“The big part of our training was about being able to beat every team in the world so we had to learn what we needed to do to beat every team in the world it was very strategic. The other part was then having the belief that we could do it.” Kerri Pottharst.
Kerri Pottharst Olympic Gold medallist, has a clever knack of breaking down her dazzling Olympic gold medal success into something we can cut and paste into our own lives.
She says we can all achieve what we want but first we need to really ‘believe’ we can do it.
Pottharst is well qualified to spruik this message.
She is Australia’s most decorated indoor and beach volleyball player having represented her country for 22 years. She won bronze at Atlanta and went on to deliver one of the Sydney Olympics most incredible moments; winning gold with partner Natalie Cook in women’s beach volleyball.
The pair went into the match against the Brazilians as the absolute “underdogs” in everyone’s mind except their own.
After retiring at 41, the motivational speaker, corporate coach, author and mum is utterly convinced self-belief set them apart.
Kerri Pottharst: The biggest reason I know that ‘belief’ was the key to it all in the end was the night before the final Natalie and I could barely sleep, we were both lying on our beds awake. I said to her weeks later, “Did you sleep much?” she said, “No, I could hardly sleep at all.” I asked her, “What were you thinking about the most?” She replied, “I was practising my victory speech.” And so was I.
Martine Harte: Oh that’s amazing, you were both rehearsing your victory speeches in your own minds?
Kerri Pottharst: I know it’s freaky really!
It didn’t matter that the other 10,000 people in the stadium were most likely thinking, “that’s great that they’re in the finals, at least they can get a silver” – that’s probably what they thought because Brazil was the best team of the 90’s by far – but we really believed this was going to be our day. We were behind in both sets but we just kept on fighting.
At the end of the set, they (Brazil) were starting to doubt themselves and wonder “when is this team going to lay down like everyone else does when it gets tight?”
But as soon as they started to let their guard down, we won the match.
I remember that match and everyone assumed you and Natalie Cook couldn’t pull it off. How much do you think your gold medal was to do with your mindset?
Kerri Pottharst: Probably 95% to do with mindset and to do with our belief in ourselves.
That belief wasn’t built over night it was built over a number of years. It started when they announced Sydney would hold the games, we were like “right this is our time to shine.”
Then winning a bronze medal in Atlanta.
The following year Natalie and I still wanted to get there but our results weren’t that good, so we split up and spent a bit of time with other partners but then we came back together after realising we should be playing together.
The big part of our training was about being able to beat every team in the world so we had to learn what we needed to do to beat every team in the world it was very strategic. The other part was then having the belief that we could do it.
We were number three in the world in ranking points going into the Olympics but we’d only beaten the Brazilian team once in 17 matches over the previous 3 years, so on paper it was definitely not winnable by us.
But all the preparation we did was towards pushing ourselves out of our comfort zone and understanding that the beliefs we hold are just thoughts; just thoughts we have created in our own mind.
That’s why we did the fire walking, walking on hot coals, walking on broken glass – which I do now with all my corporates – if you have the courage to do it and you have a go then once you’re on there you just keep going. And that’s what it was like for us.. when you get to the end you look back and think, “Why did I think I couldn’t do that?” “What else do I think I can’t do that I actually can do?”
You believe we each design our own luck – I love that idea – how so?
Kerri Pottharst: Well I think it’s all to do with attitude; how we perceive our wins and losses. You can lose and you can have a bad attitude – like I had when I was young – and get all pissed off and upset and not keep trying, or you can go, “Ok, how can I make it better?” You can just accept that’s your fate or have the attitude, “Ok, what do I need to do to win?” As soon as we got off the court I’d say, “Ok how can we make this better? How can we fix it next time?
There’s always a little bit of luck involved but you have to work hard. That’s what I write in my book: Passion, preparation and belief.
You’ve got to love what you do, if you do you’ll find a way to make it happen because you love it so much and then do all the hard work, preparation – everything you need to do, tick off all the boxes and then at the end of the day that’s how you develop a belief system.
What lesson did you have to learn the hard way, can you think of one?
Kerri Pottharst: For me it would be being grateful for what I have, in terms of what my body is able to do.The reason I changed from indoor volleyball to beach is because I wrecked my knee. I’ve had 6 surgeries, I can’t even play volleyball anymore but I see people running on the beach and I think, “Gee I wish I could do that.” So I guess being grateful for what you have before it gets taken away from you especially as you get older.
Watch Kerri walking on broken glass here.
You can read more on her official site here
Twitter @kerripottharst
Super star on sand