#18 - Unsinkable: Silken Laumann on Mindset, Mental Health, and the Power of Real Resilience
Today’s guest is 3X Olympic Medalist & World Champion Silken Laumann
We normalize overwork and silence around mental health—until something breaks. Silken helps people and organizations replace stigma and “go-it-alone” toughness with honest stories, practical coping skills, and communities that make recovery and resilience possible.
In today’s conversation Silken Laumann explores how mindset, community, and compassionate honesty turn impossible moments into turning points. She revisits her 1992 comeback in Barcelona and the mental health journey that followed, including anxiety, depression, and the decision to ask for help. Silken shares daily practices—breathwork, meditation, and Morning Pages—that stabilize a “big life” of family, speaking, writing, and service. We also dive into Unsinkable, her storytelling platform that helps people move from struggle to hope.
You will learn how a clear purpose and fierce focus can override doubt in acute crises; why mental health exists on a spectrum (not a label) and how to recognize situational vs. chronic patterns; the nuts and bolts of Silken’s morning routine (20 minutes of breath-focused meditation and journaling); and how sharing your story—within a trusted community—can reduce shame and accelerate healing.
You will discover that the same focus that wins medals can also hide pain—and that sustainable strength starts when you tell the truth, ask for help, and practice small daily resets (breathe, notice, write).
When life gets loud—careers, caregiving, travel, expectations—it’s easy to white-knuckle through exhaustion and call it resilience. Silken’s approach replaces stoicism with skills and support so you can keep your edge without losing your health or relationships.
Key take aways:
The mind can lead the body—train it daily.
Balance isn’t daily; aim for balance over time.
Breathe, notice, write: simple resets shift state.
Share your story; reduce shame, grow support.
Ask for help before crisis hits.
“The mind trumps everything.”
Today’s Expert Guest - 3X Olympic Medalist & World Champion Silken Laumann
Silken Laumann is one of Canada’s most celebrated athletes: a four-time Olympian with three Olympic medals (bronze 1984, bronze 1992, silver 1996) and the 1991 world champion in single sculls. Inducted into the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame and winner of World Rowing’s Thomas Keller Medal, she is now a bestselling author, keynote speaker, and mental-health advocate based in British Columbia.
Follow Silken Laumann on Instagram & Linked In.
Check out her website.
Explore her book.
Unsinkable: My Untold Story
A surprising and inspiring story of courage, perseverance and the triumph of the human spirit.
Just ten weeks before the 1992 Olympic Games, Silken Laumann, the reigning world champion in single sculls rowing, suffered a brutal accident that left her right leg shattered and useless. Doctors doubted that she would ever row competitively again. But twenty-seven days, five operations and countless hours of gruelling rehabilitation later, Silken was back in her racing shell, ready to pursue her dream. When the starter’s pistol rang out on August 2, she made the greatest comeback in Canadian sports history, rowing to a bronze-medal finish while the world watched, captivated by her remarkable story. Silken became one of Canada’s most beloved Olympians and has continued to inspire, encouraging people to dream, live in the moment and embrace life’s unexpected, difficult and amazing journey.
This podcast contains advice and information relating to health and wellness. It should be used to supplement rather than replace the advice of your doctor or another trained health professional. If you know or suspect that you have a health problem, seek your physician’s advice before embarking on any medical program or treatment. All efforts have been made to assure the accuracy of the information contained in this podcast / interview / article as of the date of publication. The author and publisher disclaim liability for any medical or other outcomes that may occur as a result of applying the methods suggested in this material.
