Conquering Fear at the Vancouver Winter Olympics

Taking a lesson from the athletes of the winter Olympics and overcoming your own fears, remember, 'You can't score if you don't take a shot.'

Overcoming fear of pain. Downhill skier Lindsey Vonn severely bruised her shin during training last month and feared it might prevent her from competing in the Vancouver Olympics. But she gave it a try anyway, saying before the race, "It's tough…I know what I have to do. I know how to ski. It's just fighting the pain." And fight it she did, winning the gold medal in the women's downhill.

Afterwards, commenting on her efforts, she said, "Nothing comes for free." You may have your own pain - physical or emotional - to work through as you are pursuing your goals. Keep in mind the determination you need to succeed as you struggle to prevail.

Overcoming fear of pleasure. Lindsey Jacobellis skid off course in the snowboard cross semi-finals, once more loosing any chance at a medal. After first feeling frustrated, she told reporters of her thoughts, "I still can have fun in some way. I just felt like doing a nice, fun truck-driver grab, that's the spirit that it is."

Other competitive snowboarders agreed with her attitude. Nate Holland commented, "It's not always about winning. It's about fun, style, showing your stuff." And Nick Baumbartner explained, "it's not about the finish…It's all about the journey. It's all about taking the wild ride." So, even when you're in the midst of a competitive trial of your own, don't forget to enjoy the process - have fun and be playful.

Rely on your courage, endurance and sense of fair play as you meet your challenges and achieve success. You may not receive a gold medal but you can be a winner just the same.