Erica Wiebe, Olympic gold medalist, shares her remarkable journey from high school wrestling to the top of the podium at the Olympics. Through key moments of triumph and adversity, she reveals how a sense of belonging became the cornerstone of her success. Sharing personal stories and practical strategies—like self-talk, visualization, and micro-goals—Erica demonstrates how to build resilience and achieve greatness. She explores how feeling connected, safe, and aligned in purpose fosters a strong sense of inclusion, reminding us that small acts of encouragement can create monumental impacts, both on and off the mat. Erica Wiebe is the 2016 Olympic Champion in the sport of Freestyle Wrestling, an Ivy League MBA graduate, sports commentator, and expert facilitator. She is also a 8x national champion, World University Champion, 2x Commonwealth Games Champion, and 2018 World Championships bronze medalist.
As a passionate advocate for the power of sport, she volunteers her time as a youth wrestling coach, ambassador with Right to Play, and Vice-Chair of the Canadian Sport Institute Alberta board of directors. When not taking people down, commentating on it, and/or coaching someone to do it, she works as a manager of athlete relations, safe sport, and DEI at the Canadian Olympic Committee. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx