The Quiet Power of Wanting It — But Not Needing It

In the closing days of the Paris 2024 Olympics, Australian racewalker Jemima Montag did something historic. She didn’t just cross the finish line with grit—she crossed it twice with glory.

Montag claimed bronze in both the individual 20km racewalk and the inaugural mixed marathon relay, becoming the first Australian woman in 52 years to win two medals at a single Olympic Games.

But what sets Montag apart isn’t just her endurance or podium finishes. It’s the clarity of her perspective, the power of her reflection, and the nuance in her language—qualities that every great leader, coach, and high performer should pay attention to.

After one of her medal-winning performances, Montag was asked what it felt like to now be an Olympic bronze medalist. Her answer wasn’t rehearsed, flashy, or filled with cliché. It was raw, beautiful, and resonant:

“That’s crazy. I had a lot of belief. I had a good feeling this last week. I felt significantly more pressure this year because in Tokyo there were no spectators. Today there were about 30 family and Team Jem t-shirts yelling my name, and you want to do well for them because you know how excited they’ll be,” Montag said.

“You want to show gratitude for the 15-year journey. But it’s a careful balance of wanting that medal but not needing it. It’s really a nuanced difference—not needing it for your own self-worth or to feel like people love you—but wanting it, saying, ‘Yeah, I’m willing to give it a crack and be tough. And if it doesn’t happen, the sun will rise tomorrow. But let’s give it a go.’”

That distinction—wanting it, but not needing it—is the essence of sustainable high performance and inner peace.

Because we’ve all felt that internal tug-of-war:

• Wanting to win vs. needing to win

• Performing for others vs. performing with purpose

• Doing it out of fear vs. doing it out of love

As leaders, coaches, and executives—we, too, feel the roar of the crowd, the expectations of our teams, the weight of a 15-year journey. The internal pressure to prove ourselves. But if we can show up with desire instead of desperation, if we can chase excellence without tethering our identity to the result—then we create space for courage, presence, and transformation.

Montag’s words cut through the noise with a liberating truth: Your worth is not tied to your wins.

You might not be coaching Olympians. You might not be aiming for the podium yourself. But the people around you—your team, your family, your students—are all in their own races. They’re walking their own journeys. They are battling self-doubt. Navigating pressure. Wanting to win—but fearing what it might mean if they don’t.

Let’s help them—and ourselves—internalize this: Want it. Work for it. But never need it to prove your worth.

The question becomes: Are we teaching people to chase medals—or to chase meaning? Montag reframes the journey: resilience, effort, and self-worth untethered from outcome.

So continue to lead and compete. We will face moments of pressure and performance. And when we do, may we remember: The goal is worth wanting. But you are worthy—whether you win or not.

Let’s lead and love from that place. To give our all in everything we choose to do—without attachment to the outcome—knowing the sun will rise tomorrow.

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