Some people can't take a trick, others seem blessed by the gods. In life, the space between triumph and defeat, between victor and vanquished can be as thin as the blade on high-speed ice skates. No one is more aware of that than Steve Bradbury, the speed skater who won gold to become an overnight success after 15 years of trying.
Bradbury won Australia’s first-ever Winter Olympic Gold Medal by teetering on the razor's edge and holding his resolve while those around him fell. Don’t be left out in the cold make sure Steven comes in to break the ice.
One of the world’s most recognisable and colourful Olympic champions, Steven Bradbury has an impressive career as an Olympic athlete that has been driven by determination, sacrifice and, most importantly, a will to succeed. Skating in the 1000m final at the 2002 Salt Lake City WinterOlympic Games, 4 skaters ahead of Steven fell in a tangle of skates and arms and legs on the ice.
Leaving the path clear for Steven, he glided across the finish line in first place and became the first-ever Australian to win a Winter Olympic Gold Medal!
But it didn’t just happen, as in any drama, there’s a back-story. In Montreal, in 1994, a racing accident left Steven impaled on a skate with a cut so extreme he lost four litres of blood and required 111 stitches.
In 2000, Stevenfractured his neck in a training accident. He had four bolts drilled into his head to secure a brace restricting the movement of his neck. Not satisfied he had skated his best, Steven resolved to stick with the sport he had dedicated 10 years of his life.
It’s, for this reason, the Bradbury story is one of the true Aussie battlers who overcomes all kinds of adversity to achieve the ultimate goal.
As well as being entertained and inspired your audience will be left with a lasting impression that much of the prize is in the journey and that success takes passion, persistence and teamwork.
Steven’s story touches a chord with people from all walks of life and is a prime example to all that if you “stick it out”, you too can be THE LAST MAN STANDING!