What Investors Can Learn from Hockey Star and RBC Olympian Sarah Nurse

Long before Sarah Nurse skated onto the Olympic stage, the Hamilton ON native was a kid with big dreams watching the Canadian women’s hockey team capture gold at the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Games. That moment lit a spark in her, and she told her family she would play at that level one day.

Since then, Nurse has made good on that promise – and then some. In her Olympic debut at PyeongChang 2018, she helped Team Canada win a silver medal. Four years later, in Beijing, she shattered the women’s record for most points in a single Olympic tournament, with a total of 18 (five goals, 13 assists).¹ She also became the first Black woman to win Olympic gold in hockey.²

As she prepares for another Olympic run in Italy, Nurse, an RBC Olympian,³ continues to demonstrate that there are no limits to success, and there are also no shortcuts – a mindset that translates well to investing.

Drawing inspiration from Nurse’s journey to the top of her sport, here are six lessons that could potentially help your investment portfolio perform.

It’s never too soon to start
Nurse laced up her first pair of skates at the age of three and began playing organized hockey at five. By the time she reached the Olympic level, she’d spent years on the ice, building skills, gaining strength and adapting her game through repetition and practice. That tie-breaking goal against the U.S. at the 2018 Olympics may have seemed like her big breakthrough, but really it was the result of discipline and steady work compounded over time.⁴

For investors, starting early gives your money more time to grow, allowing compounding to work over the long term. Even small amounts can make a meaningful difference over time.

Set clear goals
As a kid, Nurse didn’t just dream about playing professional hockey. When she was seven, she told her family she would one day play in the Olympics for Team Canada.⁵ It was the beginning of a decades-long commitment toward a specific goal. Everything she did from that point on was designed to make it happen.

Knowing what you are working toward with your investments helps give structure to your decisions. Whether your goal is retirement, buying a home, raising a family or travelling the world, having a plan makes it easier to stay focused when markets are bumpy or when other demands compete for your attention.

Consistency matters
Elite athletes do not train only when motivation strikes. A big reason for Nurse’s success is that she shows up and does the work, week after week, learning and improving through repetition and routine.

Similarly, investing regularly and monitoring your investments’ performance could help growth steadily build. Plus, as you gain investing experience, you’ll build confidence and a better understanding of what works for you.

Have good coaches around you
When working towards a goal, it helps to have the right people in your corner. Nurse grew up surrounded by elite athletes – her cousin Darnell Nurse plays in the NHL⁶; another cousin, Kia Nurse, is a WNBA All-Star and Olympian⁷; and her uncle, Donovan McNabb, was an NFL quarterback.⁸ This gave her early insight into what high-level performance actually requires, which helped her to stay focused on her goals and to move through difficult stretches without losing perspective or confidence.

Investing also rewards preparation and perspective. If you are a self-directed investor, learning from credible sources, taking inspiration from experienced investors and understanding how markets behave over time can help you to build up your knowledge and make more confident decisions on your own.  If you are an investor who would prefer to work with an advisor, it’s important to ensure the person you connect with is a licensed professional (an advisor or financial planner) – someone you can share your goals and aspirations with and seek advice for solutions that align with your goals from.

Don’t let setbacks deter you
At the 2018 Olympics, Nurse helped Canada reach the gold-medal game, only for the team to lose in a shootout.⁹ As a result, she went home with silver instead of the gold she had imagined since childhood. That disappointment likely motivated her to win at the next opportunity. Four years later, in Beijing, she delivered one of the most dominant performances in Olympic hockey history.

For investors, market downturns and related losses can likewise feel disappointing or even discouraging. At these times, it’s important to tune out the short-term noise and stick to the solid financial plan you’ve created. Market volatility is unavoidable in investing. Try to be composed and disciplined, and keep your long-term objectives in mind.

Keep improving and evolving
Even with all of the trophies, medals and triumphs Nurse has achieved in her career thus far, she is not slowing down. She joined the Professional Women’s Hockey League,¹⁰ has taken on leadership roles off the ice^11,12 and continues to push herself and the sport of women’s hockey forward.

You, as an investor, are also evolving. Goals change, circumstances shift and strategies may need adjustment. Reviewing your plan periodically can help ensure your approach continues to reflect where you are in your life and where you want to go.

Looking ahead, Nurse is focusing less on limits than on possibilities. “In another five years, who knows where I could be?” she said in a recent media interview.¹³ That openness to what comes next offers a final takeaway: Whether in sport or investing, success often comes down to being ready when opportunity knocks.