After almost drowning as a young child,

Cullen Jones had every opportunity to stay out of the water—

but he must have instinctively understood Valerie Peterson’s words

“Fear is a terrible form of self-sabotage.”

Jones’ near drowning became his platform for positive change.

He is now an Olympic gold medalist and advocate for a program that provides free and reduced swim lessons for children,

so they don’t have to become the statistic he narrowly avoided.

Jones changed his fear of water into a triumph for him—and others.

May his example challenge you to turn fears from a stopping point into a starting block for the future.

I’m Mac Hammond; this is the Winner’s Minute.