March 6, 2026
When Lindsey Vonn announced, she was going to race after her injury, my first thought was “I wish you wouldn’t” and then, “You only live once, go for it.” The crash itself was reported as sickening, I didn’t watch it, I’ll trust them in that.
This was the second time while on our Australia journey, we were faced with an example of the lengths to which humans will go to reach their dreams and their goals. It is that inspirational aspiration that deserves our applause and I think, imitation. It didn’t work out for her, but she expressed no regrets about it. She won’t have to deal with a lifetime of “what-if.”
Michael and I signed on for a day of deep-sea fishing in Melbourne. Plenty of fish in the Bass Strait and it was a day of catching and releasing all of them. The captain gave us the choice of spending the day waiting and hoping for that big one to strike. Or, after smaller fish but a lot of action. We chose the latter.
We had the boat to ourselves so time to chat up the Captain and the First Mate, Cooper. And in that, we met a remarkable young man.
Cooper wants to establish himself in the charter fishing business. In order to do so, he signed up with his Captain, Ben Wentworth to learn business, learn what it would take and then to eventually develop his career. How badly does he want to do that?
He shared with us that when he showed up for his first day on the boat, he was struck with seasickness. A crossroads. Two roads to take.
So, he made his choice, soldiered on, completed the day’s charter.
He then showed up the next day and then got seasick again. And again, and again, and again. In all, he shared (and his captain Ben corroborated) that the young man got sick nearly every day for the first year. And then in the second year, it eased and it was every other day or so. And after four years, he’s acclimated although he confesses that at times he “feels the edge.”
We marveled at the dedication; at the inspirational aspiration the young man showed. So, jokingly, I said to him “Well, I’m sure you can bring your girlfriend on the boat or take it out and that’s a nice way to spend a date.”
“I don’t have time to date.”
And the reason Cooper doesn’t have the time to date is that after he finishes his work on the charter vessel, he trains for ultra marathon trail running. None of this is running down a nice flat road. Rather, he and his friends go up into the hills and run mountain trails. He competes in the 100km division…60 miles.
We asked him what motivated him, and he said he really didn’t know. “I like to run and I love to fish and I can do both.” No self-aggrandization, no chest beating. Quiet confidence. Love the Aussies…
Honestly, I wish we were hiring and I would hire him in a heartbeat.
Might not know an option from a stock right, but it wouldn’t matter. He could be taught all of that. But you can’t teach gumption. As I’ve written before, in life, you meet people who simply will not be denied. They are constitutionally incapable of admitting defeat, or quitting, or taking the easy way when the hard way is in front of them.
I’ve been observing this phenomenon for 50 years on Wall Street, which attracts its outsized share of driven people. In all that time, I’ve never been able to find the key that fits the lock. Life inputs that explain this.
Sometimes, the individual grew up in a very difficult and perhaps abusive environment and that kind of set their jaw, determined to escape that. At other times, they had a very normal middle-class existence, nothing to really drive singular determination. Perhaps they were the youngest brother and put up with that brotherly abuse, sometimes an only child, sometimes the middle child. High intelligence is present in some, of course, but all kinds of intellectual ability, many not remarkable in that.
As an aside, you can pretty much beat every impediment if you simply outwork other people. I would see that a lot.
I you could figure out where the high achievement will come from, then you’d make a lot of money selling that to sports and business and sales and all of those organizations who crave people long on attitude, on an attitude that simply doesn’t recognize failure as an option.
Vonn’s message has been consistent and clear. In her first Instagram post after the crash, she wrote that despite the pain, she has no regrets. In a later update, she doubled down, saying she would always take the risk of crashing while giving it all rather than not ski to her potential and live with regret. She also told fans not to regret her decision, saying the ride was worth the fall.
Even after revealing the full severity of her injuries including the near-amputation, Vonn stressed she had no regrets about her comeback from a six-year retirement or her decision to ski at the Olympics despite the knee injury.
Pretty remarkable mental fortitude from a 41-year-old who knew exactly what she was risking. But perhaps insight into what it takes to become an Olympic champion.
Look, everyone is not going to be a standout. Many people live a routine life, and ambition is not a primary driver to their decisions and existence. And to be clear, there is nothing wrong with that. The human condition features diversity and that’s not limited to race…it’s the character and motivations that each person holds. While there are clear feelings that motivate us all, there are different mixes and attributes that vary, person to person. It’s the richness of human existence.
Rather, I think we need to nourish ambition when we see it when we sense it. When kids express a desire to excel, we need to help them with that.
There is a kind of undertone you hear from time to time where people who presumably look out for kids instead denigrate ambition.
They do it when everyone gets a trophy, but the standout is not honored either. They do it when a kid wants to make money and is warned about the risks of greed instead of being encouraged to do so. They do it when programs for gifted children are closed, when grades are watered down (often a way for the educational establishment to hide their own failures as educators).
They do it when nasty gossip and innuendo travel around the bar about successful people. They do it when caring for others takes precedence over caring for oneself. That may sound selfish, but if you don’t take care of yourself, you won’t be able to take care of others. Nor will you be motivated to do so, perhaps wallowing in self-pity or envy. I’m reminded that the airline tells you to put the mask on first before you put it on your child.
So, I’m voting for Lindsey and Matt. Especially Matt, you know? I hope he gets good advice; I hope his ambitions are nurtured and nourished. It would be interesting to see how it goes for him in five or ten years.
Maybe we will.
Thoughts, questions, or reflections? I’d love to hear them. You can reach me anytime at anthony@workingprofit.com
