If you’re as Olympic-addicted as we are here at Charter Construction, then you were glued to the tv and news stations waiting for the next world record breaker or the neck and neck race for gold or the headline-grabbing Simone Biles’ and her decision not to compete.

Ms. Biles gets much of the glory and news as the recognized “best gymnast” in the sport’s history, and rightfully so. This year, though, she made further headlines by standing up for herself, making the difficult decision not to compete, and stay safe. Ms. Biles’s self-reflectiveness indeed opened space for other talents to be recognized. And then, in walked Suni Lee, grabbing headlines and her country’s attention.

The entire nation cheered for Ms. Lee as she took the gold in the 2020 gymnastics all-around. It was nothing short of spectacular with a classic American story about hard work and a community that supported her dreams.

Ms. Lee’s performance got us thinking about the parallels of gymnastics, or really that of an Olympian, to construction work. The time and talent it took to become such an athlete is incredible. But there’s much more behind it than meets the eye.

Going down a possible checklist of those things an Olympian must do to get to excellence, many of the same attributes that an Olympian, such as Suni Lee, possess are very similar to the business of construction: desire, passion, focus, training, pain, injury, early mornings, courage, fear, joy, team, honesty, and the list can go on and on and on.

Hard Work & Passion

Construction is hard work. It’s physical and can take a toll on the body. But those who do it love it and have a passion for the work. Seeing the fruits of their labor is satisfying whether on the job site or managing the project.

Training

Lots of training goes into construction. Many of our employees are second and even third-generation construction workers; they may have gone to construction management or even architecture school and/or multiple years as an apprentice through a trade school. But it doesn’t stop there – all employees perform continuing education throughout the life of their career.

Mornings

Early mornings! That’s all we need to say about that.

Safety

Safety is a thing, and it takes the focus of the entire team. A person can dedicate their life to the safety of others on the construction site, and training and education are continuous.

Fear & Courage

If you work on enormous multi-story buildings, courage and fear are real – and not for the faint of heart.

Honesty

Honesty is the best policy. Charter talks a lot about ‘Doing it Right, the First Time’ and ‘Whatever it takes’. All well-respected construction firms like to build things that last and want to be your “go-to” for all your construction needs. That means skill, honesty, and excellent communication.

As stated previously, the list goes on, but we think you get the point.

We’d love to hear from you and know what attributes you see that run parallel to that of an Olympian in your line of work. Not all of us can be Olympians, but we can admire those who are and live our lives and do our work to the same levels.  

Here’s to you and a huge congratulations to all US Olympians at the 2020 Olympic Games.