32. IGOR LARIONOV II | On Accepting the Journey, Turning Negatives into Positives + Carrying his Last Name
iTunes: click here.
“It seems the destination is important but it’s more special when you accept the journey; and not just the highs, but the lows, too.”
HERE's the known.
Igor is my brother. He is a professional athlete. An ice hockey player to be exact. He is 21 years old and currently finds himself in a stage of change and transition. Except, unlike most of us (myself included), Igor is prepared for the Unknown. In fact, he’s excited for it, seeing it as an opportunity to create something special. He is not a wallower, not a stagnant force of nature complacent in the cards he’s been dealt — difficult ones including injuries and setbacks which have made his climb to the top that more difficult. He knows he is, and forever will be, the “Son of Igor Larionov’, but he doesn’t let the negative talk around some of his perceived privileges get in the way of where he’s heading. What I didn’t know is that he is an eternal optimist, that he finds the silver-lining in situations unlikely to have a silver-lining at all. He is curious about the journey, not the destination. And he praises kindness above all. Am I biased? Yes. But, pleasantly surprised in the amount I learned from this young, brother of mine. He has much wisdom to share for a 21-year-old — lessons, stories, and takeaways applicable for athletes, parents of athletes and people in general striving for greatness.
“A lot of athletes [when they’re injured] they go into a state of depression, they don’t know what’s going on with their life, & they’re extremely upset. But when i’m injured I look at it as: alright, I might not be playing right now, but I can work on my shot, i can work on my hands, i can watch a ton of film.
i can still improve my game.”
“Of course. That’s my name: Igor, the son of Igor Larionov. I don’t know any different. I’ve always lived with knowing he’s a legend. Or, if someone walks into the rink they’ll say ‘Oh wow, that’s Igor’s son’, Which means that I have to be twice as good as him. Of course there’s an expectation, but I put that expectation on myself.”
“Quentin Tarantino once said that he steals from all the best filmmakers..I do the exact same thing. I watch all the best players and I try to steal something they do well & I put it into my game.”
IGOR’S question:
who am i to tell you what to ask.
alyonka, you should be asking what you want to ask.
EPISODE NOTES:
The Curling Episode: https://www.espn.com/video/clip/_/id/28759461
