WEBVTT - Miles Chamley-Watson: #1 Mindset Shift That Changes Everything (Try THIS to Stay Sharp, Focused, and In Control) 0:00:00.320 --> 0:00:02.560 Fencing literally saved my life. 0:00:03.120 --> 0:00:06.120 Fencing is known for being a notoriously white sport. Talk 0:00:06.160 --> 0:00:08.039 to me about what it felt like getting to the 0:00:08.039 --> 0:00:09.280 Olympics winning bruns. 0:00:09.520 --> 0:00:12.440 My mum always just said, just win and then what 0:00:12.520 --> 0:00:15.120 can they say? I'm the best Now I'm still the 0:00:15.120 --> 0:00:18.000 twelve year old kid, just six plove covern tattoos. Winning 0:00:18.079 --> 0:00:20.799 is great, but changing a sport is bigger than any 0:00:20.800 --> 0:00:22.120 Olympic goel I could ever win. 0:00:26.000 --> 0:00:28.440 Hey everyone, welcome back to on Purpose, the place you 0:00:28.520 --> 0:00:31.920 come to become the happier, healthier and more healed. Today's 0:00:31.960 --> 0:00:34.560 guest is not only a friend, but someone who I'm 0:00:34.560 --> 0:00:38.600 so fascinated to dive into his mindset. I love top performers, 0:00:38.960 --> 0:00:42.720 people who are operating at peak places and making incredible 0:00:42.760 --> 0:00:46.280 impact happen across the world in their field, and this 0:00:46.440 --> 0:00:49.360 is one of those people. Miles Chamely Watson is an 0:00:49.400 --> 0:00:53.640 Olympic medalist redefining the sport with his style, confidence and 0:00:53.680 --> 0:00:56.680 a vision that's pushing it far beyond what it's ever 0:00:56.920 --> 0:01:01.120 been before. Miles Chramlely Watson, Welcome to On Purpose. 0:01:01.240 --> 0:01:04.040 Well, thank you. It was an absolutely incredible intro. It's 0:01:04.040 --> 0:01:06.320 an honor to be here honestly before I kind of 0:01:06.360 --> 0:01:08.760 got to meet you. It's really nice to be a 0:01:08.800 --> 0:01:11.520 fan of your work, and I think you instill some 0:01:11.600 --> 0:01:14.760 incredible ideas on people made them feel better, which the 0:01:14.800 --> 0:01:16.640 world needs more than ever. So thank you for that. 0:01:17.000 --> 0:01:18.360 And it's an honor, dude. 0:01:18.400 --> 0:01:21.040 We met in the best way possible. I felt like 0:01:21.080 --> 0:01:23.000 we were on a boys trip, which is what I felt, right, 0:01:23.640 --> 0:01:26.880 and it just turned out to be like the easiest conversation. 0:01:27.560 --> 0:01:30.399 You guys like invited me into the wolf pack, which 0:01:30.440 --> 0:01:33.600 made me feel really, really comfortable. We played poker from 0:01:33.600 --> 0:01:36.600 eleven pm to seven am, three nights in a row. 0:01:37.280 --> 0:01:39.920 We were out on the water. It was amazing, and 0:01:39.959 --> 0:01:42.520 I just, you know, I know that I was kind 0:01:42.520 --> 0:01:43.920 of coming in fresh and new, and it was just 0:01:43.959 --> 0:01:46.000 you were one of those people. You and Spins, especially 0:01:46.240 --> 0:01:48.240 good chat out spins. You were one of those people 0:01:48.280 --> 0:01:50.480 that just made me feel like at home. So not 0:01:50.600 --> 0:01:52.840 only are you amazing at what you do, which we'll 0:01:52.880 --> 0:01:55.400 get into, you're a great guy off off as well. 0:01:55.440 --> 0:01:56.360 So I appreciate you, man. 0:01:56.440 --> 0:01:56.760 Thank you. 0:01:57.080 --> 0:01:59.240 I want to dive in by asking you, like what 0:01:59.320 --> 0:02:01.280 I heard from you, and I've been watching interviews and 0:02:01.320 --> 0:02:03.440 obviously I came to the event, which we talked about 0:02:03.480 --> 0:02:06.240 in a second, But I feel like you always felt 0:02:06.320 --> 0:02:09.000 like you didn't quite fit in. Talk to me about 0:02:09.000 --> 0:02:11.840 your earliest memory that reminds you of that feeling. 0:02:12.200 --> 0:02:15.480 I think being born in London, my mom was kind 0:02:15.480 --> 0:02:17.760 of the mom and dad that was kind of in 0:02:17.800 --> 0:02:20.359 my life. I was about eight years old, so I think, 0:02:20.480 --> 0:02:23.600 naturally you kind of rebel. So I think when I 0:02:23.600 --> 0:02:26.600 was playing football, running track and fields, I always felt 0:02:26.600 --> 0:02:29.720 like I was just different kind of my approach, my mindset. 0:02:30.160 --> 0:02:32.320 And then we moved to America when I was about 0:02:32.400 --> 0:02:35.520 nine or ten, kind of in between those years, and 0:02:35.520 --> 0:02:37.639 those years are very important, right or your friends are there, 0:02:37.680 --> 0:02:41.000 your family's there, So naturally, moving from London to New York, 0:02:41.639 --> 0:02:43.240 I was like, I don't want to be here. So 0:02:43.360 --> 0:02:45.960 getting into trouble, getting kicked out of my first school, 0:02:46.520 --> 0:02:49.360 public school. Then I got kicked out of my second school, 0:02:49.720 --> 0:02:52.799 and then my mother met someone that was on the 0:02:52.880 --> 0:02:55.880 missions program for private school was to give Twistion groans 0:02:55.919 --> 0:02:58.200 because we had money at the time, but as a punishment, 0:02:58.280 --> 0:03:01.160 I had to pick up tennis, fencing or abandmonton as 0:03:01.200 --> 0:03:04.080 a punishment because that considered mental sports and I was like, oh, whatever, 0:03:04.320 --> 0:03:06.280 sports are fun, and then I was like, wait, I 0:03:06.320 --> 0:03:08.280 can pick up a sword and like to stab you right, 0:03:08.560 --> 0:03:11.519 This is like the kid's dream. And then immediately that 0:03:11.600 --> 0:03:13.760 was my purpose because you put the mask on and 0:03:13.800 --> 0:03:16.320 you feel like a superhero. And I think that was 0:03:16.840 --> 0:03:19.040 the first time I realized like, Okay, this is going 0:03:19.120 --> 0:03:21.760 to be my way out whatever I'm kind of in. 0:03:22.120 --> 0:03:26.079 And then I was very add adhd and then fencing 0:03:26.080 --> 0:03:28.400 but kind of came my outall. And as I started 0:03:28.400 --> 0:03:30.480 to get better in fencing, I started to get better 0:03:30.480 --> 0:03:32.560 in school. So that kind of ended up being a 0:03:32.560 --> 0:03:35.640 double sided sword, which ended up being my job. I 0:03:35.720 --> 0:03:38.600 kind of got very, very lucky in finding fencing because 0:03:39.240 --> 0:03:40.880 I don't know where i'd be now if I wasn't, 0:03:41.240 --> 0:03:43.000 you know, a professional fencer, which is a crazy thing 0:03:43.040 --> 0:03:43.400 to say. 0:03:43.560 --> 0:03:46.800 You know, I feel like sports when you're young are 0:03:46.880 --> 0:03:49.800 so important. What was the difference Because everyone plays sports. 0:03:49.800 --> 0:03:52.360 I played a lot of sports growing older. You're obviously 0:03:52.400 --> 0:03:55.600 phenomenal at what you do. How quickly did you realize 0:03:55.640 --> 0:03:57.800 that this could be something you were actually really good at. 0:03:58.000 --> 0:04:01.080 I think it was immediately clearly picked it up right away. 0:04:01.160 --> 0:04:04.200 And Ellen Grayson, who I love her to the death. Hello. 0:04:04.960 --> 0:04:07.160 She was like, Miles Jude, you could be an Olympian 0:04:07.200 --> 0:04:10.000 and I was like, that's infensive, really, And I think 0:04:10.080 --> 0:04:12.360 immediately I felt this connection that was like nothing else 0:04:12.400 --> 0:04:14.800 in my life, and it was like my therapy. And 0:04:14.840 --> 0:04:19.560 I think nowadays it's like kids add ADHD first things 0:04:19.560 --> 0:04:21.320 like hey, we should give them a pill or give 0:04:21.360 --> 0:04:23.800 them a drug, and I'm like, find them something that 0:04:24.120 --> 0:04:26.520 they love. I think that's the key is. And the 0:04:26.560 --> 0:04:29.240 sports are amazing because the man, if you're rich or poor, 0:04:29.440 --> 0:04:32.360 at the end of the day, it's it's who's gonna win, right, 0:04:32.600 --> 0:04:34.839 same sword in my hand, same mass on my head. 0:04:35.200 --> 0:04:37.120 And I think that's why sports are so incredible because 0:04:37.160 --> 0:04:39.600 they saved my life. I never knew at that time 0:04:39.640 --> 0:04:42.680 that it would be my you know, be or end all, 0:04:42.520 --> 0:04:46.960 but fencing literally saved my life. Wow, which is crazy 0:04:46.960 --> 0:04:47.640 to say. 0:04:47.480 --> 0:04:49.520 Yeah, but I believe you. I can feel it. Just 0:04:49.560 --> 0:04:50.920 sit with you and you say that, I'm like, wow, 0:04:50.960 --> 0:04:53.279 that's like because I feel like so many parents today 0:04:53.320 --> 0:04:55.880 are wondering, how do I get my kid to be confident? 0:04:56.040 --> 0:04:58.360 How do I get my kid to like just get 0:04:58.360 --> 0:05:01.960 out there? And I couldn't do more that you only 0:05:02.000 --> 0:05:04.400 feel confident when you have some competence, like when you 0:05:04.400 --> 0:05:06.200 feel like you have a skill, where you have an 0:05:06.240 --> 0:05:09.279 ability and you have something to do beyond scrolling on 0:05:09.320 --> 0:05:11.560 your phone or you know, watching a show while playing 0:05:11.600 --> 0:05:14.159 video games or whatever it may be for you. Talk 0:05:14.200 --> 0:05:15.800 to me about what do you think life would have 0:05:15.800 --> 0:05:17.960 looked like if you didn't find fencing that early. 0:05:18.400 --> 0:05:20.760 I honestly don't know because we're hanging around the corner shops, 0:05:20.880 --> 0:05:23.800 you know, it's getting into trouble, stealing sweets, just kind 0:05:23.800 --> 0:05:25.640 of because we didn't really know what there was for us. 0:05:25.680 --> 0:05:28.000 And I think that's also very important having a father 0:05:28.040 --> 0:05:30.280 figure in your life. And think my mom found my 0:05:30.320 --> 0:05:33.440 stepdad Colin, who I say my dad to you because 0:05:33.440 --> 0:05:35.479 he is my dad raised me. I think that's also 0:05:35.560 --> 0:05:37.320 very very important, is because you need someone's going to 0:05:37.360 --> 0:05:40.719 tell you know when they can. And I honestly don't 0:05:40.760 --> 0:05:43.120 think I would be definitely not talking to you, and 0:05:43.160 --> 0:05:46.200 I definitely don't know if I would behind the bars 0:05:46.200 --> 0:05:47.320 to be honest with you, because I was just such 0:05:47.360 --> 0:05:49.760 a crazy little kid. My friends I grew up with, 0:05:49.880 --> 0:05:52.719 you know, the plumbers happy. I was kind of the 0:05:52.720 --> 0:05:54.120 only one out of us to kind of make it 0:05:54.160 --> 0:05:55.560 out and create a name for myself. 0:05:55.760 --> 0:05:56.760 Where did you grow up in? 0:05:56.960 --> 0:06:00.400 First it was Southwest London, and then it was Ealing 0:06:01.120 --> 0:06:04.800 and then it was Putney and then Kilbourne a little bit. Yeah, yeah, 0:06:04.839 --> 0:06:07.240 and then we moved to New York. Yeah. And a 0:06:07.279 --> 0:06:11.080 really really funny story twenty twelve Olympics. My three friends Aaron, 0:06:11.120 --> 0:06:13.760 Adam and Blake that all brothers there were plumbers and 0:06:13.760 --> 0:06:17.479 they actually built the Olympic village. No, so yeah, first 0:06:17.480 --> 0:06:19.320 time I was saying that, Yeah, they literally built the village. 0:06:19.440 --> 0:06:21.040 That's so cool, and like, hey. 0:06:20.920 --> 0:06:22.520 Man, I'm building a village, Like what do you mean 0:06:22.520 --> 0:06:24.640 and like plumbing it and making it. And then they 0:06:24.800 --> 0:06:28.080 kind of got to see me compete or came. So 0:06:28.120 --> 0:06:29.440 that was a full soccer moment for me. 0:06:29.640 --> 0:06:32.680 That's amazing. That's so good man. Yeah, it's crazy and 0:06:32.680 --> 0:06:34.960 that just happened by chance. There was no connectivity or 0:06:34.960 --> 0:06:35.880 anything by chance. 0:06:36.000 --> 0:06:38.239 And I think life is obviously about Timing is everything 0:06:38.279 --> 0:06:40.080 in life, and I really believe that, and I think 0:06:40.760 --> 0:06:44.080 some things might be not the right time. Relationships, partner, sports, 0:06:44.120 --> 0:06:46.600 but sports. I think of the number one thing. If 0:06:46.600 --> 0:06:48.280 I have children, I would put them in right way. 0:06:48.960 --> 0:06:50.120 I'm not going to tell you to be a fencer. 0:06:50.160 --> 0:06:52.480 But I think just sports teach you how to lose 0:06:52.800 --> 0:06:56.880 what it feels like, integrity, listening, And I think that's 0:06:56.920 --> 0:06:57.840 what fencing taught me. 0:06:58.040 --> 0:06:59.800 I told you this before. I don't think we had 0:06:59.839 --> 0:07:02.120 a conversation about it. So I did fencing at school 0:07:02.760 --> 0:07:05.799 and I won some super amateur championships, are like fourteen, 0:07:05.880 --> 0:07:09.640 fifteen sixteen. I don't I don't, you know, maybe I'm joking. 0:07:09.800 --> 0:07:12.160 I could ever have been good enough to compete with 0:07:12.200 --> 0:07:14.840 what you do. But I loved it as a sport. Actually, 0:07:14.920 --> 0:07:17.640 I thought it was pretty It was really strategic, it 0:07:17.720 --> 0:07:21.200 was tactical. The fitness level was you know, it was challenging. 0:07:21.240 --> 0:07:23.040 I still remember it actually really well. We do it 0:07:23.080 --> 0:07:25.440 in the gym at school. Talk to me about the 0:07:25.400 --> 0:07:27.600 importance sort of a mentor though, because it sounds like 0:07:27.640 --> 0:07:29.720 you gave a shout out to someone there, and I 0:07:29.760 --> 0:07:31.960 was like, I think that's the difference. Like when I 0:07:32.000 --> 0:07:34.400 played a lot of sports at school. You've got to 0:07:34.400 --> 0:07:35.960 have someone who kind of takes you under their wing 0:07:36.040 --> 0:07:38.800 and like invests in you and makes you feel like 0:07:38.840 --> 0:07:40.600 you could go fine. I've found them in life. I 0:07:40.640 --> 0:07:43.400 found them in business. I found them in spirituality and 0:07:43.440 --> 0:07:46.320 meditation and other eras in my life, but sports is 0:07:46.360 --> 0:07:48.440 somewhere where I think a coach or a mentor is 0:07:48.560 --> 0:07:50.760 just the most important person. Talk to me about how 0:07:50.760 --> 0:07:51.560 you found yours. 0:07:51.400 --> 0:07:55.320 One hundred percent. I think Ellen Grayson and Eric Rosenberg 0:07:55.400 --> 0:07:56.760 they working at the school at the time, and they 0:07:56.800 --> 0:07:59.000 saw my potential and they actually were the first person 0:07:59.080 --> 0:08:03.120 to say get your citizenship, But I didn't realize that 0:08:03.160 --> 0:08:05.640 was gonna be who I am to this day. Without them, 0:08:05.760 --> 0:08:08.560 I would never probably see my potential and seeing how 0:08:08.600 --> 0:08:11.800 far could take fencing. And then my coach, Simon Gershan 0:08:12.560 --> 0:08:15.960 became like my dad. I can tell him everything. He's 0:08:16.040 --> 0:08:17.720 kind of teaching me that you know that you must 0:08:17.840 --> 0:08:19.600 learn how to lose before we can learn how to win, 0:08:19.760 --> 0:08:21.200 which is a tattoo I have, which I think is 0:08:21.200 --> 0:08:24.760 so important because understanding the feeling of losing as an 0:08:24.800 --> 0:08:26.520 athlete is the hardest thing you know to kind of 0:08:26.560 --> 0:08:29.080 understand and swallow. But then you have to understand what 0:08:29.120 --> 0:08:30.960 that feels like, so when you do win, you appreciate 0:08:31.000 --> 0:08:33.240 that more than ever. I taught to him. Every day 0:08:33.480 --> 0:08:36.120 i'm not feeling good, he can sense it. So to me, 0:08:36.320 --> 0:08:38.200 having a coach and a mentor and a role model 0:08:38.240 --> 0:08:40.560 is so important. I think now that's why I love 0:08:41.080 --> 0:08:43.000 being that for the kids now, which is the one 0:08:43.040 --> 0:08:44.880 reason why I saw this league. But I love seeing 0:08:44.960 --> 0:08:48.120 kids look up to me, parents ask me questions, and 0:08:48.160 --> 0:08:50.120 I think if I can be a little bit of 0:08:50.160 --> 0:08:51.720 a catalyst or are kind of a helper for them, 0:08:52.120 --> 0:08:54.360 then that's probably bigger than winning any medal I could 0:08:54.360 --> 0:08:54.719 ever win. 0:08:55.040 --> 0:08:57.920 That's such great advice. Where is your Yeah, it's someone 0:08:57.920 --> 0:09:00.920 on here, Yeah, someone on? How many teys do you have? 0:09:01.800 --> 0:09:02.800 One hundred and fifty? 0:09:03.120 --> 0:09:03.480 Really? 0:09:03.880 --> 0:09:04.120 Yeah? 0:09:04.400 --> 0:09:04.640 Mad? 0:09:04.840 --> 0:09:07.960 Yeah? Because I touched my hands because fencing were worn white. Yeah, 0:09:08.200 --> 0:09:09.400 so you know, I want to stuck out. And my 0:09:09.440 --> 0:09:11.880 mom hated it because she's, you know, a Brittish lady. 0:09:11.960 --> 0:09:13.480 Now, I remember when we were traveling as well. You've 0:09:13.480 --> 0:09:15.880 got these crazy ones on your shit as well legs. Yeah, 0:09:15.960 --> 0:09:16.760 when did you start? 0:09:16.960 --> 0:09:19.600 Twenty twelve? I got my first one in London. That's 0:09:19.679 --> 0:09:21.960 late at the Olympics. Yeah, and it says from London 0:09:22.000 --> 0:09:24.720 to London. And then I won more championships and I 0:09:24.760 --> 0:09:27.679 got the dates and I was like, I really like it, 0:09:28.040 --> 0:09:29.880 and then I just kind of went crazy with it. 0:09:29.920 --> 0:09:32.520 But they're all very very popersful, like they're not just 0:09:32.600 --> 0:09:34.719 random ones I've gotten just for the sake of it. 0:09:34.960 --> 0:09:36.200 What's the lose and win one again? 0:09:36.240 --> 0:09:38.200 Say that again, you must learn how to lose before 0:09:38.200 --> 0:09:39.000 you can learn how to win. 0:09:39.280 --> 0:09:40.120 I really like that. 0:09:40.240 --> 0:09:43.440 Yeah, that's dope, And I really understood that when I 0:09:43.480 --> 0:09:46.920 lost at the Olympics. God we got fourth, and I 0:09:46.920 --> 0:09:48.360 was like, oh wait four years and then I kind 0:09:48.360 --> 0:09:51.280 of changed my whole mentality. And then twenty thirteen it 0:09:51.360 --> 0:09:52.839 was one of my history and I was the first 0:09:52.880 --> 0:09:55.920 ever black American World champion in the history of of fencing. 0:09:56.559 --> 0:09:58.520 And I think if I didn't lose, I don't know 0:09:58.559 --> 0:10:01.040 if I'd ever win. Weird thing to kind of say, 0:10:01.600 --> 0:10:03.440 but I think it's pretty poignant, and I think it 0:10:03.520 --> 0:10:06.360 is very important for just your character and just trying 0:10:06.400 --> 0:10:07.920 to be as humble and even killed as you can, 0:10:08.040 --> 0:10:11.080 because I never understand some athletes who reach a certain 0:10:11.120 --> 0:10:13.520 peak and they just change what they are. And I 0:10:13.559 --> 0:10:16.000 think if you can keep the little kid in you, 0:10:16.200 --> 0:10:18.080 then I think you'll be able to go through life 0:10:18.080 --> 0:10:21.160 with a lot more wins than losses. 0:10:21.360 --> 0:10:24.160 It's such powerful advice I remember I had. Obviously I 0:10:24.200 --> 0:10:26.719 never competed at any any level. But I remember having 0:10:26.720 --> 0:10:29.440 a football coach who'd always say to us, he was like, 0:10:30.120 --> 0:10:32.960 if you win, celebrate for a night and then get 0:10:32.960 --> 0:10:35.599 back to training. And if you lose, cry for a 0:10:35.720 --> 0:10:37.679 night and then get back to training. And he was like, 0:10:37.720 --> 0:10:39.240 all you have to do is get back to training, 0:10:39.520 --> 0:10:41.760 said everything else is irrelevant. You can celebrate for one night, 0:10:41.800 --> 0:10:43.480 you can cry for one night, but get on with it. 0:10:43.679 --> 0:10:46.120 Because his whole point was like, when we lose, we 0:10:46.240 --> 0:10:48.760 cry for a month, and when you win, you celebrate 0:10:48.760 --> 0:10:50.400 for a night. And that's why you remember the bad 0:10:50.440 --> 0:10:52.360 times more than the good times, because when you lose 0:10:52.720 --> 0:10:55.000 you get so deep into it. Talk to me about 0:10:55.040 --> 0:10:57.480 that loss that you had the details of what it 0:10:57.520 --> 0:10:59.040 felt like to lose in that way. 0:10:59.080 --> 0:11:01.120 Well, it felt like you're life is over. At that time, 0:11:01.440 --> 0:11:04.240 my nan was there, you know, she's an African, like 0:11:04.520 --> 0:11:06.559 my aunts were uncles. Everybody supported me, and I'm like, 0:11:06.559 --> 0:11:08.920 I feel like I let everybody down and they don't 0:11:08.960 --> 0:11:10.679 care a little bit for who I am. But at 0:11:10.679 --> 0:11:13.079 that time, that was my biggest moment in sports is 0:11:13.120 --> 0:11:15.760 making the Olympics in twenty twelve in London, and I 0:11:15.800 --> 0:11:18.920 just felt like, oh, ho hometown and Shane and myself, 0:11:19.360 --> 0:11:21.640 and a really really beautiful moment for me was I'm 0:11:21.640 --> 0:11:24.760 in the village and the Bastle team walks in and 0:11:24.880 --> 0:11:28.320 Kobe walks in and he's like, hi you, and I'm like, 0:11:29.080 --> 0:11:30.839 hi you doing is that? I'm Kobe. I'm like, I 0:11:30.920 --> 0:11:33.640 know who you are. I'm Miles, I'm a fencer. And 0:11:33.679 --> 0:11:35.160 he told me this quote. I never forget it. I 0:11:35.160 --> 0:11:37.960 got tattooed my leg. He says the best athletes have 0:11:38.000 --> 0:11:40.559 the shortest memory. You win, you forget about it. You lose, 0:11:40.600 --> 0:11:42.920 you forget about it. When you've done your career, you 0:11:42.920 --> 0:11:45.360 can celebrate all you want. And I sat there and 0:11:45.440 --> 0:11:49.520 I was like wow, And immediately that grinn turned into 0:11:49.520 --> 0:11:52.320 a smile, and then I changed my whole mentality and 0:11:52.320 --> 0:11:54.200 then I won the next year I was able to 0:11:54.240 --> 0:11:57.079 tell him, which was really really beautiful. But I think 0:11:57.080 --> 0:11:58.679 when you meet someone like that who you look up 0:11:58.720 --> 0:12:02.520 to and they're just even more incredible in person, and 0:12:02.559 --> 0:12:05.080 he's just very humble and told me that from his 0:12:05.160 --> 0:12:07.199 coach and I never ever forget that. And I have 0:12:07.240 --> 0:12:09.040 a tattooed on the back of my leg with his face. 0:12:09.760 --> 0:12:13.160 So I think those moments are priceless to me, and 0:12:13.200 --> 0:12:14.880 I think if I would have won, would I've had 0:12:14.920 --> 0:12:17.199 that time with him, or would I have been able 0:12:17.240 --> 0:12:19.400 to do more on my sport. So I think everything 0:12:19.440 --> 0:12:21.079 has a reason to come into your life, whether it's 0:12:21.120 --> 0:12:24.800 positive or negative, and I'm grateful for these moments in 0:12:24.840 --> 0:12:27.360 life that you know incredible. 0:12:27.720 --> 0:12:29.920 That's such a great story and I never forget it. 0:12:30.360 --> 0:12:33.840 Kobe came on the podcast the first year of the podcast. 0:12:33.840 --> 0:12:36.880 It was brand new, we just started out, and he 0:12:36.920 --> 0:12:39.520 did exactly what you said. He walked into the room 0:12:39.520 --> 0:12:41.920 and he introduced himself as Kobe to my whole team, 0:12:42.360 --> 0:12:44.880 and everyone's like, yeah, we know exactly who you are. 0:12:45.600 --> 0:12:47.880 And my favorite memory from that day was that when 0:12:47.880 --> 0:12:50.120 we walked in, he was in his office and you 0:12:50.120 --> 0:12:51.720 could just see the silhouette of his head and his 0:12:51.760 --> 0:12:54.360 team was saying that he was meditating in there before 0:12:54.440 --> 0:12:56.040 he came to do the interview, and he said they 0:12:56.040 --> 0:12:58.720 said he did that every morning. When we finished the interview, 0:12:58.760 --> 0:13:01.160 this was a little clip. This clip, I've never put 0:13:01.160 --> 0:13:03.160 it out there because I feel it would be disrespectful, 0:13:03.200 --> 0:13:05.240 but at the end of it, he goes, I can 0:13:05.280 --> 0:13:07.120 see why you're number one, And I was just like 0:13:07.400 --> 0:13:10.400 that will like stay with me forever. He gave me 0:13:10.440 --> 0:13:12.880 the biggest hug, and yeah, I was so grateful to 0:13:13.000 --> 0:13:15.559 And that was like three months before his tragic passing, 0:13:15.640 --> 0:13:18.240 so it was like right then. But yeah, what an 0:13:18.240 --> 0:13:23.640 incredible role model, amazing energy, like so present, really humble 0:13:23.679 --> 0:13:26.640 everything you just said, Like just meeting someone at that level, 0:13:26.720 --> 0:13:29.600 that caliber, who was just so down to earth. 0:13:29.720 --> 0:13:31.040 I don't want to talk too much about it because 0:13:31.040 --> 0:13:33.840 obviously respect to him. But I was on set with 0:13:33.960 --> 0:13:38.160 Nike talking about him the day it happened. Oh, the 0:13:38.240 --> 0:13:40.840 day happened. Wow, And the Lowis actually texted me, I 0:13:40.840 --> 0:13:42.160 love every brother and I I love you too. But 0:13:42.200 --> 0:13:44.480 my phone was in the green room and I was 0:13:44.520 --> 0:13:47.880 talking about him has impact on me, and everybody just 0:13:47.920 --> 0:13:51.400 sudden silence, and I was like it was you know, 0:13:51.480 --> 0:13:53.880 and I think lots of than life is people and 0:13:54.600 --> 0:13:59.160 life's a brutal reminder, and I think it's just enjoy 0:13:59.200 --> 0:14:02.679 every moment you can, negatives or positives, and I think 0:14:02.760 --> 0:14:04.360 that's all we can do in life and just leave 0:14:04.400 --> 0:14:06.840 with love and everyone else will take care of itself. 0:14:06.880 --> 0:14:08.960 But that man was so special. 0:14:09.240 --> 0:14:10.160 Yeah, one of a kind. 0:14:10.240 --> 0:14:10.440 He was. 0:14:10.480 --> 0:14:12.080 It was one of the few athletes I knew that 0:14:12.280 --> 0:14:14.599 was peaceful in retirement. 0:14:15.320 --> 0:14:15.640 Sure. 0:14:15.960 --> 0:14:18.000 Yeah, he was really happy because he was getting he 0:14:18.040 --> 0:14:20.160 won the Oscar for the short film that was teaching 0:14:20.240 --> 0:14:24.200 lessons basketball. Yeah exactly. But I was thinking about it. 0:14:24.240 --> 0:14:27.160 You mentioned something there, you said that you're the first 0:14:27.760 --> 0:14:30.720 black person in the sport to win. I mean that just, 0:14:30.800 --> 0:14:34.040 first of all, that is a huge accomplishment. Congratulations. I 0:14:34.120 --> 0:14:36.200 just want to acknowledge an honor just what a big 0:14:36.200 --> 0:14:38.680 deal that is. But fencing is known for being a 0:14:38.680 --> 0:14:41.960 notoriously white sport. Yeah, like that's what it's always been. 0:14:42.000 --> 0:14:43.880 I assume you can film me in the history a 0:14:43.920 --> 0:14:47.280 little bit, talk to me about even breaking into something 0:14:47.360 --> 0:14:50.200 like that, because I don't that's not normal. That doesn't 0:14:50.240 --> 0:14:53.080 sound easy. I'm sure there's a lot of things to navigate, 0:14:53.120 --> 0:14:54.560 Like walk me through that experience. 0:14:54.640 --> 0:14:57.720 I was in this group class and you know, they 0:14:57.800 --> 0:14:59.160 picked me one on a team we did like a 0:14:59.200 --> 0:15:01.200 first team of it was so three people in one team, 0:15:01.280 --> 0:15:03.720 us other three and every time I was pitted lost 0:15:04.000 --> 0:15:06.320 knowing I was not the worst one, and at the 0:15:06.360 --> 0:15:08.920 time you're kind of like, all right, this is this 0:15:08.960 --> 0:15:11.200 is weird, kind of looks like me in it. And 0:15:11.240 --> 0:15:14.080 then I started to realize that no one in the 0:15:14.120 --> 0:15:16.640 sport really made a mark on them. That was my 0:15:16.720 --> 0:15:18.720 color sides Peter Westbrook, who I have to give some 0:15:18.760 --> 0:15:22.720 homage too. And then my first ever Junior Olympics, I 0:15:22.760 --> 0:15:25.960 never forget it. I got five red cards for no reason, 0:15:26.520 --> 0:15:27.960 and I knew it was because I colored my skin 0:15:28.960 --> 0:15:31.720 because the next day I won the under seventeen. I 0:15:31.800 --> 0:15:34.720 knew it. And now I've seen the referee stole to 0:15:34.720 --> 0:15:37.240 this day and I still have this this. I was 0:15:37.280 --> 0:15:39.320 like a little kid, and it's just you don't know 0:15:39.320 --> 0:15:41.160 why things are happening to you. But then as I 0:15:41.160 --> 0:15:43.520 got older, I started to realize, but just because they 0:15:43.520 --> 0:15:45.600 colored my skin, because no one in that sport had 0:15:45.640 --> 0:15:49.120 broken that mold. And there's been countless times of referees 0:15:49.320 --> 0:15:52.080 and coaches that are just racial gestures that I've never 0:15:52.080 --> 0:15:54.960 really talked about because my mum always just said, just 0:15:54.960 --> 0:15:58.520 just win and then what can they say. I've had many, 0:15:58.520 --> 0:16:02.920 many occasions from probably fourteen till seventeen eighteen. Then I 0:16:02.960 --> 0:16:05.760 was like, I'm the best now, and it's unfortunate because 0:16:05.840 --> 0:16:08.400 now there's still racism in the sport. Right. It happened 0:16:08.400 --> 0:16:10.800 with this kid in Amsterdam, and I message him right 0:16:10.800 --> 0:16:12.400 away like, you know, I have your back and I'll 0:16:12.400 --> 0:16:14.280 talk about it in a post about it because it's 0:16:14.520 --> 0:16:15.960 you need someone's going to have your back, because it's 0:16:15.960 --> 0:16:18.920 a very lonely feeling when you're the only one that 0:16:19.000 --> 0:16:21.600 has felt this way. Once I started to realize that, 0:16:22.320 --> 0:16:24.280 I made it like a positive chip on my shoulder 0:16:24.880 --> 0:16:26.760 and I was like, okay, and I never look at 0:16:26.760 --> 0:16:29.760 life as anything negative, whether it's you know, being racially 0:16:29.800 --> 0:16:32.640 profiled or losing. I always have a positive outlook on 0:16:32.680 --> 0:16:35.280 everything because it's never lost, it's always a lesson. And 0:16:35.320 --> 0:16:36.920 I think that was something that I was like, Okay, 0:16:37.280 --> 0:16:40.320 this is going to be change in the sport and 0:16:40.360 --> 0:16:43.120 I will leave fencing in good hands because I know 0:16:43.200 --> 0:16:44.880 I've changed the sport for the best. 0:16:45.080 --> 0:16:46.880 How did you handle it at the time when you 0:16:46.920 --> 0:16:48.360 didn't have someone reaching out to you. 0:16:48.560 --> 0:16:50.400 The goodly about fencing is I can take my aggression 0:16:50.400 --> 0:16:53.600 out on my opponent, so it's a positive thing for 0:16:53.680 --> 0:16:56.520 the sport to channel it. Yeah, you know, you're crying 0:16:56.520 --> 0:16:58.760 in the locker room and never crying for my mom. 0:16:59.040 --> 0:17:00.680