The Challenges You Choose: Lessons from Meg Fisher

By: Mari Holden

Paralympic champion and world-class athlete Meg Fisher once said something that echoes far beyond the bike:

“The challenges you choose prepare you for the challenges you don’t.”

It’s simple, but it’s profound. And it’s the foundation of how we can approach both training and life.

Who Is Meg Fisher?

Meg Fisher is more than a decorated athlete. She is a living example of resilience, grit, and the transformative power of mindset.

Her story began in Montana, where she grew up with a deep love for sport and the outdoors. A gifted athlete, Meg competed at the highest levels in soccer and triathlon. But her life changed forever when a tragic car accident left her with a partial paralysis and the amputation of her leg.

For many, this would have been the end of competition. For Meg, it was the beginning of a new chapter.

She rebuilt her life step by step, discovering para-cycling and unleashing her drive on a whole new stage. Her preparation, both physical and mental, fueled her comeback. That resilience carried her all the way to the Paralympic Games, where she won gold, silver, and bronze medals. She went on to become a multi-time World Champion, inspiring athletes around the globe.

But her impact stretches beyond medals. Meg is also a doctor of physical therapy, a mentor, and a fierce advocate for inclusion in sport. She shows people that the limits we imagine are often smaller than the strength we truly carry.

Her message is clear: the challenges we choose—whether a long training ride, a race, or even the daily choice to keep moving—prepare us for the challenges we never expect.

Choosing Challenge as Preparation

Every time a rider clips into their pedals, they’re making a choice.

Sometimes the challenge is physical—pushing watts on a climb or sustaining focus through intervals.

Other times it’s mental—showing up when motivation runs low, or staying steady when the body feels heavy.

These chosen challenges matter because they do more than strengthen muscle fibers—they rewire the brain.

Neuroscience shows that when we voluntarily engage in difficult tasks, we build new neural pathways that improve focus, emotional regulation, and resilience (Davidson & McEwen, 2012). Each climb or interval becomes a micro-lesson in patience and grit, stored as mental muscle memory to be called upon when life brings unexpected storms.

Resilience: More Than Physical Strength

Meg Fisher’s journey embodies this truth.

Her accident was unexpected, tragic, and life-altering. But her years of preparation—athletic training, mental toughness, and community support—equipped her with the foundation to not only survive but to thrive.

Psychologists call this “stress inoculation” (Meichenbaum, 2007). Just as the body adapts to physical load, the mind adapts to stress exposure. By choosing voluntary hardships—like training sessions, races, or skill-building—we inoculate ourselves against the involuntary hardships that inevitably come.

Meg didn’t just rebuild her athletic career; she became a champion and an advocate. She turned her pain into purpose.

Gratitude as Mental Training

But preparation is more than grit and sweat. It’s also gratitude.

Studies in positive psychology show that practicing gratitude activates brain regions associated with reward and motivation (Kini et al., 2016). This shift in focus—from what’s lacking to what’s present—creates resilience by reframing hardship into growth.

When gratitude is layered onto preparation, it transforms effort into joy. A steady breath. A sunrise ride. The support of a teammate. These acknowledgments don’t just feel good; they actively fortify the nervous system against stress.

In other words, gratitude is not an accessory—it’s a performance tool.

Flexibility as Strength

Resilience doesn’t always look like pushing harder. Sometimes it looks like bending instead of breaking.

“The oak fought the wind and was broken. The willow bent when it must and survived.”

Flexibility—both physical and psychological—is another form of preparation. Research in resilience science calls this “psychological flexibility”, the ability to shift strategies when conditions change (Kashdan & Rottenberg, 2010).

In cycling, that may mean adjusting pacing mid-race. In life, it may mean adjusting expectations in the face of loss. Strength is not only the ability to endure; it’s the wisdom to adapt.

The Power of Community

Preparation also thrives in community.

When riders come together—on a group ride, in a race, or in a shared training block—the collective energy multiplies. Social neuroscience shows that connection buffers stress and enhances motivation (Ozbay et al., 2007). Simply put: courage is contagious.

Meg’s journey has inspired countless athletes, not because she never faced hardship, but because she showed how preparation, gratitude, and community can transform it.

Carrying It Forward

Think about the challenges you’ve chosen—training for a race, learning a skill, raising a family.

Each of those choices has quietly prepared you for challenges you never saw coming. That is the unseen beauty of preparation. It is, at its core, an act of faith: you don’t always know what you’re preparing for, but you trust it will matter.

And it always does.

A Mantra to Ride With

As Bruce Lee once said: “Do not pray for an easy life. Pray for the strength to endure a difficult one.”

Meg Fisher’s story reminds us that chosen challenges are never wasted. They prepare us. They transform us. They ripple outward, inspiring others.

So the next time you clip in, remember: you’re not just training your legs—you’re training courage.

Preparation is your power. Gratitude is your grounding. Community is your secret strength.

And together, they will carry you through whatever comes next.

Be Kind. Do Fearless.

Follow Meg Fisher’s journey on Instagram: @megfisher