Work hard. Know your strengths. Stick to your game plan. Be patient. Never give up.

These are all things that Steven Bradbury played out in 2002 and came home as the most unlikely winner of a gold medal. Not just any gold medal, but Australia’s first-ever Winter Olympics Gold Medal.

This race was memorable for me as a dual citizen. I am a born Canadian and a naturalized Australian citizen. I was in Canada watching it. Needless to say, my Canadian friends were very upset to see the Gold medal “fall” from Canadian hands. Then to see a seemingly unknown Aussie glide through to victory was insult to injurry.

I gotta tell ya, the Aussie part of me lit up with a cry of Aussie! Aussie! Aussie! Oye! Oye! Oye!

Some say he was lucky. I say he prepared perfectly and played to his strengths and put himself in a position to win. In an interview after winning his gold medal he said:

“Obviously I wasn’t the fastest skater. I don’t think...