EP16: Grace Luczak - Rowing to a World Record and the Olympics

"When you have this big moment of failure - when you don't accomplish what you were going after, you have to take time to re-evaluate your strategy for the next time!" I am so impressed with Olympians, and it doesn't matter if they medal or not. The amount of time and dedication needed to compete once every four years, often for just a few seconds, is an extraordinary example of perseverance, determination and grit. My guest on the Make Your Mark podcast today, Grace Luczak, is a prime example of a high achiever who adopted a new sport, set a world record, and has transitioned into the corporate world. "The simple gestures in life when doing something good and selfless for somebody else without expecting anything in return can be the most impactful moments." As a young teen I dreamed of competing for the Egyptian Ski Team (not a typo, and a story for another time!), but happily for all, I went a different direction. Grace had heard that many schools were looking at young ladies with her physical and mental skills to become rowers on collegiate crew teams.  Both during and after her time at Stanford University, and years of hard work, Grace set a new world record, and qualified for the Rio Olympics! But best of all, she understood that she needed to be prepared for her post-Olympic life, and was able to land an impressive job where she is today. "Sometimes your biggest weakness can be your greatest strength" You will truly enjoy this episode, as Grace is such an easy-going person to speak with. We talk about all the training she went through, the successes that started to pile up, the ups and downs of being an Olympian, and how grit plays a big part in life. You will also appreciate Grace's volunteer work with an organization that brings rowing to kids coming from neighborhoods that would never see any sort of rowing. Sit back and listen to an uplifting and inspiring episode! Some Topics we talk about in this episode: Introduction - 2:00 What peaked Grace's interest to start competitive rowing-  4:00 A disciplined sport- 5:47 Stanford University rowing team beginnings - 7:00 Defining the Varieties of Rowing Competitions 8:10 Duration of training- 11:25 Realizing your potential 15:08 Grace setting a world record catapulted her career- 17:00 Timing is everything- 17:40 Continuing to train- 22:00 How to sustain yourself- 23:00 Full time dedication- 25:00 How Grace discovered she made the Olympic team 27:54 The Rio Olympics- 30:42 Moving forward after the Olympics-35:00 The work Grace does now -37:18 An advocate for great causes - 40:00 What an athlete brings to the table - 42:00 Wrap-up and Takeaways - 43:00   How to get involved Be sure to connect with me on Social Media @MarkMoyerCoach and go to my website, www.markmoyer.com to get access to the tips and strategies that my coaching clients get directly. If you're looking for ways to Make Your Mark, send me an email [email protected] and I'll get you going right away.   If you liked this episode, be sure to subscribe and leave me a quick review on iTunes. Your reviews and ratings will help me reach more people with ways to make their mark in life!