Dana Vollmer took Gold at the London Olympics in the 100-meter butterfly race. She set a world record with her time of 55.98. This was not her first gold, she won gold for her contribution to the 4×200 freestyle relay in Athens in 2004. In 2008 for the Beijing Olympics in 2008 she did not make the team.  She was unsure if she was going to try out for the 2012 London Olympics team after not making it in 2008. With her dedication and determination she was able to make the team and she won a gold medal.

That is an accomplishment in itself but that is just the beginning of Vollmer’s story. Vollmer has had a challenging 8 years. In 2003 Vollmer was diagnosed with a heart condition called supraventricular tachycardia. Doctors also found that Vollmer had the symptoms of long Q-T Syndrome, a condition that often leads to heart arrhythmia and sudden cardiac arrest.’

Doctors wanted to do additional surgery, this potentially would have ended her swim career. Vollmer continued to swim. Even after she didn’t make the team in 2008 she still didn’t give up. As A small business owner what can you learn from this story? Especially now times are tough, the economy we are in a recession. You need to stay focus and work towards your business goal.