Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Denis Gargaud Chanut of France celebrates after winning the men’s canoe single final in the Rio 2016 Summer Olympic Games at Whitewater Stadium.

I believe one of the most inspiring things a person can do in life is to be genuinely gracious towards someone who’s come out ahead of them. I’m extremely fortunate that, back home, in my inner-circle of friends, we’re continuously celebrating each others’ accomplishments, even if one or more members of the circle could be viewed as “ahead” of the others at a given time. I think we’ve all realized that the more people we surround ourselves with who are achieving their goals and dreams, the more likely that their momentum of success will transfer to us with regards to our pursuits.

It was clear yesterday that the Olympics athletes at Whitewater Stadium follow a similar mantra. Time and time again, I watched as athletes in the final medal round paddled their arms off across the finish line, only to land in fourth or lower place with no chance of taking home a medal. You’d think that, after losing, these guys would be furious, devastated, and bitter