Podcast Summary: The Everyday Millionaire and Mindset Matters Podcast

Episode: Mindset Matters #225 – The Champion’s Journey: To the Olympic Podium

Host: Patrick Francey | Guest: Stephanie Hanlon (Olympic mental performance coach)
Date: February 19, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode dives deep into what it really means to be a “champion,” going far beyond medals and podium moments. Hosts Patrick Francey and Stephanie Hanlon explore the unseen aspects of the Olympic journey—focusing on mindset, resilience, adversity, and the identity transformation that underlies true championship. Highlighting real stories from the recent Winter Olympics, the conversation pulls back the curtain to reveal emotional, psychological, and life lessons that apply not just to elite athletes, but to anyone on their own journey toward greatness—whether in sport, business, or life.

Key Discussion Points & Core Insights

1. The Spotlight vs. the Shadows – What Fans Don’t See

• [01:09] Patrick stresses the difference between the public perception of Olympic success (“the medals, the podium, the highlight reels”) and the reality of years—often decades—of “grind, 5am mornings, repetition, injuries, mental and emotional toll, the travel, the financial cost.”

• Quote:

  "The medal isn’t created at the Olympics. The winner gets revealed."
  —Patrick [01:24]

• The champion’s journey is not just physical and technical; it’s about mental, emotional, and psychological sculpting—removing self-doubt, fear, and distractions.

2. Emotional Resilience & The Team Behind the Team

• [04:26] Stephanie opens up about her role:

  “The level of emotional resilience... that I’ve done over the last two decades... it is a collaborative relationship on every level. I’m just part of the team behind the team behind the team on their champion’s journey.”

• The TV audience sees only a “snippet” of what athletes endure. She describes witnessing and helping athletes process “piles of tears, laughter, confusion, anger, upset, and elation.”
• Every Olympic cycle brings drama and controversy (e.g., scoring debates), but the real story is in the athlete’s resilience and what it took to reach that stage.

3. The Coach’s Invisible Work

• [10:03] Stephanie distinguishes her work from that of technical coaches:

  • She prepares athletes “in advance for adversity,” a process that starts “four to eight years before” the Games.
  • Sometimes she “manufactures adversity” in training to build life skills that translate to performance under the unique pressures of the Olympics.
  • Her support extends beyond the rink, including athletes’ personal lives (“helping them build skills to respond to whatever adversity … call me from the car, from the roadside when their car’s been broken into”).

• Quote:

  “The goal doesn’t change. Shit’s always going to happen. The goal doesn’t change.”
  —Stephanie [11:14]

4. Identity Beyond Medals

• Patrick and Stephanie discuss the danger of athletes tying their entire identity to results. The focus shifts to being holistic, present, and to self-mastery over outcome obsession.

5. Adversity & Real-Life Examples from the Olympics

• [13:51] Patrick shares the true stories of elite skaters facing crises—from false accusations shutting down their careers to abruptly forming new partnerships and going on to win Olympic gold in less than a year (“they pivoted... from devastation to gold”).
• Stephanie expands:

  “Had Nick and Laurence not been emotionally resilient or didn’t have the co regulation and self regulation skills ... I think it would have shut them down...” —Stephanie [16:35]

She details the years of preparation, trust-building, and the emotional skills required to “harness adversity” and “get up every time you fall down”—not just in skating, but in life.

6. The Michelangelo Metaphor: Chiseling Away to the Essence

• [20:46] The hosts refer again to the idea that champions are not “made”; rather, what is unnecessary is “chipped away,” revealing the true self.
• Stephanie:

  “Chipping away at someone to find their core of who they truly are and allow that to emerge under that deep, deep level of adversity... that purpose is fueling the resilience.”
  —Stephanie [22:55]

7. The Lifetime Arc of the Champion’s Journey

• The “champion’s journey” is a lifelong process—training from a young age, experiencing highs and lows, with the Olympic podium being just a visible moment along that path.
• Patrick draws parallels to business and life:

  “It’s all a champion’s journey, whatever your podium is...” —Patrick [07:32]

8. Transferrable Lessons for Everyone

• Lessons from elite sport—embracing adversity, focusing on growth and resilience, committing to who you want to become—apply directly to business leaders, parents, and anyone with a goal.
• Quote:

  “They don’t start out as billionaires, they don’t start out as Olympic champions. ... They’re going to bump into whatever it is, their belief systems from the past, their traumas, their big T, little T...”
  —Stephanie [32:12]

9. The Coach’s Role & Success

• Stephanie reflects on her behind-the-scenes work:

  “That’s my gold medal. That’s truly what matters to me. I don’t need to be on a Netflix show. ... There is no next drama. There is just your life.”
  —Stephanie [27:15]

• [35:38] On being a “space holder” rather than taking credit:

  “If you do that, then I also have to take credit for your failure. So let’s find a neutral place where we’re on this journey together.” —Stephanie

10. Identity vs. Essence & The Highest Level of Champion

• [37:22] Stephanie discusses how world-class athletes evolve “from identity to essence”—learning who they are beyond results, and then embodying that in the fullness of competition and disappointment (as with Madison/Evan’s silver medal and their public response).

11. Universal Call to the Champion’s Journey

• Patrick (40:08):

  “The champion’s journey is really a way of being, a way of thinking, a way of life… you are on a champion’s journey within, with whatever you’re doing.”

Notable Quotes

• “The medal isn’t created at the Olympics. The winner gets revealed.” —Patrick Francey [01:24]
• “The level of emotional resilience... it is a collaborative relationship on every level.” —Stephanie Hanlon [04:26]
• “The goal doesn’t change. Shit’s always going to happen. The goal doesn’t change.” —Stephanie Hanlon [11:14]
• “Had Nick and Laurence not been emotionally resilient... I think it would have shut them down.” —Stephanie Hanlon [16:35]
• “Chipping away at someone to find their core... under deep adversity, that purpose is fueling the resilience.” —Stephanie Hanlon [22:55]
• “They don’t start out as billionaires, they don’t start out as Olympic champions. ...They’re going to bump into whatever it is, their belief systems from the past, their traumas, their big T, little T...” —Stephanie Hanlon [32:12]
• “There is no next drama. There is just your life.” —Stephanie Hanlon [27:15]
• “If you do that, then I also have to take credit for your failure. So let’s find a neutral place where we’re on this journey together.” —Stephanie Hanlon [35:38]
• “From identity to essence... that is truly the result, I believe, of the work we’re doing.” —Stephanie Hanlon [39:23]
• “You’re doing the world a disservice. You have to be the best in the world because you’re the only Stephanie Hanlon in the world. So if you’re not the best Stephanie Hanlon, then you’re ripping the world off.” —Stephanie Hanlon quoting her mom [41:05]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Visible vs. invisible side of the Olympic journey: [01:09 – 04:26]
• Emotional resilience & behind the scenes: [04:26 – 10:03]
• The mental performance coach’s true role: [10:03 – 13:51]
• Athlete adversity & resilience (Laurence/Guillaume/Netflix story): [13:51 – 20:46]
• Chiseling to the core (Michelangelo metaphor): [20:46 – 23:34]
• Champion’s journey life and business parallel: [23:34 – 29:00]
• Shedding limiting stories, essence over identity: [31:51 – 39:23]
• Universal message, being the champion in your own journey: [40:08 – 41:19]

Memorable Moments

• Stephanie coming home from the Olympics to a “welcome committee” from her neighbors and her two dogs [04:26], exemplifying the supportive community behind each champion.
• Stephanie’s raw honesty about being “the space holder” and coach—unseen but invaluable.
• Emotional reflection on guiding athletes through not just career-defining, but life-defining adversity.

Conclusion: The Heart of a Champion

This conversation offers rare, authentic insight into what it really takes to pursue a dream at the highest level, and how the invisible work of chipping away at doubts, traumas, and ego reveals not just an athlete’s greatness—but the champion within all of us.

Whether you are building a business, struggling with setbacks, or striving to grow in your daily life, “the champion’s journey” is a mindset and a way of being. As Patrick concludes, “Maybe it’s time to consider that you are on a champion’s journey... it doesn’t have to be sport, it is life. Be the champion mom, the champion dad, the champion manager …”

Final Quote:

“If you’re not the best [version of yourself], you’re ripping the world off.” —Stephanie Hanlon [41:19]

Listen for the full conversation and real-world tools to fuel your own champion’s journey.