When Nikki Stone injured her back in 1996, the pain was so excruciating that she couldn't stand for more than 15 minutes at a time. Bedridden by her spine injury, Nikki was advised by 10 different doctors to give up on her dreams of Olympic gold as it was unlikely she would ever ski again.Two years later at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan, Nikki would go on to become the first American to win a gold medal as an inverted aerial skier, solidifying her future as a US National Ski Hall of Famer. Nikki's story is one of determination, grit, and a never give up attitude. Today, she encourages others to realize their passions, triumph over obstacles, and take risks to reach extraordinary goals. In this episode, Sylvia and Nikki discuss the turtle metaphor for doing hard things, what she called the Turtle Effect. They discuss what it was like to take big risks during the Olympic games, the importance of dreaming big when setting goals, why accomplishment does translate to happiness, and much more.Topics Include:- Early dreams of winning an Olympic gold medal- Working with fear as an athlete- Grandma's quote, "The brave do not live forever, but the cautious do not live at all." - Trying new things to stoke old passions- Connecting to childhood dreams- Using questions to steer your life- Becoming a mother- The truth about happiness- And other topics...Nicole 'Nikki' Stone is a former American Olympic skier. She competed in the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan, and is best known for being the first American to win a gold medal as an inverted aerial skier. In her career, Nikki has won 35 World Cup medals, 11 World Cup titles, 4 national titles, 2 year-long Aerial World Cup titles, and a World Championship title. She also became the first pure aerialist ever, male or female, to become the year-long Overall Freestyle World Cup Champion. Nikki was inducted into the National Ski Hall of Fame in 2003. Nikki now travels the world as an inspirational speaker sharing her secrets to success. Nikki was honored with the title of International Professional Speaker of the Year by the American Speakers Bureau Corporation. She encourages and inspires her audiences to find their "Turtle Effect" by realizing their passions, triumphing over obstacles, and taking risks to reach extraordinary goals that may initially seem unattainable.Resources Mentioned:https://www.nikkistone.com/When Turtles Fly by Nikki Stone: https://www.amazon.com/When-Turtles-Fly-Secrets-Successful/dp/1600376754 Stay Connected:Drop Us A Message on PodInbox: https://podinbox.com/whenwomenflyEmail: hello@whenwomenfly.comWebsite: https://www.whenwomenfly.com/Socials: @whenwomenflySignup for AIR BORN, our monthly newsletter! A letter from Sylvia will show up in your inbox, with links to her latest conversations and insights.