Olympic Gold Medalist LaShawn Merritt Inspires Students Through "Merritt Mindset"
“Connect. Care. Thrive.” LaShawn Merritt, a Portsmouth native and three-time Olympic gold medalist, kicked off LEAP Term by inspiring students through his Merritt Mindset. Following his inspirational remarks, Merritt worked with students in the Watt-Baker Gymnasium through a series of interactive workshops entitled the “Merritt Mindset.”
This year’s LEAP Term will see students engaging in a week full of guest speakers, interactive workshops, and off-campus experiences highlighting the importance of connection, caring for one another, ourselves and our communities, and learning to thrive through challenges and successes.
Having Merritt kick off the week with his Merritt Mindset where he stresses the importance of being “connected, caring and building relationships” if you want to become a champion was the perfect start to an engaging week for freshmen, sophomores and juniors.
“My core values guided my success,” said Merritt, who holds three gold medals and 13 championships. However, “my success came in my preparation.”
You must be connected.
- Build meaningful relationships
- You must be a team player
- You must have a why
You must care.
- Invest in yourself and others
- Care for yourself: your physical health, your mental health and your emotional health
- Be a leader through actions and words
- Show up for your teammates and classmates
- Impact your community to make a difference
“To be a champion, you have to be a high performer. You have to bring consistency and perseverance,” Merritt told students.
But most importantly, it starts with you and your daily mindset. If you are positive and you start to attract like-minded people, good people will be attracted to you. And surround yourself with a good network of people.
“Those will allow you to thrive,” said Merritt. “There’s a champion in everybody.”
How do you apply the Merritt mindset?
“In school, you have to show up and be coachable. You have to ask questions,” he said. “In sports, focus on the fundamentals and execute and train with intention. And in life, keep good people around you. Understand the why. It starts with you.”
