Sheltering in Place as an Olympic Athlete
The sports world has been dramatically affected by COVID-19. Not only has there been an absence of events for the spectator in person and on television, but the impact on the participants themselves has been unprecedented. Due to social gathering restrictions, organized youth sports have been almost completely shuttered. High schools and colleges have been cancelling their practices and competitive seasons. This has also had a dramatic effect on sport at the highest level. Only recently have there been abbreviated attempts to reinstitute professional sports seasons such as Major League Baseball, the NBA and the NFL. Even the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo were postponed to 2021.
In Episode 4 of the CoviDB Speaker Series, we look at the impact this pandemic has had on the preparation and life of two of the world’s greatest athletes. We are fortunate to have the expertise of the versatile and renowned sportscaster Ted Robinson as he interviews three-time Olympic Diver and Gold Medalist Laura Wilkinson and five-time Olympic Gold Medalist Swimmer Katie Ledecky.
Wilkinson was the first female diver to win all three of her sport’s major titles: Olympic (2000), World Championship (2005) and World Cup (2004). After nine years of retirement, she returned to competition in 2017 and placed 2nd at Nationals. She is currently training for a fourth Olympic Games at home in Texas. Ledecky won her first gold medal at the age of 15 at the 2012 London Olympics and went on to become the most decorated female athlete at the 2016 Rio Olympics. A Psychology major at Stanford University, Ledecky is continuing online classes while training for the 2021 Olympics. This conversation is facilitated by Sportscaster Ted Robinson, a two-time Emmy Award winner with over three decades of broadcast experience.
The COVID-19 crisis has presented great challenges alongside opportunities for personal flexibility and growth. As Laura Wilkinson said, “This time, as hard as it may be, is really an opportunity.” We are honored that these strong individuals have come together to share what inspires them to persevere in the latest episode of the CoviDB Speaker Series project.
Join us in this conversation by viewing Episode 4: https://youtu.be/h7N0EIzlmng.