The Pursuit of Excellence—the Journey or the Gold

I don’t know about you, but I love a good motivational sports story. In fact, I am drawn to stories of perseverance and the pursuit of excellence
in any field.

On a recent visit to Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, I experienced this firsthand. For the first two opening acts, it was their first time performing at what is known as the “Mother Church of Country Music.” For these very talented musicians, this was a moment they had only dreamed about. They mentioned multiple times how surreal it felt and how significant the moment was for their careers. It was impossible not to feel the emotion of the moment alongside them.

Perhaps that is why I am such a fan of the Olympic Games. I suspect I am not alone, as these human-interest stories are often featured prominently between events. We watch families and coaches cheering from the sidelines—often the only people who truly understand the early mornings, sacrifices, and setbacks that led to that athlete’s Olympic moment.

The Games this year did not disappoint. Team USA’s men’s and women’s hockey teams both captured
gold, with the men winning their first since the legendary Miracle on Ice. Speed skater Jordan Stolz won gold in both the 500-meter and 1,000-meter events at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan after learning to skate on a pond on his family’s farm in Wisconsin. Meanwhile, Mikaela Shiffrin won the slalom by 1.5 seconds, an extraordinary margin, 12 years after her first Olympic gold medal and eight years after her last.

After her victory, Shiffrin spoke with Mike Tirico of NBC Sports and reflected on her journey. She noted that many athletes at these Games had been speaking about the importance of “happiness existing in life outside of sport.” She went on to say that for young children watching the Olympics, a gold medal should not be the goal. That philosophy reflects a lesson from her father, Jeff, an anesthesiologist who died unexpectedly in 2020, and who taught her to chase the process, not the medals.

The same principle applies in healthcare. Focusing on the fundamentals of developing surgical skill, refining diagnostic judgment, and delivering thoughtful treatment naturally leads to high-quality patient care. Recognition, reputation, and referrals tend to follow for those who commit themselves to the process.

Even at the Olympic level, gold medals are never guaranteed, no matter how much work is invested. Ice dancers Madison Chock and Evan Bates narrowly
missed gold by less than two points after skating together for 14 years and winning world championships for the previous three. Lindsey Vonn crashed during her first ski run despite a strong World Cup season.

Finding joy in what we do is what ultimately sustains excellence and longevity. Consider Norway, which won more gold medals and more overall medals than any other country at the Winter Games despite having a population of fewer than six million people. Their success is often attributed to a youth sports model that encourages children to participate in a wide variety of activities from ski jumping to cross-country skiing while intentionally avoiding competitive sports until age 12. The focus is simple: Make sport part of daily life and make it fun. Some of those children will eventually win gold medals.
But the real goal is that all of them develop a lifelong love of sport and an active lifestyle.

At a time when burnout remains high in healthcare, and some young surgeons leave the profession despite years of training, perhaps there is something
we can learn from this philosophy. The medals matter, but it is the pursuit of excellence and the joy found in the journey that sustain us. Chase the
process.