles and setbacks, the community that binds the athlete, and the hurdles and avenues they’ve navigated to make it to the games. With love, courage, and bounce back, they’re in the arena - that’s the part that matters. You can start small, you can start again, you can shift focus, you can reframe, you can readjust, you can show up late, you can modify…however many times you need.
You discover or perhaps rekindle your why. With renewed grit, spirit, and unstoppable energy, you know the story unfolds in front of you - sometimes with multiple plot twists along the way. While you can employ and empower a beginner’s mindset, you’re only a beginner for a minute, until you uplevel your craft, plant your feet, and know you belong right where you are.
Your story has chapters, versions, revisions, and new editions.
Trust in the timing and the trek.
No matter where you wind up or what the last page looks like, your journey is what matters most. The life and the meaning created along the way - that’s the magic, and it sparkles far greater than any type of medal.
Growth isn’t linear
“In any given moment we have two options: to step forward into growth or step back into safety.” - Abraham Maslow
Some of the most intriguing humans on the planet have unequivocally non-linear paths. They’re on their third career, they’ve dabbled in all sorts of industries or focus, they’ve negotiated challenges, celebrated triumphs, and learned something with every step. They pay bills with one skill and grow their passions with another. They heal humans with a doctoring day job and hit the trails when the rest of the world sleeps. They start out on a surfboard and wind up killing it on a snow-packed half-pipe. Regardless of profession, career, or direction, our strengths and dreams can coexist.
Consider any of the personality, psychology, or strengths assessments - acknowledging individual traits, strengths, and passions helps uncover bits of the story of how you wish to human in the world. Perhaps connections with organizations, jobs, and community members streamline our journey. Perhaps it’s a risk, a leap, or an I want to try this thing kind of moment that drives our direction.
Consider the Olympians who start out in one sport and go on to compete in multiples or shift sports or seasons altogether. Each stop along the adventure teaches us, builds our reservoirs, uncovers strengths, and widens our circle. It’s not always easy, it’s rarely pretty, it’s filled with bumps and heavy emotions, but, being out there, doing your thing, sharing your story, that’s where the growth happens.
The game is better with you in it. Get in!
Setbacks are where you learn
“When you reach that elite level, 90 percent is mental and 10 percent is physical. You are competing against yourself. Not against the other athlete.” - Dick Fosbury
Sam Kerr, the Australian soccer phenom who wows at every Matilda's game and takes aim as a striker with the Women’s Super League Club Chelsea, recently sat on the bench for months on end. With a knockout ACL injury, she had to wait, what I imagine, felt like forever before making it back to the pitch. The pivot saw her continue to lift her team up at every stage—on the sidelines, in the locker room, and on tour. The work to overcome the injury, the mindset work that needed navigating, and the loud voices from the peanut gallery who show up at every stage of the game - it takes elite level skill to manage it all. Whether your setback occurs on the world stage or in the quiet of your community, it’s a challenging space where struggle becomes learning, yet none of it is easy.
You channel that inner grit and resilience and find joy in your sport again. While inspiring us in Oh the Places You’ll Go, even Dr. Seuss reminds us that “Bang-ups and hang-ups can happen to you.” Let’s be real, those bumps hurt…and it’s really hard to consider that they might be a learning point in the journey, especially when you’re in the thick of it. But, if Dr. Seuss can channel his inner self and continue on the journey, so can you. He even reminds us, “kid, you’ll move mountains.”
So, when the jump doesn’t land on the ice the way it did 400 times in practice, the world spins when you hit that vault skill, or when you fall on the speed track where you’ve before raced strong, it’s not the end of your story, it’s not the takeaway, the message, or the caption. It’s a learning. You’re more than the medals. You’re more than the stumbles.
Your story continues - the next chapter is up to you.
“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; because there is not effort without error and shortcomings; but who does actually strive to do the deed; who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotion, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement and who at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly. So that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.” - Theodore Roosevelt
Please click the photo below for a collection of my Through the Eyes of an Educator columns:
Stacey Ebert, our Educational Travels Editor, is a traveler at heart who met her Australian-born husband while on a trip in New Zealand. Stacey was an extracurricular advisor and taught history in a Long Island public high school for over fifteen years, enjoying both the formal and informal educational practices. After a one year 'round the world honeymoon, travel and its many gifts changed her perspective. She has since left the educational world to focus on writing and travel. She is energetic and enthusiastic about long term travel, finding what makes you happy and making the leap. In her spare time she is an event planner, yogi, dark chocolate lover, and spends as much time as possible with her toes in the sand.
Check out her website at thegiftoftravel.wordpress.com for more of her travel musings.
Olympics photo credits, via DepositPhotos:
Livigno, Italy - February 15, 2026: Snowboard cross medal ceremony at Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics with gold medalist Josie Baff of Australia, silver Eva Adamczykova of Czech Republic and bronze Michela Moioli of Italy. Photo by Andrei Antipov, adapted by Wandering Educators
Livigno, Italy - February 15, 2026: Large international crowd of spectators with national flags in front of Milano Cortina 2026 venue during Winter Olympic Games in the Italian Alps. Photo by Andrei Antipov
Alysa Liu (24) of the United States perfoms during the Figure Skating Women: Single Skating: Short Program at the Milano MSK Competition Rink in MILAN, Italy during the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics. Photo by actionsports
San Siro Olympic Stadium plays host to the Opening Ceremonies for the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Milano, Italy. Photo by actionsports
Team USA celebrates after winning the gold medal against Team Canada, 2:1 in overtime in the Womans Gold Medal Game at the Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena in MILAN, Italy during the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics. Photo by actionsports
Livigno, Italy - February 20, 2026: Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic men's halfpipe with Team USA athletes and coaches under floodlights. Photo by Andrei Antipov