Olympian & Cancer Survivor Jillion Potter on Overcoming Adversity in Life and Rugby
- Author
- Michael Silverman
- Published
- Tue 16 Mar 2021
- Episode Link
- https://shows.acast.com/what-didnt-kill-you-with-michael-silverman/episodes/the-rugby-player-that-single-handed-adversitys-worst-defeat
Joining me today is Jillion Potter, olympian, cancer survivor, mom, and now executive at EY. We had a fantastic conversation about her journey into becoming a member of the American Rugby team, participating in two World Championships, and becoming a Team USA member in the Rio 2016 Olympics after defeating cancer for the second time. Jill shares so much great wisdom, including how we can help ourselves in times of adversity and remembering that we always have a choice about how to respond.
In this episode, Jillion and I take a walk through her life experiences and what she could take from them to grow and become stronger. She explained how a rare accident during her early years in rugby helped her deal with cancer diagnose many years later. We talked about the importance of embracing uncertainty, self-compassion, and not getting hung up on the outcome.
Jill is the epitome of strength and grace while facing incredible odds and I'm honored to have had her on the show!
To learn more about Jillion's fantastic story of bravery, resilience, and determination, tune in to Episode 19 of What Didn't Kill You.
Some Questions I Ask:
- I'd love to start out by asking you how did you become an Olympian? (1:20)
- When you broke your neck, was that the first major challenge you had to overcome and return to the sport? (7:19)
- When in your athletic journey did the cancer diagnosis initially come? (10:07)
- And so, you start going through chemo; how far out is this goal of being at the Olympics? (18:00)
- What was the reception from the International Rugby community with you there (after defeating cancer)? (28:24)
In This Episode, You Will Learn:
- A rugby accident that helped to deal with more severe problems years later (3:51)
- A poor judgment that could have led to a catastrophe (10:35)
- You have to be at your best when things are at their worst (15:29)
- Focusing on the things we can control (17:21)
- How amazingly supportive the rugby community can be (19:30)
- The power of embracing uncertainty and accepting impermanence (35:39)
Connect with Jillion:
Let's connect:
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- What Didn't Kill You - Website
- What Didn't Kill You - E-mail
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