Beyond the Glory
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The following article, written by former Dartmouth standout Sarah Tueting, appeared in the January/February 2010 edition of the Dartmouth Alumni Magazine.
By Sarah Tueting '98
While two Olympic medals are the most tangible manifestation of my successful hockey career, my time "in the crease" provided much more than medals to my team, our fans and, in retrospect, to me.
After our team's success in both the 1998 and 2002 Winter Olympics I had many requests for speaking engagements with various groups-schoolchildren, businesses and charities. Usually the request was for a "motivational" speech. While all true champions combine focus with a strong desire to succeed, the underlying theme of my talks was the need to believe in one's own potential as fundamental in any endeavor-from physical activities to business challenges to personal relationships.
“How did you get there?” I was often asked. My Grandma T. was a big influence in my life when I was growing up. Gram was stern and old school, and I learned never to say, or even to think, “I can’t.” She repeated and reiterated so often and in so many different ways the idea of believing in yourself that it became an inherent part of my thought process. Success also required hard work. For each sports season, each new round of music lessons and orchestra tryouts, the choice of participation was mine. Once I had decided, my parents’ only condition was that I do it right. I would prepare for each lesson. I would work hard at every practice: soccer, hockey or tennis. I would not miss a workout. I would be one of two players at a practice on Halloween (and unlike the other player, who hated candy, I was a chocoholic!). I would miss my high school prom for a hockey game (though perhaps it could be said I had 19 escorts since I was the only girl on my school’s team).
Complete article can be accessed via the Alumni Magazine Web site by clicking here.
