The Spirit of The Olympics with Warren Weir, OLY
Since the 1896 Athens Olympics, the world’s strongest, fastest, most athletic, and all-around best athletes have gathered once every four years to display the heart and pride of patriotism while in pursuit of personal accolades and golden glory.
As a fervent admirer of sports, the summer Olympic Games never fail to captivate me. The consistent and awe-inspiring performances of team Jamaica in the Track and Field disciplines, from world record-breaking feats to the athletes' unique style and fashion, the celebratory dances, the prayerful anthem, and the historic podium sweeps, all fill me with a sense of wonder and pride at the global impact of my Black, Green, and Gold compatriots.
The Summer 2024 Olympics are underway in Paris, France, and I caught myself thinking about what a professional athlete’s journey to their mountain top - The Olympic Games might look and feel like, particularly as it relates to overcoming the physical, mental, and often financial challenges.
Also, in full Olympic fanatic mode, I thought about what it would be like to apply a world-class athlete’s winning mindset to difficult days and challenging circumstances on my journey to my version of greatness, success, and highest achievement. So, I consulted with Warren Weir, the 2012 Olympic Bronze Medalist in the men’s 200m. It was a true privilege to catch up with the Olympian whose bronze medal cemented the historic Jamaican sweep at the London 2012 Games.
Jamaica's 1-2-3 in London 2012 Summer Olympics, sparks excitement in Half-Way-Tree, St. Andrew.
In conversation with the retired sprint sensation, turned Social Media Marketing extraordinaire, and multi-media production expert, we discussed Weir’s experience of a lifetime at the 2012 Summer Olympics, the timing of his retirement from the sport, and transition into balancing the demands of everyday life and how Track & Field and his Olympic journey prepared him for staying motivated and being disciplined while aiming high regardless of setbacks, challenges or moments of fatigue.
When talking about the five interlocking Olympic rings, which symbolize peace and unity of the nations, I asked Weir to define, from his perspective, five words equally symbolic of his athletic career and life after sports as it relates to molding that tenacious mindset of a champion.
Shedding some light on his “nothing to lose—more to gain” perspective and “bullet effect” approach to his Olympic experience and life, Weir noted his five motivating words: dedication, unity, trust, coachability, and vibes.
The Olympic Bronze medalist said, “I would say dedication. It takes a lot of dedication to plan, get to a high level, and get anything moving.” He continued, “If we want to move forward, we have to be coachable in everything because no one person knows everything, and it takes a village, a country, and a universe to mold champions [and people in this world].”
Then, in true Jamaican fashion, Weir admits that the fifth word in his winning recipe is “Vibes.” The founder and creative director of Weirz World Media mentions, “If the vibes nuh deh deh we nah do nothing…I tell a lot of people that I think one of the reasons I medaled at the Olympics and did well is because, first, I had nothing to lose, and I was just going there to enjoy myself and work hard. I was vibing, and I enjoyed myself along the way. I enjoyed every single moment of the Olympic Games and made great moments that I cherish and bring into life after track.”
Just as Weir did on his journey to the Olympics and continues to do in life after Athletics, he encourages us all to remember the importance of rest and reflection. Let's use our past accomplishments as a motivating factor for successive big wins.
As we all watch the 2024 Summer Olympic Games, I hope we develop that world-class champion mindset and apply it in the areas where we feel inadequate and unmotivated and where we keep missing those personal podiums we’ve erected for ourselves.
As we cheer on our favorite athletes and nations during this Olympics, may we borrow from the Olympian his principles of dedication, trust, unity, coachability, and vibes on the way to becoming legends in our own right. Watch the video below to listen to the entire interview, hear Warren Weir’s men’s 200m finals top four, his all-time favorite Olympian, and more motivational gems.
