In honor of the 2024 Olympics games, renowned global storytelling organization I Am Second is proud to highlight the Olympian athletes who have shared their inspirational stories with the world through the platform. These White Chair Film ‘Seconds’ have not only experienced astonishing accomplishments of a lifetime but have also undergone relatable challenges of the human experience through the process.
In sharing these Olympians’ stories, I Am Second hopes to extend profound encouragement to others, showing that ordinary people are created for extraordinary things
Shawn Johnson East shared her story with I Am Second, titled The Weight of Perfection , detailing her young “life in the limelight, ” beginning with the 2008 Bejing Olympics, where she won the silver medal in gymnastics. The pressure and expectations Shawn felt from the public in the next season of life caused her to “try and change everything” about herself, leading to her to an emotional “all-time low” in the midst of her second Olympic run in 2012. It was in this depth that her perspective was profoundly changed.
Paralympian Jessica Long was featured in I Am Second’s Anger Defeated , detailing her life’s journey – from getting adopted, to struggling with anger, to becoming a competitive swimmer, to her recruitment into the 2004 Olympics at age 12. The youngest in her race, Jessica won the gold, setting precedence for her to gain sponsorships and achieve various world records. Yet, despite her successes at the time, loneliness overwhelmed her to the point of crying out for help. In her second Olympic stretch, Jessica was presented with the opportunity of a lifetime, redeeming a once-severed relationship with her birth parents in Russia. Over the course of her Olympic career, Jessica has earned 23 Paralympic medals.
Scott Hamilton, winning Olympic figure skater, chronicles his story in the White Chair Film, Facing Down Fear ; he details what it was like to grow up with a mysterious disability that ultimately led him to become an award-winning figure-skater. Scott also shares the depth of sorrow he faced in his mother’s death, his critical examination of the Bible, overcoming a battle with testicular cancer and his journey into new fatherhood, followed by a sudden brain tumor diagnosis. All in all, it took a radical shift in perspective on trust to make Scott see things differently.
Morolake Akinosun, 2016 Olympic relay gold medalist, shared her ‘Second’ journey ( Moving Too Fast ). After choosing an upright lifestyle following her first Olympic run, Morolake experienced a devastating “career-ending injury” before her opportunity to attend the Olympics for a second time. Yet, it was in her supportive community that Morolake found unexpected hope, the catalyst for her healing and eventual personal records.
To watch and share these inspirational films around the Olympic season, visit I Am Second and watch their stories:
