Greatness Isn’t Accidental: Intentional Living with Sanya Richards-Ross

0:00Do you want to be great? And I said, yeah, of course. Why else would I be doing this? And he says, no, baby. Do you really want to be great? And it was the first time that I realized that being great was not just going to happen because I was extremely talented. It was only going to happen if I was intentional about doing all the things to get there.

0:29Mick:so ladies and gentlemen welcome back to another exciting episode of mick unplugged and today i'm honored to be sitting with someone that you know as an olympic gold medalist a world champion an amazing mother but i know her as an amazing human being i am talking about none other than the infamous, the amazing, the fabulous Miss Sonia Richards-Ross. Sonia, how are you doing today, dear? I'm amazing, Mick. Thank you so much for having me. Thank you for that wonderful introduction. I'm just so excited for our conversation today. I'm the honored one. You know, I feel like over the last couple of months, I've really gotten to know you.

1:09Mick:I mean, I knew who you were, what you were about, your story. Again, the human that you are speaks volumes. I always tell people your legacy speaks when you don't have to and the legacy that you've built and that you are continuing to build. Thank you. As a mother, as a friend, as a business person. I'm just so excited to have you here. Thank you so much. That means a lot coming from you because I just have so much admiration and respect for what you've built as well. So it really means a lot. Amazing. Well, you know how I always start this off. Yes. And I ask about your be caught. Yeah. That's that thing that's deeper than your why.

1:47Mick:And it changes, right? And I would say for you with motherhood, your because has probably changed. So if I were to say, Sonia, today, what's your because? Why do you keep doing the things that you do? Yeah. I know that's how you start your show, so I was really thinking about it. And I like that you say because and not why, because everyone says your why. And I think because kind of feels a little bit different. As I was driving into your studio, I was like, what is my because? And I actually have three. I have three. So my because is because I have one life, because I'm a mom, and because I can.

2:20Those are the three things that I feel like are the things that excite me, that get me up every day. I have one life, and I feel very blessed to be in this life and to have this experience. And so I want to just live it to the fullest. I want to have every experience. I want to do everything that I feel like God has called me to be. So that's my because I have one life. because I'm a mom. I think that one's self-explanatory, but my boys inspire me in ways I never thought possible. And I want for them to be the best that they can be. So I want them to see that example in me. I want them to feel the support, feel the love.

2:57And so they're a huge part of my because, and because I can, because I believe that anything I put my mind to, I can do it. And so that drives me as well.

3:06Mick:So I want to start with that last one, because you can. That's a book, by the way. I'm going to go ahead and say that that is your next thing because you can because I believe in that. I know for you, you know, growing up in Jamaica and where track and field is it. Huge. Is it? Is it, right? And it's one of those things. And I don't think people, and I love Jamaica. Montego Bay is my spot, right? And I don't think people understand the culture, the love that Jamaica has. But then also, you know, there are certain times where it's like you see visions and you're only going to go so far. And I say the same thing in the United States, right?

3:50Mick:Like there are places you grow up and it's like, I'm only going to go so far here. Right. At seven. Is that where Because I Can started? Absolutely. Absolutely. Absolutely. I think, and I always say this, I feel like I got the best of both worlds being born in Jamaica, where track and field was the most popular sport, where black excellence was always all around me. And I mean, the person that really, really instilled in me that I could and that I would and that I could and I can was my dad. Like, I remember when I was nine years old, I wrote for a great assignment that I'd be an Olympic champion.

4:27Okay. And I had no idea at the time. I had set this huge goal for my life. But as early as I can remember, my dad would always say, you're going to be a world beater. You're the best. You're the best. And I think he said it so much to the point that I started to believe in myself. And so for me, the foundation was certainly set by my environment, being in Jamaica, seeing excellence all around me, seeing what was possible in track and field, and then being able to migrate to the United States where I just had access to so many great resources, incredible coaches you know I think the combination truly allowed me to live out that dream and then once I did that that spirit of I can has just never left yeah yeah you can and you did you're

5:08Mick:gonna continue to do it and you know it's that thing that I appreciate about you I mean we've seen your dominance and I know you don't like to talk about it in that sense so this is me giving you your flowers right thank you like there's only been one you right you've accomplished things that i can honestly say no one else has yeah and it's that because i can't that that attitude that mantra yeah talk to us about you know now you're at the university of texas yeah and track and field right is the thing like jamaica texas everybody thinks football now but i can promise you Track and field is the thing at Texas University as well.

5:55Mick:Talk to us about competing at that level and finding your true sense then. Yeah. Going to the University of Texas, I only competed for UT for two years before becoming professional. But they were certainly extremely important years for me when it came to seeing myself as a potential professional athlete and really understanding what it was going to take to be the best in the world. Because there are certainly levels to it, right? Like you're the best in middle school, best in high school. But to be the best in college, it really took a lot of discipline because it wasn't just only the track portion.

6:33It was the school and like managing all of those things that I think really differentiates the ones that are able to make it to the next level. And so being nurtured at the University of Texas, I credit for sure with being able to transition and have a 13-year professional career because I started to understand how all the little things truly add up to make you, you know, the best in the world. And so, you know, from going in the weight room 6 a.m. in the morning to eating well, resting, you know, we had a nutritionist, we had a massage therapist. Like, you know, they did a really good job of laying kind of the blueprint of what it takes to be a great athlete.

7:11And so, you know, coupling that with obviously I was an MIS major, so my school load was also heavy. I really think all of those things prepared me for what it took to be able to build a team professionally, put the right people in place to help support me to be my best. So it was awesome. I also met the love of my life there. So, you know, to be able to go to Texas. Mr. Aaron. Yes. My husband, Aaron Ross, two-time Super Bowl champ for the Giants. So also being able to find that kind of partnership, that kind of love and support, you know, all of those things happened for me at Texas. And I look back at those as two of the best years of my life.

7:47Mick:I'm pausing because I'm a New England patriot. I'm sorry, my friend. I'm sorry. Yeah, Aaron. I'm sorry. Bro, we got to talk. Off air. You know 17 and 0. That perfect season. Okay, you triggered me a little bit. It's all right. Come back, Nick. Let's come back to you. Let's come back to you. And so this next part, I call my unplugged truth, so the unplugged truth.

8:19Mick:And I'm going to start with this truth, and I teased it a little bit. There's only one you, right? And we talk about that dominance that you had. Here's my truth. There's never been a 400-meter sprinter. that has dominated track and field like you have. Thank you. And when you hear that and you really take that in, like what goes through your mind? I think about all the hard work, the people that really poured into me. I think as you get older, you really, really value those things even more. Like the coaches that sacrificed to be there. My coach recently passed away, Coach Clyde Hart, who I just love so much.

9:10Thank you. He coached at Baylor for 50 years. You talk about excellence and longevity and consistency. Coach Clyde Hart embodies all of those things, and I think he is the greatest 400-meter coach of all time. But when you think about the people who make the sacrifice to help you to live your dream, you know, I have a coach, Bruce Johnson. He's the one that comes to mind when I think about sacrifices. I used to train between Austin, Texas, and Waco. It was about an hour and a half drive. And Coach Bruce Johnson was my strength coach, and he would drive to come to my training sessions on the track two or three times a week just to make sure that it was complementary to what we're doing in the weight room.

9:50And that level of commitment and sacrifice that you just don't find people that do that. And so when I think about my excellence on the track and the fact that I've run the most sub 50s ever run in history and was the, thank you, had the American record for 19 years and won only the second gold medal for Team USA. I think about those people and their love and their sacrifice and their commitment to helping me be great. And my loved ones, my mom and dad, who were there for every single track meet. My dad came to every workout. My dad moved. When I went to Texas, my family, after my sophomore season, moved to Texas as well.

10:28And when I started working with Coach Clyde Hart after my sophomore year, my dad would drive me to Waco every day. He would stay with me in Waco. So I had someone there with me because, you know, parents understand at that age how important it is to have that kind of support. And so, you know, as a parent now, I look back on those sacrifices and I get really emotional because that takes a lot to do that for someone that you love. So I won't get too emotional, but yeah, I think about the people that poured into me and loved on me and helped me to live that very radical dream.

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11:34Mick:Your savings grow at a rate nine times the national average. And if you're ever in a pinch, Spot Me spots you up to$200 fee-free. Join the millions who are already banking fee-free with America's number one choice for banking. Head to chime.com slash Mick. That is chime.com slash Mick. It only takes a few minutes to sign up, and Mick Unplugged listeners can earn up to an extra$350. Amen to that. Amen to that. And you hit on something I was actually going to talk about. You know, we've had a lot of great success in track and field in the United States. Yeah, yeah, absolutely. Yeah. And on the women's side in sprinting, we've had some really, really good success.

12:18Mick:Yeah. With the 400 Jew. The 400 Jew. I mean, there's been, what, two American women who won gold? Only two. And one of them is right here? Yeah. Multiple times? Yeah. And you talk about all the sub 50s. Yeah. Like, here's an unplugged truth. I don't know if I could ride a bicycle sub 50 on the 400. Like, people don't understand how daunting the 400 is. Yes. And just the, I personally think it's more mental than anything. It's more mental than physical. 200. Yeah. It's physical talent. Right. For sure. Right. But the 400 is timing. Yes. It's really you against you. And people look at it and you've got competitors in the different lanes and all that.

13:04Mick:But it's really you versus you. And you can't get distracted, right? Like somebody's going to come out of the gate strong. And you know how that goes. Talk about the mentality of the 400. Yeah, it's such a good question, Mick. And I don't think a lot of people really appreciate that because they look at all sprints as kind of the same. But the 400 is its own beast. and if you're inside the sport, people will say the 400 is the hardest race on the track because they appreciate that. It is mentally and physically so challenging, so taxing, and you kind of have to strike the balance perfectly in order to win, you know, where you're trying to have that perfect balance of speed and endurance to be able to maintain and to be able to win.

13:44So it challenges you in every single way. But I want to share the strategy that my coach actually, we used to win the 400 that I also think applies to life. So we called it the four Ps. Okay. And there was a fifth silent P that I'll share. So the first P is push. The second P was pace. Third P, position. And then the final P, poise. And also pray. There you go. You needed to pray the last hundred. Yeah. But, you know, this is the strategy that I wrote about in my book. And I also say I think it applies to life because I do feel like the 400 does mimic life when it comes to how challenging it is physically and emotionally.

14:22in the ways that we can be challenged in life. So the first 50, you got to push out the blocks as hard as you can. You forget you're running a 400. You run it like a pure sprint because that's the only part of the race where your speed does not impact the final 400. It doesn't dip into your systems and start to affect how you're going to feel in the final 400. So you get out as hard as you can. So I think about life when you're doing something new, there's this like, you know, energy you have, like you're pushing with all your might, you know, you're doing the new podcast, doing the new show and you're like enthusiastic and you have this push and excitement.

14:51But then you got to pace yourself, right? So after 50 meters for the next 150, before you get to the 200 meter mark, you've got to find your pace, right? And this is where you don't slow down, but you settle into a rhythm that you can maintain. I think the same thing with life. You start this new project, then you got to start pacing yourself, right? You got to find a rhythm because you will burn out, right? If you try to keep that pace over and over again, a lot of times that's why a lot of people quit or fail is because they burn out. And so you got to pace yourself and find a good rhythm. And then the third P, Coach Hart would always say, was the most important P.

15:25This is where you have to position yourself to win the race. So you talked about that in the 400, how a lot of times it is like mano a mano. It's just me versus me. So for the first 200, I'm not looking at anybody else. I'm just solely focused on getting out hard and hitting my pace, the pace that feels good to me. I don't want to get distracted and run too fast because this person's gone out too fast. I got to stay focused. But in the 300, now I got to start looking. Where are people at? How do I position myself to win this race? Same thing in life. I feel a lot of times when you're starting on something new, you got to position yourself for success.

15:57Sometimes that means moving to LA to get the opportunity, going to the right university, like putting yourself physically in position to be successful. And then the final hundred was all about poise. So this is the part of the race where the mind is telling you, okay, we need to stop, pull over. What's going on? Why are we running so fast for so long? Right, right. And you have to like quiet that chatter in your mind. stay poised and focus on the finish line and trust that everything that you have done is going to show up and you're going to be able to cross the finish line first. And the same way I always say it's like there comes a moment in your career where you're going to have to trust the process.

16:32You're going to have to show up with poise and confidence, go on camera knowing you've done it, do the interview, do the presentation with the poise, knowing you have done all this work. And then we always say you pray, and this is continuously throughout, you know, just trusting God, asking God for guidance. But those were the four Ps that I had to use every single time I was racing that proved successful 99 % of the time. When I didn't run the backstretch too fast and I maintained my pace, I was really able to be successful and to cross the finish line first.

17:01Mick:So I love that strategy and the parallel to life. And I'm thinking business and leadership outside of that. Like, that's amazing because I only had one P. I ran the 400 one time and it was pass out because as soon as I crossed over, it was a wrap. I was out. And I said, I'll go throw the discus and do the hundred. And I was good. I was good. It's funny. That's a good one. No, no, but amazing. And so we talked a lot about what you've done in track. And I want to go to the segment I call hot tape. So I'm going to give you a hot take right now. And I'm going to look at the camera when I do this. So you've heard a lot of Sonya's accolades.

17:44Mick:Right. Can't be touched. Here's a hot take. As much as you think she accomplished and track. She's even better off the track. Sonny, I told you this when I met you for your show Beyond the Curve, by the way, go make sure you're checking that out. Yes, thank you. But. Seeing you in action in the business world and the team and family you've surrounded yourself with. is so impeccable. I don't know many better leaders of people than you because of a few things and in no order. But when I think of you, this is the truth. I think of excellence. I think of standards. I think of family. And I think getting it done.

18:36Mick:Those are the four things that I think about you outside of track, how did what you did in track and the dominance that you had and the standards that you have, how did that work for you when track was done? And it's like, hey, I still have more things I want to accomplish. And I would say recognizing you, for me personally, for the things you've done off the track is what I'm most proud of for you. Thank you so much. I really appreciate that. I also truly appreciate, I remember when I had a mentor years ago and he said to me, you have to think of like three or four pillars of your brand. I was still running when he was telling me this.

19:25And he was like, you know, what are the things that are important to you? And so I had those things in my mind. And then he says, okay, those are the things you want to present to the world and everything that you're doing. Everything that you're doing, and you want to show that. So the fact that you literally said four things of which three of those things were on my list. Really? Yes, excellence, family. So when I did this a few years ago, I wanted to show people I was excellence, family, and not get it done. My word in my head was like, I think it was completion or one of those words. And so for you to be able to regurgitate to me the very same things that I hoped to put out there, It just means so much to me because it means that I've done a pretty good job of really trying to set those standards.

20:07And so for me, I remember when I was in high school, my dad said to me, as I was like, my career was going great. I was the high school athlete of the year, broke the high school national record that still stands today in the 400. I mean, things were going really well for me on the track. And my dad said, Santa, I never want you to be one dimensional. I want you to always see yourself beyond being a track and field athlete. And so ever as early as that, I remember always thinking to myself, how will these skills that I am developing and honing, how will I be able to use them post track and field?

20:41How will these skills serve me in whatever I choose to do next? And so in my final year of my career in 2016, I remember being extremely intentional about my transition because I knew I was going to retire that year because I had had three surgeries on my right big toe after London. So I won the Olympics effectively on a broken big toe. My doctor had wanted me to have surgery prior to the Olympics. And I was like, no, I'm not taking that risk. Thank God I didn't. Because my first surgery was not successful. I was out all of 2013. I think a super long story short, I had three surgeries before the 2016 Olympics.

21:14And so I felt to myself, my quality of life is equally important to me. I don't want to keep doing this thing that could potentially cause me even further damage. So I knew I was going to retire in 2016. And so that entire year, I was really intentional. I said this prayer the entire year. I said, God, thank you so much for this incredible gift that has allowed me to see the entire world. But I know that every blessing is not meant to last a lifetime. And so, God, as I give this gift back to you, I pray that you leave all the good stuff with me, all the memories, all the lessons as I begin to see myself as more than an athlete.

21:45And so that whole year I'm like, you know, okay, what do I love to do? I knew I love television. I knew that I love business. I knew I loved, you know, bringing people together. And so when the commentator, who is my now colleague, Lewis Johnson interviewed me after my final race, he said to me, what will you do next? You've dominated on the track. What can we see you do next? And Mick, I had thought about it for a whole year. So I said, I want to start a family. I want to write a book and I want to start commentating. And I literally wrote three books. I was in the commentating booth three days after that interview and I got three boys.

22:16So I was able to check that full list. But to make a long answer, very short make, I think it was my intentionality. You know, I didn't wait for life to happen. I didn't wait for the retirement and then start thinking, okay, what will I do next? I was intentional two years prior to retirement and especially the last year about, okay, how do I parlay all of these things? And I tell you, everything that I learned in track and field has a place in business. I have, you know, the resiliency, the hard work, the determination, the focus, the delayed gratification, all of it, you know, it shows up in my business world.

22:50And I'm just so grateful. I'm so grateful for the experiences.

22:53Mick:I love all of that. And, you know, I kind of talked about Beyond the Curve a moment ago. Talk to us about starting that show and why you wanted to do it and what you see happening with that going into the future. Yeah. So I was very, very fortunate to have Mick on my show. This is going to be the first season of the show. And once again, this show is an answered prayer. I asked God, I really wanted to have my own show and I wasn't sure if it would be a podcast or a TV show, but I knew that I wanted to have conversations like this with great people who I admired. And I wanted to talk about things that felt really authentic to me.

23:30And so the show is called Beyond the Curve because I talk to people who have pushed beyond that first curve in their life, which means to me, they have done this incredible thing that they loved, but yet they continue to push beyond and continue to do great things. And so the show is slated to start this fall. I got a call, make a random call from Scripps Network. And they were like, hey, we want to put together this show. Would you be interested? And what I loved was that they allowed me to have a lot of creative input. So I'm executive producer on the show. So the show starts with, I open up the show, tell them who my guests are, have wonderful guests.