I Can I Must I Will with Three-Time Olympic Medalist DeeDee Trotter

Three-time Olympic Medalist, DeeDee Trotter has been a fierce competitor since the age of ten. She loved basketball and dreamed of playing for legendary coach Pat Summit at the University of Tennessee. Her quickness on the court convinced her coaches to steer their star athlete into track and field. Thus began a tenuous, and oftentimes inharmonious relationship between DeeDee and these two sports, her heart firmly fixed on basketball.

Reluctantly, she became the Georgia state indoor track champion, setting a state record in the 200-meter dash.  She accepted a track scholarship at the University of Tennessee with the understanding that she would be able to do both sports, but it did not work out that way, much to her disappointment.  

In the midst of this disillusionment, DeeDee continued to improve on the track, winning numerous titles – including a gold medal at the World Track and Field Championships while on the 400-meter relay for team USA – all the while still having to be convinced, coaxed, and – sometimes – tricked into - running.  However, her success continued, and she became the first female athlete to receive a professional contract while still in college.

She traveled the world, and competed internationally pursuing her professional career.  During the fall training for the 2008 Olympic trials, she suffered what should have been a career-ending injury. But through hours of grueling rehabilitation, and the tireless dedication of her healthcare team, she solidified her spot on her second Olympic team, in the Beijing Summer Games. Over the next three years, she continued to struggle to find her way back - losing races, confidence, money, and sponsors—but she kept believing.

 In the year before the 2012 Olympics, she began to create a blueprint, a roadmap to chart her daily progress. Through this process she created new neural associations, speaking over the pain, negativity, and loss of the previous three years. DeeDee was named the “glitter-faced warrior,” by the track fans at the 2012 London Olympics, winning bronze, and gold medals in the 400-meter run, and 400-meter relays. 

Today DeeDee is showing no signs of slowing down, she is an international motivational speaker, master of mental performance training, and recent graduate of the Atlanta Art Institute with a degree as a Baker and Pastry Chef, realizing another childhood dream of becoming a professional pastry chef. Her delicious creations can be found at her Taste of Gold Bakery, “where greatness has a taste.” It was my pleasure to host this inspirational and purposeful superstar on this episode of Intrinsic Drive  ®.

Intrinsic Drive ®  is produced by Ellen Strickler and Phil Wharton and Andrew Hollingworth  is sound editor and engineer.