Compass Staff |
Resilience is defined by most as the ability to recover from setbacks, adapt well to change, and keep going in the face of adversity. But when we interviewed three Team USA athletes who are also actively preparing for their second professional act — pursuing certificates, degrees, and new identities while competing at the highest level in their sport — a more grounded and instructive view of resilience emerged.
For these athletes, resilience is not an innate trait or something forged only through adversity. Resilience is a disciplined capability developed over time through years of practice — and with the help of coaching, teamwork, and systems that reward persistence, help individuals interpret setbacks, and support long arcs of development rather than short-term wins.
This reframing is especially relevant for HR leaders navigating the current era of disruption. Rather than asking whether workers are “resilient enough” to face both the known and unknown, the more productive question becomes how organizations should design learning, coaching, and career systems that cultivate resilience, making it possible and sustainable.
The experiences of U.S. Olympic and Paralympic athletes offer a useful lens into what that design looks like in practice.
1. Resilience through process, not outcomes
Chloe Levins, biathlon
Legal Essentials Certificate, eCornell
The challenge: Biathlete Chloe Levins faced injury and illness (Covid-19 and mononucleosis) that threatened to derail her career, all while pursuing opportunities outside her sport.
The resilient mindset and action: Levins learned to anchor herself in “process” rather than outcome. “The next race is always the most important one,” she explained, a philosophy that keeps her oriented toward what she can control. Instead of replaying past failures or fixating on distant goals, Levins focused on incremental improvement and consistent effort.
“We’re always in a continuous process of just trying to get 1% better,” Levins added. “You become addicted to the small margins, because we're in the business of small margins — and I love trying to find that extra 1% wherever I can.”
The takeaway for HR leaders: People develop resilience as individuals and workers when they separate their personal and professional identity from immediate results. In times of rapid change, workers are more likely to persist when culture and systems reward progress, normalize setbacks, and reinforce mastery over time. As Levins put it, “your results aren’t always indicative of your self-worth. … You can find a lot of self-satisfaction in the journey and all that you’ve overcome to get wherever you end up going.”
2. Resilience as the willingness to keep going when the answer is “no”
Dani Aravich, Para Nordic skiing
Social Media Marketing Certificate, eCornell
The challenge: As a Paralympic athlete, Dani Aravich faced limited opportunities, scarce resources, and constant reminders of what might not be possible. She began preparing for life beyond sport, enrolling in a social-media marketing certificate program while continuing to train and compete at an elite level.
The resilient mindset and action: Rather than treat setbacks as signals to stop, Aravich reframed resilience as a “long game.” “Resilience,” she says, “is always a ‘no’ until it’s a ‘yes’.” That mindset shaped both her athletic and learning journeys. She committed to continuous progress even when validation was delayed, taking ownership of her development and refusing to wait for perfect conditions to pursue her next chapter. For Aravich, learning became a stabilizing force rather than a distraction; her program gave her momentum and confidence even when the “outcomes” in her sport felt uncertain.
“You might not see the results right away, just like you don't in any sport, but eventually, someday you will,” Aravich said.
The takeaway for HR leaders: Aravich’s story highlights a form of resilience that looks less like grit and more like persistence over time. In the workplace, this maps directly to employees navigating reskilling amid AI disruption, where progress is often slow, feedback is inconsistent, and rejection is common. Resilient learners aren’t necessarily those who never hear “no,” but those who have the coaching, encouragement, and support in place to keep moving forward when the obstacles feel cumulative and the path ahead feels uncertain.
3. Resilience as sensemaking in uncertainty
Ashley Farquharson, luge
Bachelors of Business Administration, Purdue Global
The challenge: As a luger, Ashley Farquharson competes in a sport where uncertainty is the norm: travel plans change, weather conditions shift, equipment behaves unpredictably, and feedback is relentless. And like Levins and Aravich, she has responded by preparing early for her next professional chapter, pursuing education alongside competition rather than postponing her second act.
The resilient mindset and action: Farquharson describes resilience as learning to live inside uncertainty without being consumed by it. “Whatever happens, happens — you just gotta roll with the punches,” she says. Over time, she learned how to filter feedback, taking what was useful and leaving the rest. She realized that not every comment deserved equal weight, and not every setback required a reaction. “I can take what’s going to benefit me and leave the rest,” she said. “I don’t have to fight every piece of feedback.”
The takeaway for HR leaders: Farquharson’s story highlights a dimension of resilience that is often overlooked in organizations: sensemaking. In environments saturated with signals — new tools, shifting expectations, constant feedback — people need help deciding what matters. Resilience is sustained not by ignoring uncertainty, but by learning how to interpret it.
Resilience is built.
The experiences of these three Team USA athletes suggest that resilience isn’t a matter of temperament but of sustained effort over time. It takes shape through practice, feedback, and the willingness to keep going when progress feels uncertain. As AI continues to reshape work, the question for organizations is less about whether employees should be resilient and more about how leaders can support people as they learn, adapt, and prepare for what comes next.
