In this powerful and inspiring episode of Passion Struck, Olympic figure skater and gold medalist Vincent Zhou joins John R. Miles to reveal what it truly takes to make your gold medal dreams a reality. From his early days as a fiercely competitive child to landing the first-ever quad Lutz in Olympic history, Vincent shares the grit, sacrifice, and relentless mindset required to compete at the highest level.
He opens up about the unimaginable heartbreak of missing his individual Olympic event in 2022 due to COVID, the resilience it took to keep going, and the symbolic weight of finally receiving his gold medal—two and a half years later.
Vincent also dives into the power of mentorship, community, and character-building, and how he’s now using his journey to inspire and support the next generation of elite athletes through the Institute for Civic Leadership (ICL).
Full Shownotes here:
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
- How to turn early passion into an elite-level career
- The power of grit and why talent alone isn’t enough
- How to overcome setbacks and mental blocks in high-performance fields
- What it was like to compete against childhood idols—and win
- Why mentorship and community are critical for long-term success
- The emotional toll of losing an Olympic opportunity and how to recover
- How Vincent ultimately achieved his gold medal dream—and why it meant more than just winning
For more information on Vincent Zhou: https://www.instagram.com/govincentzhou/)
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**Next on Passion Struck:**In the next episode of Passion Struck, John sits down with Anne Marie Anderson, an Emmy Award-winning broadcaster, sports journalist, and leadership expert. Anne Marie has spent years breaking barriers in sports media, navigating high-stakes environments, and coaching top athletes and executives on leadership, resilience, and communication. In our conversation, we'll dive into the mental frameworks of high performers, the art of storytelling, and how to build confidence in any field.
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