A Must-Read for Those Working Hard Without Results! 'Mindset for Breaking Through Limits' Learned from a World Champion

Hello everyone, it's Yoshi, the Flipper President!

“Don't you get nervous coaching top-tier athletes?”

This is a question students often ask me.

Yesterday, He Pinli, the Taiwanese representative known as Lily, who showed us a spectacular swim at the world's premier stage held every four years, the World Games 2025—she is a true world queen with a brilliant track record of winning the World Championships and taking four gold medals at the Asian Championships!

She makes the effort to come all the way from Taiwan to Japan four or five times a year to receive coaching from me during my practice sessions. This year, I was able to observe her training and offer advice one last time in June.

Beyond just training, we discuss our respective views on finswimming, talk about the future, chat about completely unrelated topics, and even go out for meals!

That is the kind of relationship we have now, but to be honest, at the very beginning, I felt intimidated.

“What could I possibly teach a world champion...”
“What if I say something strange and come across as disrespectful...”

However, after actually interacting with her, I realized something.

As the one teaching, I am actually the one being taught by her!

Today, I will talk about what I learned from her regarding the true ambition possessed by those at the top of the world. I am sure you will find hints that you can apply to your daily life, so please read until the end and try to emulate her wonderful mindset!

A Shocking Sight: The World Queen's 'Attitude of Not Fearing Failure'

Right after practice started, I couldn't believe my eyes.

Because she, a world champion, was tackling practice more doggedly and desperately than anyone else.

“If you're a world queen, wouldn't you just do what you want and swim in a comfortable way?”

That preconceived notion was blown away in an instant.

The True Self Revealed During Hard Training

What was particularly impressive was during high-intensity interval training.

In situations where one would normally think, “It's tough now, so I'll adjust just a little...” or “I'll hold back a bit here for the next menu item.” But Lily was different.

No matter how tough the situation, she never cuts corners!

And she displays an extraordinary level of focus on every single shot in front of her. The aura she carries before starting is something I rarely see in other athletes I watch.

'It didn't last until the end as I intended... it didn't go well...'

Even at times like that, she never gives up. Rather, she doesn't fear failure and pushes herself even harder.

Have you ever worked that seriously on something recently?

Whether it's work, a hobby, or studies. Have you ever had the experience of making excuses and cutting corners, thinking, 'I'm trying hard, so this should be enough'?

The courage to discard pride

But what surprised me even more was how she interacted with people.

Don't you get the impression that world-champion-class athletes might be somewhat intimidating or have high pride?

However, she is completely different.

She treats everyone, even beginner athletes, with kindness and humility. And during hard training, she is not at all afraid to show herself failing in front of such people.

'I don't want to show an embarrassing side of myself.'
'It's uncool if I fail.'
'I want to be respected by those around me.'

She doesn't have a shred of those thoughts.

Isn't this the thing we are worst at in our daily lives?

When challenging ourselves with something new, we hesitate because we think, 'It's embarrassing if I fail.' We avoid challenges because we hate showing our clumsy side in front of others.

But those who stand at the top of the world can easily discard such unnecessary pride.

'Why can you go that far?'

After practice, I couldn't help but ask.

'Why are you able to push yourself that hard?'

Her answer was simple.

'Because I am still unskilled, and I believe I can improve. Your advice is accurate, and there is always something to learn, no matter how small.'

This is what true ambition is.

That was the moment I became convinced of it.

The value of 'engaging with everyone with equal sincerity' that I learned as a coach

I will confess honestly.

At first, I was a bit hesitant in front of a world champion.

'What could I possibly teach an athlete of such a high level?'
'What if I give strange advice and they get disappointed?'
'Even if I try to coach them, they probably won't listen to me.'

But seeing her attitude, I was struck by a realization.

It is disrespectful not to engage with someone with all your might, no matter who they are.

If you engage with sincerity, they will respond with sincerity.

I took the plunge and coached her just as I always do.

I conveyed technical advice and detailed corrections to the world champion without hesitation.

And then...

She accepted all of my advice readily, tried to incorporate it, and put it into practice.

And if there was anything unclear, she would always ask detailed questions to understand my intent before trying to incorporate it.

'Thank you!'

She always expresses her gratitude in words.

She trusts me from the bottom of her heart, even though I only watch her practice four or five times a year.

It was then that I realized.

The importance of not thinking 'they are a beginner so I'll be casual' or 'they are high-level so I'll be safe and cautious,' but rather engaging with everyone with equal sincerity regardless of who they are.

Isn't this the same for other jobs as well?

Giving simple explanations because someone is a newcomer, or conversely, holding back and walking on eggshells because they are a boss or senior, failing to speak your true mind.

However, no matter who the other person is, facing them with sincerity for their sake is ultimately what is best for them, and it also leads to your own growth.

Confidence that worked even on a world champion

“My coaching works even for a world champion”

This became a great source of confidence for me.

Of course, part of it is because she has a wonderful personality. But that is not all.

Without wavering, without cutting corners, and without fear. If you face others with that kind of sincerity, you can provide value to anyone.

I believe this applies not only to coaching but to every aspect of life. I am the one who is truly grateful from the bottom of my heart to her for giving me the opportunity to gain such realizations and confidence.

The 'World-Class Way of Learning' that you can also practice

Why not apply what I learned from Lily to your own daily life?

1. An attitude of honestly accepting advice

“But,” “However,” “That’s not quite right...”

When you receive advice, don't you sometimes feel like arguing back?

She is different. She first accepts it honestly and tries it out. Then, if she has questions, she makes an effort to understand the other person's intent.

Tomorrow, when you receive advice from someone, try saying, “Thank you. I’ll give it a try,” first. You will definitely gain something from it.

2. Never forgetting to show gratitude

“Thank you.”

She says this phrase so often that you might wonder if she is actually Japanese. And her heartfelt gratitude really comes across.

As the one being thanked, I think, “I want to be of more help”.

You should also try to be conscious of expressing your gratitude. It will surely change your relationships with the people around you.

3. Challenge yourself without fear of failure

'I don't want to look embarrassing'

How much does this feeling hinder our growth?

Like Lily, cast aside your pride and work hard in a gritty way. Have the attitude of trying to learn from your failures even when they happen.

Next time you challenge yourself with something new, try thinking, 'It's okay to fail. I just need to learn from it.' Failure is not a negative. Because of failure, the path to success becomes clear.

4. Keep believing that you can still improve

Even world champions believe that they can still improve.

To what extent do you believe in your own potential?

'I'm too old now'
'I don't have the talent'
'I don't have the time'
'I'm going to be busy from now on'

Why not stop making those excuses and believe that you can still grow? Everything depends on you.

The true meaning of 'Hard work never betrays you'

Previously, when I interviewed her, she said these words.

'Hard work never betrays you. If you have a lane, you have a chance! Work hard, play hard!'

Watching her practice, I feel like I understood the true meaning of these words.

The 'quality' of the hard work is different.

It's not just working hard, but continuing to learn with humility.

It's not just practicing, but focusing on every single attempt.

It's not just continuing, but never forgetting a feeling of gratitude.

I believe that because she accumulates such 'high-quality hard work', her hard work does not betray her.

What is the quality of your 'hard work'?

Why not change the quality of your hard work just a little bit starting today?

Like Lily, be humble, never forget to be grateful, and don't be afraid of failure.

I'm sure a different result than what you've seen before is waiting for you!

In these World Games, she competed in the 100m bifins and finished in 5th place. However, knowing the grueling days of training she went through to win this race, I felt moved and filled with respect for her once again.

Even in the actual race, she didn't neglect her gritty efforts, such as switching to stiffer fins than the ones she had always used, or changing her strategy to challenge from the first half instead of relying on her usual strength in the second half.

I felt so proud to see her truly cool performance in the actual race. Why don't you all try to emulate her exemplary athlete mindset and keep working hard in your own gritty way starting tomorrow? I'll be doing my best too!

With that said, thank you for reading this far once again.

If you found this content good or helpful, I would be happy if you could support me with a 'Like❤️', 'Follow✅', 'Share♻️', or 'Tip💙'...!

Also, if you have any episodes where you thought 'I'll try changing the quality of my hard work' or any thoughts after actually trying it, please let me know in the 'comments section'!

See you next time!
See you later~

Finswimming Specialist
Fin President Yoshihide Sekino

☆Related Articles☆