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Connor Fields knows a thing or two about resilience. The Olympic gold medalist has experienced both the highest of highs and the lowest of lows in his BMX racing career, including an accident that nearly took his life.
On Tuesday, Fields took the stage during his Inman On Tour Nashville session “Unstoppable: Building Resilience in the Face of Adversity,” where he delivered a message about persevering and overcoming adversity.
As “the only Olympic athlete in the history of the Olympic Games who has both won an Olympic gold medal and nearly died while competing at the Olympics,” Fields shared his journey of triumph, failure and his drive to keep pushing forward.
“You’ll leave with four answers and four strategies that you can put to work immediately to increase resilience, adaptability and continue working towards your goals the next time you are faced with the question, ‘Now what?'” Fields told the audience.
Fields’ BMX journey began when he was just seven years old after his mother spotted a flyer for a local BMX racing track. He instantly fell in love with the sport.
By 15, Fields had set an ambitious goal: to win Olympic gold. BMX had made its Olympic debut in 2008, yet the U.S. — the country that invented the sport — failed to secure the top spot.
Determined to change that, Fields fully committed to the life of a professional athlete, which he told the audience entailed training relentlessly and making sacrifices to reach his dream.
Setting the goal wasn’t enough. It took years of dedication, failures and self-reflection to get to the Olympics. He even wrote his goal on the wall of his parents’ garage as a daily reminder of what he was working toward.
Four years later, he made it to the 2012 London Olympics as the number one seed. However, he fell short, finishing 7th in the finals.
The defeat left Fields questioning his future, but instead of walking away, he took a hard look in the mirror, identified his weaknesses and got back to work.
Connor Fields | AJ Canaria Creative Services
By the time the 2016 Rio Olympics arrived, Fields felt more prepared than ever.
