Mark Knowles is a four-time Olympic athlete, playing at the elite international level for over 15 years in an extremely physically, mentally and emotionally demanding sport of field hockey that provides very little financial support nor material reward.
Enduring success in this sport is purely about the level of dedication to and the love for the game.
Mark was one of the game’s best, hardest working and highest rewarded players.
Here’s a brief run down on his long list of achievements on the international stage, where he was instrumental in winning 13 international gold medals, two silver medals and two bronze medals:
He played in four consecutive Olympic campaigns At just 20 years of age he was the youngest in the team to win Australia’s first ever hockey gold medal and went on to collect two more Olympic bronze medals with the Kookaburras He has four Commonwealth Games gold medals Has won two World Cups Two World League final gold medals Four World Champions trophies In 2007 he won the World’s Best Young Player award He was named the 2014 FIH World Player of the Year Captain of the Australian National Kookaburras side for four years from 2014 until his retirement in 2018 324 appearances for Australia, the third highest in Australian history In 2005 he was awarded an Order of Australia Medal (OAM) Crowned the final climax of his career with his recognition as the 2018 Commonwealth Games Opening Ceremony Flag BearerWhat is interesting here is that there were periods during his ascendancy where the Kookaburras won 179 games and only lost eight. During this time however, out of four Olympic gold medal campaigns they achieved one and lost three. So were they successful? It depends how you look at success.
Now coming back to Mark, to see a boy from the Queensland sticks get into the national team is a big achievement, but to stay at that demanding elite level for so long (and excuse the bad pun) is a ‘mark’ of a true champion.
But what is most admirable about Knowlesy is his humble, down to earth, country boy approach, his unadorned passion and his commitment to helping others achieve their best.
So how did he do it? What separates him from others? What does it take to survive, thrive and endure in such a totally taxing environment? And interestingly, what part has investing in property contributed to his journey so far? How can you learn from him and apply his success formula to help you achieve your goals and enjoy your definition of success?Now as they say, success leaves clues, and with Knowlesy’s sustained success over so many years, he leaves a lot of them and shares many in this great chat today.
Mark's book recommendation:
Luck: What it Means and Why it Matters by Ed Smith and Raising Boys by Steve Biddulph
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