[private][private]On Wednesday August 18th, we interviewing Anne Abernathy aka “Grandma Luge” who is the oldest woman to compete in the Winter Olympic Games and the first woman to participate in six Winter Olympics.  In the Torino 2006 Winter Olympics, she became the first woman over the age of 50 to ever qualify for the Winter Games.  Anne is a motivational speaker, writer and recently teamed with TENA and HealthyWomen to launch the Be TENAcious (BeTENAcious.net) campaign. She can be reached at www.grandmaluge.com

Dial in live at 347-205-9038 or via streaming radio at 9:30am PST at www.blogtalkradio.com/passionsandpossibilities

Anne’s Passioneer Q & A

SO: What’s your definition of “passion”?

To completely commit yourself to a goal, project, person(s) or idea, both physically and mentally with your heart, soul and mind.   Passion is a commitment so great that it is nearly impossible to separate the person from the passion. For example, when a person is passionate about their dream, they will not let anyone or thing keep them from pursuing it.  Mentally they become open to every opportunity that will enable them to achieve their goal.

SO: What have been the key factors in your success and what one word best describes it?

Prior to my first Olympics I was diagnosed with cancer.  My doctor told me not to train for the Olympics.  I asked, “why not?” He said that I needed to focus on getting well.  My response was, “my job is to get to the Olympics, your job is to get me well.”  The next time I went to the clinic, I was no longer the cancer “victim,” but the “Olympic Hopeful”.  Everyone’s attitude had changed.  They came on board as members of my “team,” all with the goal of getting me to the Games. In a word one of the key factors of my success – attitude.

SO: What technique or exercise gets you through the challenging times?

I take my dreams and give them purpose and focus by defining small steps as well as the ultimate result.  In addition I set deadlines to them.  That turns them into achievable goals and the timeline creates a certain sense of urgency. In all walks of life, there will always, always be challenges and barriers to overcome.  When I stumble, crash or hit a brickwall, I just return to my dreams.  By turning my dreams into result driven goals, I avoid having them turn into nightmares.  If I don’t make a deadline, I don’t stop dreaming, I just adjust the goal. For example, in February 2001, I crashed in a World Cup race and sustained a severe concussion and closed head injury.  The Salt Lake City Winter Olympic Games were just 12 months away.  My goal of qualifying for those Games had just hit a major hurdle.  After searching and finding the top medical professionals and convincing them to share my dream, I set a deadline of June 15th 2001.  That was the day that I would have a medical test that would determine if I could start training again in earnest for a berth on the Olympic team.  Every day, five days a week, I would enter the clinic for treatment and tell the doctor, “June 15th”.  To my team, it seemed like an impossible dream, but for me it was an achievable goal.  As the day grew nearer, I found it necessary to keep encouraging my medical team. While my doctor may have been doubtful, my focus, passion and enthusiasm were contagious. The week before my medical exam, he told me it would take a miracle. The day of the test, he met me at the clinic where I was to be tested. Afterwards in the parking lot, he looked me and with a tear in his eye, he said, “you got your miracle”.

SO: What or who drove you to be who you are?

There is not one person or thing that drove me to who I am. There is no one individual teacher, or coach, or experience that shaped my life.  Certainly there are those that influenced me and encouraged me, and events both good and bad, that made me stronger. If I had to select one group of people that impacted me more than any other, I would have to say that it was all of those who said you can’t.  As stubborn and passionate as I am, I just had to prove them wrong.

SO: Your biggest challenge(s) in leaping into your passions for serving others, and how you have addressed them?

In the middle of my Olympic journey, I started having bladder issues.  Obviously it was a potentially embarrassing problem, and I thought I was the only woman that ever had this issue.  I could have let it sideline me and knock me out of elite competition.  But I secretly searched and experimented with different products while I was in Europe and found a product line that provided me the protection that enabled me to continue to compete. I broached the subject one night with my fellow female competitors about the whether or not having a partnership with a company that specialized in bladder protection products would be detrimental to the sport.  To my surprise they not only said it would not be a problem, but encouraged me to pursue it. What I thought would be the biggest hurdle, wasn’t an obstacle at all. In fact, I’ve now teamed TENA, the same company that created the products I used on the race circuit, to launch the Be TENAcious campaign.  The sole purpose is to encourage women to talk about their issues and learn about available solutions, not just about bladder control issues, but in all things, so that they can continue to pursue their passions and achieve their goals. Opening up about bladder control, a subject which was once taboo, has encouraged others.  I was stunned when I discovered 1 in 4 women have this problem and many suffer in silence.  Because I was willing to stand up, others are now able to take control of their lives rather than having their bladders control them.  It’s extremely rewarding to be part of a program that empowers people to Be TENAcious.

SO: Who is your biggest “hero” in your life and why?

In literature a hero is one who in during times of adversity, weakness or danger displays courage for the good or sake of others. In real life, one need only look in any children’s cancer clinic or medical facility to find the most amazing heroes.  I don’t have one “hero”, I have dozens. Kids, who despite months and sometimes years of medical treatments, constant trips in and out of hospitals, and subsequently restricted lifestyles, still manage to joke, smile and encourage their family, friends and medical teams.  Many of them know that their time of life may be limited so they embrace what they have with gusto. Whenever I start feeling sorry for myself because I’ve had a “bad day”, I just remember one of my many “heros” that I’ve met over the years and realize that I’ve got a lot of living to do.

SO: Do you have a quote that you would like to share that speaks of you and your passion?

“The important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part, the important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle.  The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well…” Baron DeCoubertin, Founder of the Modern Olympic Games. This quote kept me going through all of the ups and downs of my Olympic career.  However, many people can’t relate to struggles of Olympic athletes.  So I encourage others with the following piece of advice.  When an unforeseen opportunity presents itself, never step back.  If someone says you can’t, always think why not?  And daily, embrace the motto, “Don’t be timid, Be TENAcious!”[/private][/private]