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The Importance of Practicing Resilience
By: Danielle Campo McLeod, Canada’s Walk of Fame Recipient, Decorated Olympian
There’s a common misconception about resilience that it’s something you’re either born with or without. That some people are just naturally tougher, more courageous, or more equipped to face life’s storms. But my journey has taught me otherwise.
Resilience is not a trait. It’s a practice that’s been shaped in me through victory and heartbreak, through gold medals and hospital beds, and most importantly, through the quiet moments in between. I’ve learned it doesn’t begin in the spotlight. It starts with the decision to keep going when no one is watching.
I was diagnosed with a neuromuscular disorder at the age of two. Doctors didn’t expect me to walk, let alone swim. But at 15, I was standing on the podium at the Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games, with gold around my neck and tears in my eyes. People often look at those moments and call them inspiring. But what they don’t see is the grit it took to get there, the early mornings, the falls, the failures, the faith.
What I know now is that resilience doesn’t live in a single moment of triumph. It lives in the choice to show up, over and over again.

Years later, I found myself fighting for my life after giving birth to my third child. I went septic. I remember thinking, “This is not how my story ends.” But even in that terrifying moment, I found strength, not from within, but from those around me. My family. My medical team. My faith. Resilience is cultivated in connection. No one overcomes anything alone.
Today, I serve as the National Ambassador for Muscular Dystrophy Canada, and I’ve carried that same belief into my leadership: that resilience is more than surviving, it’s transforming. It’s taking the hardest parts of our story and using them to light the path for someone else. That’s what real leadership is. It’s not about titles or being the loudest in the room. It’s about being willing to lead with humanity, with empathy, and yes, with vulnerability.
And that’s something I want more leaders, especially women, parents, and people navigating disability or caregiving, to hear: you don’t have to be invincible to be powerful.
I used to believe resilience meant not breaking. I don’t believe that anymore. Now, I believe resilience means breaking and rebuilding, wiser, softer, and stronger than before.

Here are five lessons I’ve learned about resilience that I hope you’ll carry with you:
1. Resilience grows in community, not isolation.
We are not meant to carry hard things alone. As an athlete, I had coaches, teammates, and family. As a mother of children with neuromuscular disorders, I’ve leaned on other parents who just “get it.” As an advocate, I’ve found strength in sharing my story and hearing others say, me too.
When I got sick, it wasn’t just me fighting. It was the people around me who lifted me when I couldn’t lift myself. Whether you’re facing a health crisis, a personal loss, or a professional setback, find your people. Resilience is a team sport.
2. You don’t have to choose between vulnerability and leadership.
The most powerful leadership comes from authenticity. As someone who has worked in executive settings and on the frontlines of advocacy, I can tell you: people don’t need perfect leaders. They need present ones. They need someone willing to say, “I’ve been there too. Let’s figure this out together.”
Vulnerability doesn’t diminish your credibility; it deepens your connection.

3. Success isn’t about being unstoppable — it’s about being adaptable.
When I could no longer train as an elite swimmer, I had to redefine success. When I couldn’t fix my children’s diagnosis, I had to redefine strength. When I became a speaker, a consultant, and a mental health leader, I brought every lesson from the pool into the boardroom.
Success is not about having a straight path. It’s about learning how to pivot with grace and finding purpose in the process.
4. Adversity can be a teacher if you let it.
I don’t romanticize hardship. I wouldn’t wish some of the things I’ve lived through on anyone. But I also can’t deny the growth that’s come from those experiences.
Adversity strips away the unnecessary and leaves behind what truly matters. It teaches us compassion. It sharpens our focus. It gives us a lens to see others more clearly and lead more meaningfully.
Whatever you’re facing today, ask yourself: What is this teaching me? Not to minimize the pain, but to find meaning within it.

5. Legacy is built in the moments no one sees.
The gold medals, the awards, the public wins — they’re beautiful, but they’re not the whole story. Legacy is built in the daily decisions. In the encouragement you give your child. The courage it takes to show up at work when you’re grieving. In the phone call you make to a friend who’s struggling. In the compassion you show yourself when you fall short.
Those moments matter. They are the foundation of a resilient life.
Today, as a speaker, an executive, a mother, and a woman who has faced — and continues to face — real challenges, I can say with certainty that resilience is not about being exceptional. It’s about being faithful. Faithful to the next right step. Faithful to hope. Faithful to your story, even when it doesn’t look how you imagined it would.
So no, you don’t have to be born with resilience. You just have to practice it. Every day.
And if you’re doing that, showing up, reaching out, choosing to believe in something more than you, my friend, are already resilient.
About the Author
Danielle Campo McLeod is a decorated Canadian Paralympian, National Ambassador for Muscular Dystrophy Canada, award-winning speaker, executive leader, and mother of five. She is passionate about helping others turn pain into purpose and believes that connection is the most powerful form of leadership.
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