Business management

Sir Chris Hoy on how resilience trumps talent

In the first episode of our special Team GB series of the NatWest Business Show, Sir Chris Hoy joins Angellica Bell.

16 Jul 2024 . 1 min read

Chris Hoy is one of the most successful British Olympic cyclists of all time, winning seven Olympic medals – six of them golds. He is also a cycling pioneer who is heavily involved in the transformation of the sport.

After retiring from cycling in 2013, Chris started motor racing, went on to launch his own range of bikes, invest in new sport tech ventures and even publish a range of children's books.

Sir Chris’s Confession:

Even world class athletes can struggle with pivoting. In the early days of his motor racing career, Chris Hoy crashed and nearly wrecked a brand new car at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. Thankfully he wasn’t injured, but as he said: “I was so embarrassed. I felt like such an idiot. I didn't want people to think that I had not taken it seriously, or I was just being reckless. I was doing the best I could, but it was all new to me”.

You have to be enthusiastic. You have to care about it. You have to really want to do it. And we all start as amateurs.

Sir Chris Hoy

Team GB Cycling Legend

Chris Hoy on continuous improvement versus talent

Chris has strong views on what he calls ‘the gradient of improvement’, he told Angellica: “I think we look at our sporting heroes, or business heroes and we aspire to be like, and you look at them and you assume that they have always been that way.

“They were on this linear trajectory from day one We think that from age 10, if you're not the best in your team, or your city, or your country or whatever, you're not gonna be the best in the world in 10 years’ time following that.

“But I don't think that's true. I think improvement isn't a linear thing. We don't necessarily all sit off in the same gradient of improvement. To me, talent is massively overrated. I think it's about resilience, it's about hard work, it's about bouncing back and learning from mistakes and doing all you can to enjoy the process. You have to be enthusiastic. You have to care about it. You have to really want to do it. And we all start as amateurs”.

Watch the episode to find out more about Chris Hoy’s inspirational career and transition to businessman and author.

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