Video Transcript
Hi, I’m Chris Mazdzer, Olympic silver medalist in the sport of luge and TrueSport Athlete Ambassador. Being a good sport during high stakes competitions can certainly be difficult, but that doesn’t mean being humble and practicing grace should fall to the wayside.
At a recent competition in Latvia, it was truly an all or nothing moment, and unfortunately, I made a mistake. And because of that, my team didn’t get to go to the Olympics. I was so distraught that it took a few hours for me to come back and congratulate the winners for truly putting it down when it mattered most. And on the other side, I’ve been on the podium and had people not shake my hand because they were so upset with how well they performed.
And so what I’ve learned from my time in sport is that if you’re kind to yourself, it allows you to be kind to others and that real winners act the same towards their opponent, whether they win or luge. It is important and honorable to follow the rules and be a gracious winner and a respectful loser. And ultimately, how you practice being a good sport will reveal your true character.
