What a great interview with a fascinating Olympian! Nikki Stone shows us all that you can accomplish anything if you stick your neck out! Nikki’s latest book entitled, “When Turtles Fly”, is a compilation of others who, like Nikki, accomplished remarkable goals against all odds. Named for a story Nikki’s mother told her as a child, you will be inspired by Nikki’s incredible journey and how she became the first American to win the Olympic gold in the sport of inverted aerial skiing at the 1998 Winter games in Nagano, Japan. What made this performance so unbelievable was the fact that less than two years earlier, a chronic injury prevented her from standing much less skiing down a slope at almost 40 miles per hour.
The title of her book, “When Turles Fly”, was based on a philosophy taught to Nikki by her mother called, The Turtle Effect. She taught Nikki that to be successful you need to act like a turtle. Be soft on the inside – which is your passion for what you love; Have a hard shell – to help you over come adversity and Be willing to stick your neck out to accomplish your goals and find success in your life…..plus inspire others.
Nikki has used this outlook to overcome a spinal injury, win an Olympic gold medal and to graduate magna cum laude with her Bachelors degree and summa cum laude with her Masters degree in Sports Psychology.
Nikki’s earliest role model was Nadia Comaneci, the 14 year old Romanian gymnast who scored a perfect 10 at the 1976 Olympic games in Montreal. At age 5, Nikki was inspired by Nadia to be the best and at that early age, she set her sights on Olympic gold. We discuss the inspirational stories in her book from many well known and some not so well known heroes such as: Lindsey Vonn, Dr. Stephan Covey, Shaun White and Corporal Jason Dunham. Her book is broken down into chapters entitled: Passion, Focus, Commitment, Overcoming Adversities, Confidence, Risk and Teamwork/Support…all key ingredients and strengths needed to succeed.
Nikki’s bright outlook and motivation to overcome all obstacles shines through in her interview as well as her book, “When Turtles Fly” . These stories will move you and show you the tests that the strength of the human spirit will endure to become the best. She has not only put together this book filled with powerful life changing stories, she is also generously donating 25% of the net proceeds to the American Cancer Society. Nikki comes from a long line of strong women. Not only her mother who passed along the turtle effect philosophy, but also her grandmother who shared this wise quote with Nikki: “ Brave don’t live forever but cautious don’t live at all.”
Be sure to pick up this book and be ready to be inspired by not only Nikki’s personal story, but all of the 40 great people she carefully interview and included in her book. It will make you think about who you are and will ignite your drive to chase your dreams and fulfill your goals. All the profiles showcased outline the core principles of success and that anybody can make it no matter the background, conditions, or timing.
Enjoy this interview and to find out more about Nikki and her availability for motivational speaking engagements, go to her site at: www.nikkistone.com or to find out more about her book, go to: www.whenturtlesfly.com
