5.4 Perseverance

The fourth reason why dyslexics make unstoppable sports stars is we dig deep and develop exceptional perseverance, the Dyslexic Thinking skill of Exploring. Four in five dyslexics say that knowing they were dyslexic helped them to develop the perseverance needed to succeed.

Take Olympic gold medal winner, Caitlyn Jenner. She said, “If I wasn't dyslexic, I probably wouldn't have won the Games. If I had been a better reader, then that would have come easily, sports would have come easily, and I never would have realised that the way you get ahead in life is hard work”. Olympic shot-put champion, Michelle Carter, agrees. She says, “You can do whatever you set your mind to – you just may do it differently. You may have to work a little bit harder, but you can do it”.

Often our struggles at school where reading, writing and recalling facts don't come easily mean we develop an incredible ability to persevere. And each failure or obstacle makes us stronger and more focused. It also means we spend much of our lives operating outside of our comfort zone.

Defying the odds, breaking boundaries, and cutting your own path are all things that Britain's remarkable female footballers are used to. Rachel Yankee, former British football player and Lioness, who was the most capped England player of all time, male or female says, “No matter what anybody threw at me, no matter what problems there were, I could get over them. I could jump those hurdles and solve those problems and take those hits. Even when people were saying I shouldn't be playing football: girls don't play football”.

And while many people might think skills gives champions their edge, the world's greatest boxer, Muhammad Ali, believes otherwise. He says, “Champions aren't made in gyms. Champions are made of something they have deep inside them – a desire, a dream, a vision. They have to have the skill and the will. But the will must be stronger than the skill”. That grit and determination is what drives many dyslexics, both on and off the pitch, and it's a valuable lesson for anyone who wants to unlock their own peak performance.

Cultivating that gold medal winning mindset starts with building an unshakable self-belief. Brilliant Dyslexic Thinker and seven times Formula One World Champion, Lewis Hamilton, has had more wins, pole positions, podiums and points than any other driver in history. He says, “As a driver, you've always got to believe in your heart that you've got what it takes to win it. You've always got to believe in yourself. You've always got to arrive on the day and believe it can happen. You've always got to believe in the positives”.

Believing in yourself while others around you may not is key too. While many dyslexics grow up acutely aware of the things we can't do and the impact this has on our teachers and parents, we're also masters at working harder in order to succeed, developing grit, determination and resilience along the way. Alex Scott, the former footballer who went on to become one of the most decorated players in English women's football said, “My hardest lesson has been my most fruitful, too. That when people don't believe in me, I can prove them wrong. With sheer passion and determination, I made it through each stage. I love a challenge and to prove to people that I can, when they say I can't”.

When women's football was just developing, Alex helped Arsenal secure the UEFA Women's Champions League title in 2007. The first time an English women's team had won the competition. She went on to win multiple FA Women's Premier League titles and FA Women's Cups too. Lately she's transitioned into sports commentating, another hugely male dominated field. And she's continued to use her passion and determination to defy the odds, as well as her Dyslexic Thinking skills of Communicating.

The last point that helps dyslexics develop exceptional levels of perseverance and unlock our peak performance is our attitude to failure. From an early age we develop huge amounts of resilience as we try, fail and then try again. At school it may have been the red pen through our spellings, being asked to read aloud or getting another F in standardised tests that are more suited to standardised minds. But as dyslexics, we learn not to fear failure. Instead, we use it as fuel to move forward and reach the next level.

A’ja Wilson, the iconic female basketball player who has won the WNBA championships twice and the Most Valuable Player three times says, “If I've learned one underrated lesson from my journey so far, it's that adversity is like a fertiliser for greatness. I feel like sometimes you have to go through things to grow through things. It's not easy and it doesn't look pretty at the time, but when you're hoisting that trophy, or you have a statue or you're writing a book or just waking up every morning with a smile on your face, that's a win in itself”.

Dealing positively with failure develops resilience and strength, and both of those are vital for unlocking your peak performance. Here's NFL star and Green Bay Packers player, Rashan Gary, to explain more.

Yes. In life you never fail, you always learn. There's always tests, and either you pass, or you fail, or you even learn from it. So, that's how I take life, I had my mum instil that in me. It doesn't matter how hard things get, there's always someone going through something harder, and you always have to have that type of perspective, and you have that type of perspective, life is easy. You're just able to be faithful and do as you do.

It's vital in the world of racing, too. Let's hear again from up and coming racing star, Elliot Cox.

I think failure is very important. In racing, you fail more than you succeed. It makes the good times feel even greater, and you learn more from your mistakes than you will from successes. I have a mental toughness coach, Ben Newman. A lot of people in sports have a mental toughness coach or a mental coach in general. The more you dwell on failure or mental hardships, the worse your performance on the course or on the field will be. So, I just try to push past them. Always think that you're the best you can, always think you can do it. Never have any negative thoughts, as much as you can.

And it's a mindset that fuels the seven times Formula One World Champion, Lewis Hamilton, too. He says, “I have a very close relationship with failure. Failure, in my opinion, is 100% necessary for greatness. More times than I can remember, the lesson that I've learned through those failures have ultimately ended up with me having success. Failure is where I hone and build my strength”.

Recovering from failure means finding ways to manage your mindset and counter any negative self-talk. The key to this for Noah Lyles, the record-breaking Olympic sprinter, is positive self-affirmation. After every race regardless of the outcome, Noah Lyles embraces a sense of accomplishment. This positive reinforcement helps him to build confidence and prepare for future challenges. It's a technique we can all use. Celebrating wins, no matter how small, is crucial. And it's not just about the big victories, it's about recognising progress. And when it comes to you achieving your peak performance, it's all about building momentum.

Back to A’ja Wilson, she says, “There may be days when you are not the greatest, but you can still persevere no matter what. You are enough. No, no, no... more than enough. As a matter of fact, the best is yet to come”. With a mindset like that, no matter what challenges you face, you can lean into your strengths and take on the world.

Here are three key takeaways from this section.

1. From an early age, dyslexics develop exceptional perseverance, and we are used to operating outside our comfort zone.

2. We use our grit and determination to build an unshakable positive mindset and defy the odds, knowing our will is stronger than our skill.

3. We see failure not as a setback, but as a springboard to success.