Share This Episode

Mindful Living

The Real Price of the Podium: Connor Fields on Recovery, Identity, and the Power of Choice

The Joy of Living Podcast with Barry Shore

What happens when everything you’ve trained for shatters in an instant?

In this powerful episode of The Joy of Living, Barry Shore welcomes Olympic gold medalist Connor Fields—an elite BMX rider whose journey from top of the podium to the trauma ward and back is nothing short of extraordinary. Connor opens up about the collision at the Tokyo Olympics that left him with a traumatic brain injury, and how he turned that life-altering moment into a daily practice of resilience, adaptability, and purpose.

With raw honesty and unshakable humility, Connor dives into what it really takes to win—not just medals, but your health, your peace of mind, and your sense of self. From his childhood lessons on commitment to navigating the haunting question of “Now what?”, Connor shares how discipline, support, and mindset became his guiding lights.

If you’ve ever faced a moment of transformation—by choice or by force—this episode will meet you there and walk with you through it.

What you’ll learn:

  • The difference between talent and tenacity
  • How to rewire your brain (literally) after trauma
  • Why rest is part of the resilience formula
  • The importance of family support and internal drive
  • How to redefine your identity after letting go of a dream
  • What “Now what?” really means—and how to answer it

This is more than a sports story. This is a masterclass in being human.

Sponsors:

AquaTru.com

Water, wonderful, clean, delightfully tasting water. So good because it keeps you healthy and your family and your friends and your pets. I use an AquaTru water filter. AquaTru water filter is a four-stage reverse osmosis purification process. And the best thing I love about it is no installation or plumbing. I got it. I sent it to my home and I was able to set it up so easily and it works and it removes 15 times more contaminants than any regular filter they ever had. And the great news is the filters are affordable and long lasting. You don’t change in every two or three months. They’ll last from six months, maybe even two years. And the result of that is that one set of filters will give you over 4,000 bottles of water. That’s less than three cents a bottle. Today, my listeners, to the joy of living, you’re gonna receive 20 % off. That’s right, 20 % off any Aqua True Purifier. Enter the code JOY at checkout. Go to AquaTru.com

Show Notes:

[12.00] Resilience Is a Choice

  • Connor defines resilience not as something you’re born with, but as a choice made daily, shaped by putting yourself in challenging situations.
  • Childhood lessons in commitment and sacrifice laid the foundation for his Olympic mindset.
  • He shares how missing out on a win at his first Olympics taught him the non-negotiable nature of grit.
  • The consistent act of showing up, even on Christmas Eve or during harsh winters, became a personal badge of honor.
  • He explains how obligation can be transformed into opportunity through mindset shifts.
  • His parents nurtured his potential without pressure, instilling responsibility, independence, and self-belief.
  • Connor emphasizes that belief must align with ability; encouragement means knowing your lane and mastering it.
  • Through deliberate choices, he trained 300 days a year—not out of duty, but because the podium demanded it.

[20.00] The Price of the Podium

  • Connor breaks down the mental reality of elite training: it’s not always joyful, but it’s always purposeful.
  • He introduces “the price of admission to the podium” as a mindset—you pay with discipline, sacrifice, and work.
  • Even Olympic champions have days they dread training, but they show up anyway.
  • He shares how his identity was shaped not by winning gold, but by consistently choosing the hard path.
  • Barry and Connor riff on the importance of intentional rest as part of peak performance.
  • The story of how the word “resilience” literally contains “rest” is both poetic and practical.
  • Connor reveals that even before his accident, resilience was already his core driver.
  • He draws a clear line between dreamers and doers: goals require non-negotiable action.

[29.00] Rewiring the Brain: Recovery After Trauma

  • Connor shares the raw truth of his Tokyo crash, from broken bones to a traumatic brain injury and a coma.
  • Waking up alone in a hospital in Japan during COVID, he discovered what happened by reading hundreds of messages and news alerts.
  • His recovery became a full-time mission, applying the same Olympic work ethic to healing.
  • Connor details how his processing speed and memory were severely affected—and how neuroplasticity gave him hope.
  • Using analogies like New York traffic and dusty neural pathways, he explains how the brain reprograms itself.
  • For 18 months, he trained his mind with relentless dedication, cutting alcohol and focusing entirely on recovery.
  • He emphasizes that choosing resilience wasn’t glamorous—it was just necessary.
  • The real gold, he says, became health, clarity, and the ability to wake up whole.

[37.00] Adaptability and the Next Chapter

  • Connor unpacks the difficult decision to retire after recovery, knowing another crash could cost him more than a medal.
  • The hardest moment came not in the hospital, but when he asked himself: “Now what?”
  • After dedicating 22 years to BMX, he faced the unknown without a clear next step.
  • Adaptability became his compass, guiding him from racing into motivational speaking.
  • He now uses his journey to help others navigate their own “Now what?” moments with clarity and courage.
  • Connor stresses that identity isn’t limited to one title; reinvention is part of being human.
  • His story demonstrates that letting go can be an act of strength, not surrender.
  • Action is the antidote to uncertainty—the answer to “Now what?” is always: move forward.

[45.00] Purpose Beyond the Podium

  • Connor reflects on how Olympic discipline carries into every part of life—how you do one thing is how you do everything.
  • Even post-retirement, he holds himself to the same high standard as when he trained for gold.
  • He reminds us that true wealth is health and the people you surround yourself with.
  • Drawing from personal loss and gain, Connor encourages listeners to never take their vitality for granted.
  • The power of gratitude, presence, and small wins are now as important to him as world records once were.
  • He speaks candidly about using his platform to inspire others, especially young people and those recovering from trauma.
  • The acronym for his name (Creating Open Nurturing Notable Ongoing Resilience) becomes a mantra for how he now lives.
  • Connor is no longer just a gold medalist; he is a guide for resilience, action, and authentic joy.

Important Links:

About Connor Fields

Connor Fields is a three-time Olympian, two-time World Champion, and the only American to win Olympic BMX Gold. At the 2021 Tokyo Games, he suffered a severe crash resulting in life-threatening injuries, requiring extensive rehabilitation. Connor emphasized focus on resilience and gained new appreciation for the importance of mental health through his recovery. He is now a keynote speaker, the host of PBS’s “Outdoor Nevada,” and an Emmy award winning NBC sports BMX commentator. His inspiring story has been featured on The Today Show, Sports Illustrated, and in Vanity Fair. Connor motivates audiences with his journey, answering the ever present question: “Now what?” Lessons of resilience, peak performance strategies, and the powerful message emphasizing the importance of even the smallest decision prepare an audience to answer their own “Now what?”