Today is August 19 and the Navigate the Chaos question to consider is “how often do you reflect upon what you need compared to what you want?” At the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, Australian Jemima Montag, then 26 years of age, won bronze medals in the 20 km walk and the Marathon walk relay. In doing so, Montag became the first Australian woman in 52 years to win two medals in track and field at the same Olympic Games. In an interview after one of her medal-winning performances, an interviewer spoke to Montag. The transcript of that exchange is below and forms the basis for today’s reflection.
Interviewer: “Jemima Montag, you are an Olympic bronze medalist. How does that sound?”
Montag: “That's crazy. I had a lot of belief. I had a good feeling this last week. I felt significantly more pressure this year because in Tokyo there were no spectators. Today there were about 30 family members in Team Gem t-shirts yelling my name. You want to do well for them because you know how excited they'll be. You want to show gratitude for the 15-year journey this has taken since Little Athletics, but it's a careful balance of wanting that medal but not needing it. It's really a nuanced difference—not needing it for your own self-worth or feeling that people love you, but wanting it, saying, ‘Yeah, I'm willing to give this a crack and be tough, and if it doesn't happen, the sun will rise tomorrow. But let's give it a go.’”
Interviewer: “There would be so many young girls watching you right now back in Australia, possibly igniting their Olympic dream. What is your message to those young girls?”
Montag: “’Play on’ is my message. I want them to know that this journey isn't without its challenges, particularly around the age of 16 and 17. I certainly questioned my place on the sporting field and whether I wanted to take it to this Olympic level. But the message is, it doesn't matter if you're doing sport for fun in your backyard with your girlfriends or whether you want to take it to this Olympic medalist level. Sport is about community, a sense of belonging, making friends, looking after our physical and mental health, and learning amazing life skills like dedication and leadership, which are all such great things for the next generation of women and girls. So, play on in your own way, whatever suits you, and yeah, we belong here.”
In the response to the first question, Montag highlighted three critical themes for anyone navigating the chaos of life, and in this case, working towards an Olympic medal. First, she balanced the pressure of performing in front of those who have supported her for 15 years with a strong sense of self-belief. Second, she talked about the ‘nuanced difference’ between wanting a medal but not needing it. Finally, she manages her expectations by admitting that the journey is tough and if the medal never happens, the world will continue on. In her response to the second question, Montag touched upon two additional themes. The first message focused on how sport is about community and a sense of belonging. Her other comment stressed how women and girls should have a sense of belonging, wherever they are.
In another moment during those same 2024 Summer Olympics, a group of women illustrated Montag’s beliefs about community and belonging. In a now iconic image, Brazilian gymnast Rebeca Andrade is standing on the podium with both fists in the air after winning the gold medal in the women's floor competition. Below her on either side are U.S. gymnasts Simone Biles and Jordan Chiles, the silver and bronze medalists, bowing at Andrade's feet. All three women, who also made up the first all-Black gymnastics podium in Olympics history, look as happy as can be.
Commenting on that historic moment, Biles said “I think it's all about sportsmanship, and we don't care whether we win or lose. We're always going to keep a good face and support our competitors because they've worked just as hard as we have for that moment ... and that's exactly what me and Jordan were doing. We were so happy for her. She deserved it, she had the best floor routine of the day, and of the Olympics, so it’s like, yeah, she deserved it.”
How often do you reflect upon what you need compared to what you want?
When was the last time you reflected upon how you define wants and needs?
Have you ever wanted something and did not get it? If so, what happened?
Have your needs changed over time? Explain
How often do you support your competitors or even celebrate them when they win?
How much gratitude do you show towards those who have helped you along the way as you have navigated the chaos to go after what you have wanted?
Have you helped anyone along their journey in going after something they wanted?
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