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Sochi Olympics, All About the “Spoice”

by Beth on February 18th, 2014

When Sage Kotsenburg won a gold medal in slopestyle, his message was to “keep it spoice!” According to the urban dictionary, “spoice is an exclamation of gratitude towards life. It’s the proper word to use when you find yourself in a situation involving a multitude of positive things at once. You may only utter it with pure joy behind it.” After winning her gold for slopestyle, Jamie Anderson shared the “spoice” saying, “Gratification for life. We’re all so blessed to be able to travel the world together and snowboard. It’s our passion. We love it.”

Gratitude isn’t the only example of the power of positivity in Sochi. Jamie also recognizes the value of living in the moment. She meditates, practices yoga, and has been rereading Eckhart Tolle’s The Power of Now to remind herself to be mindful. I’m sure Jamie’s gold medal is due in part to her ability to stay present and focused throughout years of training.

Sage says he relieves stress by “hanging out with friends”. I bet it would be hard to find an Olympic athlete who wouldn’t point to the essential role that family and friends have played in his or her success. Alex Bilodeau, who won a gold medal for Canada in freestyle skiing, is a great example. The first thing he did after his win was to embrace his brother, Frederic, who has cerebral palsy. When asked what his brother said, he responded, “What he always says, I love you, Alex!” On days when he doesn’t feel like training, Alex thinks of his brother and how he would give anything to be able to get out there and ski. “Out of respect for my brother I have to go after these dreams and to do all within my power to try to make it happen.”

The mothers of ice dancing partners Meryl Davis and Charlie White, who won a gold medal yesterday, have traveled the world with their children for the last 17 years, supporting them as they compete. In just about any interview with Meryl and Charlie you will hear them repeat, “We could not have done this without the support of our parents.”

Gratitude, mindfulness, and supportive relationships can help us all to achieve our life goals. Here’s to the “spoice”!

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