What Could You Accomplish With the World’s Greatest Athlete?

One of my all-time favorite quotes comes from His Airness, Michael Jordan.

“I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. Twenty-six times I’ve been trusted to take the game-winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.” — Michael Jordan

You will find that the one thing you most want to happen never does. But, in the long run, it’s for the best.

It can be challenging to see in the present moment, but hang in there and have faith because you’ll be surprised by life in new ways. There are few things Trey Hardee knows better than this.

Many things haven’t gone his way in life, including countless setbacks. However, his status as “the greatest athlete in the world” would never have been possible without them.

What Could You Accomplish With the World’s Greatest Athlete?

Among his many accomplishments, Trey is a two-time Olympian, two-time World Champion, two-time U.S. Champion, three-time Texas Relays winner, an NCAA Champion, a four-time All-American, and a former NCAA Record holder. Additionally, he won the silver medal at the 2012 Olympics in the decathlon. Today, he’s the Founder and CEO of Altum Wellness.

A pretty impressive feat for someone who didn’t even start track and field until his junior year of high school. As a side note, Trey Hardee would not have formed his business without being cut from his basketball team.

With that in mind, this article is filled with valuable advice for anyone with big dreams to succeed in life.

Become better than you were yesterday.

“The principle is competing against yourself. It’s about self-improvement, about being better than you were the day before.” — Steve Young

Why is Trey such a great teacher? I’ve seen people who go to him for training who aren’t in the best shape. But, that doesn’t matter. They’re showing up, training, and getting an impressive workout. Why? It’s not about becoming an extreme athlete but about getting better than the day before.

“We all start at different points, but we’re all learning the skill each day, just getting a little bit better and learning it. There is no perfect unless you’re like Usain Bolt — like we can all do better, right? That’s kind of the mentality I have with most things, I would say.”               –-Trey Hardee

Here are some ways to improve from yesterday:

• Physical health. Get enough sleep, exercise more, or eat healthier.
• Mental health. Practicing mindfulness, meditation, or yoga can be beneficial.
• Relationships. Spending more time with loved ones, communicating more effectively, and resolving conflicts peacefully are all things you can work on.
• Career. Setting new goals, learning new skills, and networking are all possibilities.
• Personal development. You can do many things, including reading books, taking courses, and traveling.

Regardless of where you want to improve in your life

Regardless of where you want to improve, starting small and being consistent is vital. Minor changes can have a significant impact over time.

Setbacks are part of the journey.

“You dream. You plan. You reach. There will be obstacles. There will be doubters. There will be mistakes. But with hard work, with belief, with confidence and trust in yourself and those around you, there are no limits.” — Michael Phelps

Trey didn’t dream of Olympic glory. He actually wanted to play in the NFL, Major League Baseball, or the NBA. But, during his junior year of high school, he was cut from the basketball team. The coach told him, “Just go be a pole vaulter or something.”

Trey was getting cut from his high school basketball team and became the best athlete in the world.

“So, my immature 17-year-old self was going to stick it to this guy and be the best pole vaulter anybody had ever seen, “Trey adds. Trey earned second place in the state meet that year and then set a state record in the pole vault during his senior season. A few schools noticed him, and he got full scholarship offers to smaller schools — but some SCC track programs noticed him. This eventually earned him a full-ride at Mississippi State.

While in college, Trey was pushed toward the decathlon and indoor heptathlon.

Hardee transferred to Texas after Mississippi State discontinued its indoor track and field program in 2004. The 2005 NCAA Indoor Championships saw him place third in the heptathlon, and the 2005 NCAA Outdoor Championships saw him win the decathlon.

In 2006, he set a record for the NCAA Decathlon with 8,465 points and was named the NCAA Division I Men’s Indoor Field Athlete of the Year. Trey made his first Olympic team after finishing runner-up in the 2008 US Olympic Trials decathlon.

Trey Hardee then defended his world title at the 2011 World Championships.

During his third attempt, he threw the javelin as hard and as good as he had ever thrown it. “And I’m at the back of the runway, and everything feels completely normal,” Trey continues. “I come down with a bunch of speed; I put my leg down, bam, javelin’s flying out super fast, but my elbow legitimately explodes.”

He was fortunate that his mother worked at St. Vincent’s Hospital in Birmingham, Alabama. She was just six floors above the Champion Sports Medicine Clinic, where the father of orthopedic surgery, Dr. James Andrews, operated. And, just ten and a half months later, Trey won the Silver Medal at the 2012 London Olympics.

Was he upset that he went from winning championships to coming in second? Not at all. “It’s like the greatest thing that’s ever happened to me,” Trey Hardee proclaims.

Seize opportunities to Accomplish.

“Somebody gives you an opportunity; say yes to it. So what if you fail? You won’t know if you fail or succeed unless you try.” — Ann Meyers

Unfortunately, injuries prevented Trey from making the 2016 Olympics. But, this opened up a new opportunity; becoming an analyst for NBC Sports.

According to Trey, his first broadcast was refreshing because he had the opportunity to talk about his friends, and the sport he cares about, was fun.

“And I do two days of track and field, and I’m walking out of the production area back to the airport, and the executive producer bumped his head out of the truck; he asked, “Hey Trey, do you want to go to Rio?” “Of course,” Trey said, “Yeah. Yeah, I do.”

“So, again, the same arch, same thread being woven in my life of that,” Trey adds. “I should probably rejoice a little bit more when bad things happen because it seems like better things come out of this.”

Athletic income into cash-flowing assets

Since then, Trey has turned his athletic income into cash-flowing assets. In particular, his home and rental properties in Austin — not items for himself, like his dream car. This enabled him to attend business school.

Having finally reached that zone of alignment, Trey says he can now fold what he used to do back into his life. Just like when he was a commentator, he could incorporate that little something which made him better by half a percent.

“For rehab, it’s that consistent, unsexy discipline of little tiny reps, touching his fingers together. Altum Wellness exists because it does everything no one else is willing to do, helping people enjoy the fruits of that labor, educating them, and encouraging them to do the same in their own lives,” Trey says.

Featured Image Credit: Photo by Kraken Media; Pexels; Thank you!