Episode 42: Joe Jacobi on Olympic Feats and Daily Habits
/“I’m much more interested in the development of the person than I am in the development of the athlete.”
As America’s first ever Olympic Gold Medalist in Whitewater Canoe Slalom, Joe shares strategies to get you outside of your day to day rush of life and bring focus to what truly matters most with simplicity, purpose, and flow. His platform includes performance coaching, writing, and speaking. Joe’s philosophy and values are built upon a 19-year career as an elite athlete with USA Canoe/Kayak that included 12 National Championship titles, two Olympic Game appearances, and an Olympic Gold Medal. Joe coaches high performance leaders, executive teams, and athletes. He also served as Chief Executive Officer of USA Canoe/Kayak - the sport’s national and Olympic governing body. He often says yes to unique adventures and challenging experiences (he once paddled 110 miles in a kayak from Cuba to the Florida Keys), and has chosen innovative paths of education, collaboration, and all-around health and wellness. He shares his expertise in this episode not only as an elite athlete, but also a sport parent and coach! Joe, his wife Lisa, as well as their daughter - an elite athlete in her own right - reside happily in Spain near the site of Joe’s Olympic win in 1992. Joe and Kathy discuss the importance of listening and building daily habits, and talk about the tricky relationship of parent/coach. You will not want to miss this episode, and neither will your athlete!
