How do Olympians stay so driven? The New York Times asks, profiling the feats of former medalists and their responses on how they remain motivated, inspired, and capable of pushing themselves to stick to a demanding schedule. “The key to training is reaching the point of beyond, where everything hones in and you move automatically, knowing in your bones what you have to do…It also means knowing who you are. When I teach kids, I tell them to get in touch with the reflection in the mirror: You can’t see your gifts, and you won’t know how to use them, if you don’t know who you are,” says former bronze track-and-field medalist John Carlos. The short response essays compelling even to the least athletic of readers, with comments as diverse (yet similar) as “the trickle-down effect that [my] efforts could have” with more females represented in the sport, to “My mom always told me, ‘never quit on a bad day. And I think that it’s important to extend that resolve to life after the Olympics.’”