8/2/2024-On this day, Jackie Joyner-Kersee

Jackie Joyner-Kersee did not grow up with much, yet she made the most of it because of her passion and drive. She learned that excuses got her nowhere, and DOing got her the goals and Gold she wanted.

At the 1988 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Jackie Joyner-Kersee won Gold in the heptathlon, becoming the first person to win the event in consecutive Games.

Jackie’s winning totals include six Olympic and four gold medals at the World Championships.

So why should you, sales athlete care about Jackie?

Jackie’s quote is a reminder that even those who make it look easy endure a lot of discomfort and sacrifice. Recognizing and honoring the pain is one thing, but you must push through the constant and numerous distractions and roadblocks to get the Gold.

Ignore your pain today. ALL of it.

Write down every one of those issues that nags at you…it could be a malady or two, a personal roadblock at work, or even a thought of doubt in your brain about whether you can handle something or another.

Your next step is simple: decide to ignore the issue or develop a plan that will handle it.

Ignore…or handle.

Don’t overtax your ability to exhibit a strong mental attitude.

Ignore. Handle.

Jackie Joyner-Kersee was a dominant athlete who still holds many records in Track & Field.

Jackie wasn’t only dominant in Track but also a star basketball player in college at UCLA. Jackie started at forward all four years of eligibility on the hardwood and scored 1,167 points during her collegiate career, placing her 19th all-time for the Lady Bruins.

Track, however, was where she dominated. So much so that the annual award for the best American T&F female athlete is named for Jackie.

Jackie tells the fun story of falling in love with the long jump at an early age, yet struggling to find the right venue where she could practice. She and her sisters deviously filled empty potato chip bags with the sand they "borrowed" from a nearby park in East St. Louis. To maintain a promise to their mother to play in their front yard, Jackie and her sisters built a makeshift pit out of her dirty sand and began jumping.

“We didn’t have a track or have the best equipment. We ran on dirt in the park. But when you’re young, you don’t know any better,” she explains. “We focused on what we had. It’s not until you get exposed to things that you realize you need every fancy shoe. Whatever shoe I put on was the best for me.”

Jackie’s drive, determination and passion for her talent are wonderful inspirations that all sellers can use: the tools in your brain are what will get you where you want to be.

Up to the 1988 Barcelona Olympics, Jackie had been unbeaten in the heptathlon for four years!

That means Jackie wasn’t competing against the field as much as she was competing for the record books.

Stroll back to those 1988 Games and watch a brief clip to see how Jackie did against the record book!