Passion Struck with John R. Miles
Vincent Zhou on How to Make Your Gold Medal Dreams a Reality | 588
21 Mar 2025
In this powerful and inspiring episode of Passion Struck, Olympic figure skater and gold medalist Vincent Zhou joins John R. Miles to reveal what it truly takes to make your gold medal dreams a reality. From his early days as a fiercely competitive child to landing the first-ever quad Lutz in Olympic history, Vincent shares the grit, sacrifice, and relentless mindset required to compete at the highest level.He opens up about the unimaginable heartbreak of missing his individual Olympic event in 2022 due to COVID, the resilience it took to keep going, and the symbolic weight of finally receiving his gold medal—two and a half years later.Vincent also dives into the power of mentorship, community, and character-building, and how he’s now using his journey to inspire and support the next generation of elite athletes through the Institute for Civic Leadership (ICL).Full Shownotes here: https://passionstruck.com/vincent-zhou-make-your-gold-medal-dreams-reality/What You’ll Learn in This Episode: How to turn early passion into an elite-level career - The power of grit and why talent alone isn’t enough - How to overcome setbacks and mental blocks in high-performance fields - What it was like to compete against childhood idols—and win - Why mentorship and community are critical for long-term success - The emotional toll of losing an Olympic opportunity and how to recover - How Vincent ultimately achieved his gold medal dream—and why it meant more than just winning For more information on Vincent Zhou: https://www.instagram.com/govincentzhou/Sponsors: Factor Meals: http://factormeals.com/factormeals50off and use code “FACTOR MEALS 50 OFF” Rosetta Stone: Unlock 25 languages for life at “ROSETTASTONE.com/passionstruck.” Prolon: Reset your health with 15% off at “ProlonLife.com/passionstruck.” Mint Mobile: Cut your wireless bill to 15 bucks a month at “MINT MOBILE dot com slash PASSION.” Hims: Start your journey to regrowing hair with Hims. Visit hims.com/PASSIONSTRUCK for your free online visit. Quince: Discover luxury at affordable prices with Quince. Enjoy free shipping and 365-day returns at quince.com/PASSION Next on Passion Struck:In the next episode of Passion Struck, John sits down with Anne Marie Anderson, an Emmy Award-winning broadcaster, sports journalist, and leadership expert. Anne Marie has spent years breaking barriers in sports media, navigating high-stakes environments, and coaching top athletes and executives on leadership, resilience, and communication. In our conversation, we'll dive into the mental frameworks of high performers, the art of storytelling, and how to build confidence in any field.For more information on advertisers and promo codes, visit Passion Struck Deals.Join the Passion Struck Community!Sign up for the Live Intentionally newsletter, where I share exclusive content, actionable advice, and insights to help you ignite your purpose and live your most intentional life. Get access to practical exercises, inspiring stories, and tools designed to help you grow. Learn more and sign up here.Speaking Engagements & WorkshopsAre you looking to inspire your team, organization, or audience to take intentional action in their lives and careers? I’m available for keynote speaking, workshops, and leadership training on topics such as intentional living, resilience, leadership, and personal growth. Let’s work together to create transformational change. Learn more at johnrmiles.com/speaking.Episode Starter PacksWith over 500 episodes, it can be overwhelming to know where to start. We’ve curated Episode Starter Packs based on key themes like leadership, mental health, and personal growth, making it easier for you to dive into the topics you care about. Check them out at passionstruck.com/starterpacks.Catch More of Passion Struck: My solo episode on Fading into Insignificance: The Impact of Un-Mattering in Our Interconnected Era Catch My Episode with Jennifer B. Wallace on the Consequences of Prioritizing Achievements Over Mattering Can’t miss my episode withArthur C. Brooks on Finding Success, Happiness, and Purpose Listen to my interview with Robin Sharma on the 8 Forms of Wealth That Determine Success Check My solo episode on Why We All Crave To Matter: Exploring The Power Of Mattering. If you liked the show, please leave us a review—it only takes a moment and helps us reach more people! Don’t forget to include your Twitter or Instagram handle so we can thank you personally.How to Connect with John: Connect with John on Twitter at @John_RMiles Follow him on Instagram at @John_R_Miles Subscribe to our main YouTube Channel and to our YouTube Clips Channel For more insights and resources, visit John’s website Want to explore where you stand on the path to becoming Passion Struck? Take our 20-question quiz on Passionstruck.com and find out today!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Full Episode
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I just remember the feeling of stepping on the ice and not knowing what I was doing there. And that's a really scary feeling because when you've been passion struck your whole life and all of a sudden you step into the familiar arena, but you feel nothing. You feel nothing. It's terrifying. It feels like you question everything. You don't know what's happening. You don't know why it's happening.
you realize it's probably up here, but you start trying to find physical reasons to turn it around because that's something you can tangibly change in the moment. But at the end of the day, that's the wrong reason. So you end up seeding more doubt and more doubt into your mind. It's just a negative spiral.
Welcome to passion struck. Hi, I'm your host, John R. Miles. And on the show, we decipher the secrets, tips and guidance of the world's most inspiring people and turn their wisdom into practical advice for you and those around you. Our mission is to help you unlock the power of intentionality so that you can become the best version of yourself.
If you're new to the show, I offer advice and answer listener questions on Fridays. We have long-form interviews the rest of the week with guests ranging from astronauts to authors, CEOs, creators, innovators, scientists, military leaders, visionaries, and athletes. Now, let's go out there and become PassionStruck. Hey, PassionStruck fam, welcome to episode 588.
Whether you're a long-time listener or joining us for the first time, I am so ecstatic you're here. You've turned into a movement dedicated to unlocking your potential, living with intention, and making what truly matters matter most. Before we dive in, let's take a moment to reflect on the powerful conversations from earlier this week.
On Tuesday, I sat down with Nir Eyal to discuss how we can break free from distractions and and master the art of deep focus. Then on Thursday, Anne Marie Anderson joined me to explore the intersection of storytelling, leadership, and performance, and how we can show up more powerfully in every area of our life. If you've missed either of these, I highly recommend going back to listen.
They're packed with insights that will help you elevate your mindset and reclaim your time. Now, let me ask you this. How do you redefine success when the world sees you as a champion? What happens when you've reached the pinnacle of your sport yet still face adversity, setbacks, and personal transformation? And how do you take all of those experiences and use them to shape the next generation?
That's exactly what we're diving into today with Olympic gold medalist and figure skating trailblazer Vincent Joe. Vincent's story is extraordinary. He made history as the first skater to land a quadruple Lutz at the Olympics, became a two-time world bronze medalist, and helped Team USA secure gold in the 2022 Winter Games. But his journey hasn't been without struggle.
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