Creative Persistence – Errol Kerr Olympic Success Story

I met Errol Kerr at Squaw Valley at a presentation by the Vice President of communications of the US Ski and Snowboard team, Tom Kelly.  I got there early, because I wanted a great seat and I was excited.  Who doesn't want to learn from the best?  I admit I was super nervous to approach this obviously important Olympic skier.  He carries a presence of being cool and very confident.  He  should, he came in 9th place in the winter Olympics in Vancouver in 2010.  I meekly introduced myself and told him I was writing  a book called Gold Medal Business Marketing and was actively interviewing Olympic athletes.  He was very nice, humble and kind.  He gave me a signed poster of what looked like him skiing down a 90 degree slope!  We exchanged contact information and the interview was super fun and inspirational.

Before we go into the details, just check out this "holy crap!" video so you know what a badass he is (sorry if anyone is offended by the language, but that's the best adjective I could come up with - thanks to Jen Sincero.):

Errol has a Jamaican dad and an American mom.  His grandparents were also avid skiers.  As a matter of fact, there’s a ski run at Sugar Bowl Ski Resort called Fuller’s Folly named after his grandfather, John Fuller.  Errol started skiing at 4 years old and by 7, Sugar Bowl was his fun playground.  It was known as a family resort and he was given freedom to roam and he loved the adventure with respect for the mountains.  By 11 years old, he was racing on the race team.  His mom also inspired him.  She had been on the Sugar Ski Team during its formative years, and raced Giant Slalom and Downhill.  He was surrounded by her trophies in his home.  He could have been a weekend warrior with his family, but he chose to dedicate himself to the team, practice and competing.  He was also having fun cross-training with BMX and motocross – both definitely physically challenging sports with similar speed and balance requirement to skiing.

His advice for young (and old) athletes:  "Chase your dreams!  Kids minds are powerful - anything is possible.  Kids don't grasp the meaning or scope of what it takes to be a champion ... they only look at the next step.  Many adults stop before they try."

errol kerr olympic medalist success story skier cross alpine meadows image

Photo by Ben Arnst

He then moved on from Sugar Bowl to Squaw Valley - one of the most advanced and challenging ski hills on the planet.  Many Olympic athletes train there.  He never viewed his training as a job, just opportunity and a personal passion and privilege.  He also never felt like he was giving up anything by dedicating all his life and energy to the pursuit of excellence in his sport.  For example, he never did drugs in high school - he learned to be "cool" without them and had a wonderful social life with his ski buddies.

His dream as a kid was to race world cup by the time he was 20 years old.  When he didn’t qualify for the US ski team he was extremely disappointed to say the least.  The important thing is that he didn’t let it crush him.  He had an epiphany: “I did my best and I’m not made for this”.  He broadened his mind and horizons and asked himself “what’s my next step?”  He focused his attention anew on a new sport called skier-cross.  It’s a crazy sport with obstacles, jumps, hairpin turns AND several skiers running at the same time, elbowing each other, cutting each other off … It’s scary, high risk of injury, dangerous and most alpine skiers avoid it!  Voila!  He was strong and excelled at this new event.  He qualified for the US Ski Cross Team in 2008, and found himself racing on the World Cup circuit, what he had always dreamed of.  After this great momentum and year of success, he was able to pursue another dream: skiing for Jamaica, the land of his father.  He went on to compete for Jamaica in the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics, finishing 9th in Ski Cross, the highest placing finish for a Caribbean athlete in the Winter Olympics.

Besides this creative persistence, perseverance, tenacity and great attitude, what was it that helped Errol become a master at his sport?

Focus was key.  He would work on his skills, drills and technique daily.  He learned to memorize the course so there were no surprises and visualized the perfect run.  He also hired a personal trainer and he said that this changed his life.  He was in the gym 5-6 days a week with his buddies for encouragement, support and some healthy competition.  He says that he works better with a coach - being pushed.  His coach also knew his long term plan and knew when to push and when to encourage rest.

The mental game is paramount in any sport (or business).  He describes getting in the "zone" by looking out over the mountain, fantasizing the perfect ski line, or remembering vividly from a fun, relaxed memory.  No pressure, just pure love of the sport.  The mind is incredibly powerful - both positive and negative.  He had a bad accident at Beaver Creek when he was 17-18 years old, and slid all the way down the mountain.  He got back up and did 4 runs until he regained his confidence and past the mental block and overcome his energy of fear at that one turn.

What made him build such a strong burning desire to win?  As a young athlete, he remembers enjoying a sense of respect from his peers when he did well.  "Once I tasted victory, I was hooked ... I love that feeling."  Also it was a sport where anyone could win on any given day.  There are a lot of variables.  He also describes having had a deep inner feeling that he could be better than the other kids, and that confidence helped him through the tough days.

Congratulations Errol Kerr and thank you for being an inspiration to us all.

If you enjoyed this article and want to see more inspirational life and small business marketing lessons, please check out my book:  Gold Medal Business Marketing.