As an Olympic athlete, I don’t do motivation. | Cleopatra Borel | TEDxPortofSpain

[Music]

[Music] you

I’ve been an Olympic athlete for

I’ve been an Olympic athlete for Trinidad and Tobago for over ten years

Trinidad and Tobago for over ten years

Trinidad and Tobago for over ten years [Applause]

and during my journey in the arena I’ve

and during my journey in the arena I’ve gone through many interviews I’m the

gone through many interviews I’m the

gone through many interviews I’m the number one question that I’m asked it’s

number one question that I’m asked it’s

number one question that I’m asked it’s clear how do you stay motivated whenever

clear how do you stay motivated whenever

clear how do you stay motivated whenever they ask me a question I kind of like

they ask me a question I kind of like

they ask me a question I kind of like because as a young person growing up in

because as a young person growing up in

because as a young person growing up in the era when my mom said to my siblings

the era when my mom said to my siblings

the era when my mom said to my siblings and I I’ll bring some motivation over

and I I’ll bring some motivation over

and I I’ll bring some motivation over there for you all you know it was never

there for you all you know it was never

there for you all you know it was never a good thing so I don’t do motivation

a good thing so I don’t do motivation

a good thing so I don’t do motivation instead I use three simple steps to

instead I use three simple steps to

instead I use three simple steps to success because ultimately I believe

success because ultimately I believe

success because ultimately I believe everyone wants to be successful so my

everyone wants to be successful so my

everyone wants to be successful so my journey started in me arrow as I

journey started in me arrow as I

journey started in me arrow as I mentioned and it started when I was very

mentioned and it started when I was very

mentioned and it started when I was very young I was nine years old and I was

young I was nine years old and I was

young I was nine years old and I was looking at the Olympics and I was drawn

looking at the Olympics and I was drawn

looking at the Olympics and I was drawn in I wanted to be an Olympian

in I wanted to be an Olympian

in I wanted to be an Olympian I loved the Olympics they were

I loved the Olympics they were

I loved the Olympics they were everything to me and every four years

everything to me and every four years

everything to me and every four years they came around and I fell in love with

they came around and I fell in love with

they came around and I fell in love with them however I was always disappointed

them however I was always disappointed

them however I was always disappointed that we didn’t have athletes from

that we didn’t have athletes from

that we didn’t have athletes from Trinidad and Tobago on my television I

Trinidad and Tobago on my television I

Trinidad and Tobago on my television I would support athletes from Cuba or

would support athletes from Cuba or

would support athletes from Cuba or Jamaica which is great I love my

Jamaica which is great I love my

Jamaica which is great I love my Caribbean people but I craved the

Caribbean people but I craved the

Caribbean people but I craved the opportunity to support my team Team T&T

opportunity to support my team Team T&T

opportunity to support my team Team T&T so at some point I decided well if you

so at some point I decided well if you

so at some point I decided well if you want to see local athletes on the TV

want to see local athletes on the TV

want to see local athletes on the TV maybe you should build a local athlete

maybe you should build a local athlete

maybe you should build a local athlete on the TV so I decided

so I decided I would go to the Olympics

so I decided I would go to the Olympics for Trinidad and Tobago but coming out

for Trinidad and Tobago but coming out

for Trinidad and Tobago but coming out of my arrow we really didn’t have the

of my arrow we really didn’t have the

of my arrow we really didn’t have the resources to support that dream and

resources to support that dream and

resources to support that dream and sadly to say it’s still the same to this

sadly to say it’s still the same to this

sadly to say it’s still the same to this day but I’m gonna change that so as I

day but I’m gonna change that so as I

day but I’m gonna change that so as I went through high school my dream of

went through high school my dream of

went through high school my dream of being an Olympian it started to die and

being an Olympian it started to die and

being an Olympian it started to die and slowly dwindle in my spirit so I decided

slowly dwindle in my spirit so I decided

slowly dwindle in my spirit so I decided to migrate to the US and pursue a career

to migrate to the US and pursue a career

to migrate to the US and pursue a career in physical therapy I was gonna help

in physical therapy I was gonna help

in physical therapy I was gonna help other athletes make it to the Olympics I

other athletes make it to the Olympics I

other athletes make it to the Olympics I was gonna help others achieve the dream

was gonna help others achieve the dream

was gonna help others achieve the dream that was dying inside of me but every

that was dying inside of me but every

that was dying inside of me but every once in a while I would see the members

once in a while I would see the members

once in a while I would see the members of the track team they were all kitted

of the track team they were all kitted

of the track team they were all kitted out in their university gear they walked

out in their university gear they walked

out in their university gear they walked and it seemed like their feet didn’t

and it seemed like their feet didn’t

and it seemed like their feet didn’t touch the ground and I would look at

touch the ground and I would look at

touch the ground and I would look at them and say Cleo that should have been

them and say Cleo that should have been

them and say Cleo that should have been you you would have been great

you you would have been great

you you would have been great you’d have turned up every day you would

you’d have turned up every day you would

you’d have turned up every day you would have worked really hard and you would

have worked really hard and you would

have worked really hard and you would have never complained but life went on

have never complained but life went on

have never complained but life went on and I continued as an average student

and I continued as an average student

and I continued as an average student until one day my landlord started the

until one day my landlord started the

until one day my landlord started the process to evict me from my home the

process to evict me from my home the

process to evict me from my home the agent I had hired in Trinidad to rent an

agent I had hired in Trinidad to rent an

agent I had hired in Trinidad to rent an apartment for me in the u.s. stole my

apartment for me in the u.s. stole my

apartment for me in the u.s. stole my rent money for an entire year I know

rent money for an entire year I know

rent money for an entire year I know what are you going to do when all that

what are you going to do when all that

what are you going to do when all that money is gone I was stressed and I

money is gone I was stressed and I

money is gone I was stressed and I decided that the possibility of losing

decided that the possibility of losing

decided that the possibility of losing everything gave me the courage to reach

everything gave me the courage to reach

everything gave me the courage to reach for the one thing I really wanted to be

for the one thing I really wanted to be

for the one thing I really wanted to be a truck and feel a fleet and maybe get a

a truck and feel a fleet and maybe get a

a truck and feel a fleet and maybe get a scholarship for holes in you know

so one day I boldly walked into the

so one day I boldly walked into the truck which his office and I said coach

truck which his office and I said coach

truck which his office and I said coach I want to be on your team and he said

I want to be on your team and he said

I want to be on your team and he said what do you do shut put how far you

what do you do shut put how far you

what do you do shut put how far you threw nine meters the coach almost fell

threw nine meters the coach almost fell

threw nine meters the coach almost fell out of his chair laughing at me

out of his chair laughing at me

out of his chair laughing at me the average University shot-putter

the average University shot-putter

the average University shot-putter throws 16 meters well beyond my ability

throws 16 meters well beyond my ability

throws 16 meters well beyond my ability I didn’t care I begged for the

I didn’t care I begged for the

I didn’t care I begged for the opportunity and I begged and finally he

opportunity and I begged and finally he

opportunity and I begged and finally he said alright man

said alright man

said alright man he was jamika I finally had my shot and

he was jamika I finally had my shot and

he was jamika I finally had my shot and I was gonna take it so what did I do

I was gonna take it so what did I do

I was gonna take it so what did I do I implemented my three-step program

I implemented my three-step program

I implemented my three-step program which guarantees success what is it the

which guarantees success what is it the

which guarantees success what is it the first step is to completely immerse this

first step is to completely immerse this

first step is to completely immerse this is how amos completely immerse yourself

is how amos completely immerse yourself

is how amos completely immerse yourself into the vision that you have for

into the vision that you have for

into the vision that you have for yourself I call that my champion vision

yourself I call that my champion vision

yourself I call that my champion vision once I became an athlete I no longer got

once I became an athlete I no longer got

once I became an athlete I no longer got dressed to go to school I was always in

dressed to go to school I was always in

dressed to go to school I was always in sneakers and sweats I eat healthy I

sneakers and sweats I eat healthy I

sneakers and sweats I eat healthy I train like a beast

train like a beast

train like a beast and I even discontinued sober partying

and I even discontinued sober partying

and I even discontinued sober partying yes ladies and gentlemen I was focused

yes ladies and gentlemen I was focused

yes ladies and gentlemen I was focused the next step is to surround yourself

the next step is to surround yourself

the next step is to surround yourself with great people these are my coaches

with great people these are my coaches

with great people these are my coaches my therapist and my manager these were

my therapist and my manager these were

my therapist and my manager these were the people there to guide my journey

the people there to guide my journey

the people there to guide my journey because no one can’t do it alone it’s

because no one can’t do it alone it’s

because no one can’t do it alone it’s important to have great mentors and the

important to have great mentors and the

important to have great mentors and the final step touch even your champion

final step touch even your champion

final step touch even your champion vision is to be true to yourself nothing

vision is to be true to yourself nothing

vision is to be true to yourself nothing is more important than to be your

is more important than to be your

is more important than to be your authentic self my first vision of female

authentic self my first vision of female

authentic self my first vision of female supporters were large European women

they were all over six feet tall I’m

they were all over six feet tall I’m barely Fiserv when I tell people I’m 5/8

they had massive quads and you wouldn’t

they had massive quads and you wouldn’t believe the grimaces on their face so

believe the grimaces on their face so

believe the grimaces on their face so what it clear do well I try to make my

what it clear do well I try to make my

what it clear do well I try to make my cords look better and I would walk a

cords look better and I would walk a

cords look better and I would walk a wrong track nice like this I can’t

wrong track nice like this I can’t

wrong track nice like this I can’t really win I know that took so much

really win I know that took so much

really win I know that took so much energy I was so stressed but I was

energy I was so stressed but I was

energy I was so stressed but I was trying to be like the best in the world

trying to be like the best in the world

trying to be like the best in the world but I could only be the best cool that I

but I could only be the best cool that I

but I could only be the best cool that I can be so the day I gave up that charade

can be so the day I gave up that charade

can be so the day I gave up that charade and I learned to be myself is the day I

and I learned to be myself is the day I

and I learned to be myself is the day I truly became a champion lady

today I encourage you to go after your

today I encourage you to go after your champion vision my vision was to be a

champion vision my vision was to be a

champion vision my vision was to be a great athlete yours maybe to be a

great athlete yours maybe to be a

great athlete yours maybe to be a musician to be a physician whatever you

musician to be a physician whatever you

musician to be a physician whatever you want to do use my three-step system and

want to do use my three-step system and

want to do use my three-step system and I guarantee you success it won’t be easy

I guarantee you success it won’t be easy

I guarantee you success it won’t be easy for you it was not easy for me but if

for you it was not easy for me but if

for you it was not easy for me but if you immerse yourself find great mentors

you immerse yourself find great mentors

you immerse yourself find great mentors and stay true to yourself you can do it

and stay true to yourself you can do it

and stay true to yourself you can do it we must know that we are enough only you

we must know that we are enough only you

we must know that we are enough only you can serve your purpose we have enough

can serve your purpose we have enough

can serve your purpose we have enough here in Trinidad and Tobago to achieve

here in Trinidad and Tobago to achieve

here in Trinidad and Tobago to achieve great things

great things

great things thank you