Larry Sidney - An Olympic Dream Taking Shape…The Shape of a Skeleton!

The B.rad Podcast

Larry and his friends attend the 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino, Italy and have a great time. Larry goes on an Olympic spectating binge with ’08 Beijing summer, ’10 Vancouver winter, ’12 London summer, and ’14 Sochi winter.

Meanwhile, he and his brother Big George have a fun excursion at a “sliding school” in Salt Lake City, where participants can learn to ride the skeleton on the Olympic race course. The Skeleton is that newer Olympic event where you race headfirst down the track in a manner similar to the bobsleds and the luge (feet first) competitors. Yes, you are sliding down the twisty-turny icy track at 85 miles per hour! This was the genesis of Larry’s Olympic dream, where he literally emerged from the crowd to pursue a longshot opportunity to represent the great nation of Israel in the Skeleton at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Korea.

Never mind that Larry is in his mid-40s at the time; he went all-in with this odyssey where he traveled the world to compete at the various international competitions where one accumulates points and angles for a precious few spots in World Cup events and eventually the Olympic field. This conversation will get you inspired to dream big and go for it! Regarding his age, Larry decided to turn this to his advantage, stating that he wanted it to become an inspiration to others rather than a handicap. While he fell short of his stated goal of competing in the Olympics, you will gain a deep appreciation for the true value of chasing one’s dreams, namely the self-satisfaction that comes from doing your best and inspiring peak performance in others. Larry relates an exciting anecdote about a breakthrough performance where he enjoyed what can only be called a “third place victory.” What’s more, a member of Larry’s Israeli Skeleton crew became the first athlete to represent that country in any sliding sport. Larry’s devotion to the Israeli program earned him a spot as a team assistant coach for the 2018 PyeongChang, Korea games. Enjoy this great show about pursuing peak performance goals throughout life and appreciate the most important lessons of the competitive experience.

TIMESTAMPS:

We find how Larry discovered, at an advanced age, his passion for the sport of Skeleton in the Winter Games and how this applies to all sport endeavors. [04:11]

What is it like to go downhill Skeleton style? [17:20]

He made the Israeli Olympic team. How does one qualify? [22:24]

On the different teams, are you helping each other or competing against one another? [38:05]

While teams are in training, the competitive nature can cause problems. [41:42]

One of the biggest parts of the Olympics is competing for something bigger than yourself. [47:02]

Age is not a reason to fail. [53:07]

Skeleton is the slowest of the three speeds: Luge, Bobsled, and skeleton. [01:02:33]

What was the process of Larry qualifying for the team? [01:03:20]

The dream happened. [01:09:08]

The lessons learned of giving 100% to get back 100% apply in all walks of life. [01:14:11]

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