7 Olympic Athletes, 7 Very Personal Motivation Secrets

London, July 16, 2024 (Online): Peter Reid was once a legendary triathlete, a three-time Ironman World Champion (1998, 2000, 2003) who was seemingly unstoppable. But in 2006, he began having doubts. After finishing a race in first place, he dishearteningly remarked to a friend, “What am I supposed to do? Win again?”

At another competition, he didn’t even make it to the starter’s pistol, walking off the course pre-race and later explaining, “I just couldn’t think of a good enough reason to keep going.”
By 2007, he was done, permanently retired.
Reid’s crisis of faith had nothing to do with his athletic ability. He was stronger and faster than ever. What stopped him was his inability to answer what behavioral scientists call the “why” question. It wasn’t about how it could be done, but why it was worth doing.

“It’s one of our best motivational tools and central to goal setting,” said behavioral psychologist Ayelet Fishbach, PhD, a professor at the University of Chicago who studies motivational science — she’s been called “arguably the world’s foremost expert on motivation” — and author of Get It Done: Surprising Lessons from the Science of Motivation.
“When people ask ‘why,’ they gain a better understanding of the purpose behind their actions,” Fishbach said. “It’s the first step in maintaining a workout regimen.”

With the 2024 Summer Olympics on the horizon — the opening ceremony begins at sunset in Paris on July 26 — we reached out to seven of the competing athletes and asked them to share their very personal “why.” Other than the dream of winning an Olympic medal, what inspires them to come to the gym every day and keep pushing themselves harder, even when their bodies might be begging them to quit?
Then we asked Fishbach and Katie Heinrich, PhD, associate professor of exercise behavioral science at Kansas State University, to explain how these athletes’ “whys” are so effective. And just as important, what you can learn from their secrets, finding your own “why” and leveraging it for a happier, healthier life.

Seven-time Olympic gold medalist Caeleb Dressel, who’s representing the U.S. this summer in three events: the 50-meter freestyle, 100-meter butterfly, and 4×100-meter freestyle relay, admits he sometimes has days he’d rather stay in bed than hit the gym. What keeps him going?
“I tell myself that challenges are a part of the journey towards success,” said the 27-year-old Green Cove Springs, FL, native. “I remind myself of all the hard work I have put in and how far I have come. I know that every day I have the opportunity to become better than I was yesterday, and that drives me to give my all and push my limits.”

Why This Works: Heinrich calls this a form of intrinsic fundamental motivation, as in a motivation that comes from within.
“He’s focused on enjoying the journey that his training is taking him on rather than a specific destination,” she said. “We can learn a lot from Caeleb. For example, instead of focusing on a goal weight, focus on making each daily nutrition choice the healthiest one you can. Begin to enjoy the challenge of how to build the healthiest meal out of menu offerings.”
A 2019 Stanford University study confirmed that people whose fitness goals are more journey-oriented than goal-oriented — who, like Dressel, want to get a little better every day rather than crossing some finish line — are more likely to continue those behaviors for the long run.

Kloth and Nuss joined forces in 2021 at Louisiana State University, and this summer the pair of 26-year-olds, who recently ranked No. 2 in beach volleyball in the world (just behind Brazil), will be going to their first Olympics to compete at the Eiffel Tower Stadium.
Both women have the same answer when asked what motivates them to keep training and pushing themselves further.
“Kristen,” Kloth said without hesitation. “I can’t let Kristen down. Of course this journey is challenging, but doing it with my best friend/sister/business partner makes it way easier to get through the tough times. This allows my focus to switch to her and not the tough task.”