The Winter Olympic Games begin on Friday in Vancouver .  As a hockey player, I have a certain affinity toward the winter Olympics.

Even if we’ll never be an Olympian ourselves, we can all draw inspiration from Olympic athletes.  Here’s an excerpt from this article about 6 things we can learn from Olympic athletes.

2. Cross-train
Olympians may be unrivaled within their skill-set, but they use other skills along the way. Cross-training reduces risks of overtraining and helps avoid injury. It also enhances muscle performance and stimulates the mind so you don’t become bored by too much repetition.

6. Put on an Olympic Attitude
For most of us, our jobs, families and personal commitments mean we can’t devote as many waking hours to training as a world champion might. But you can adopt the mentality of an Olympian during the time you set aside for training, approaching that hour with the single-minded focus of a full-time athlete. The results will be encouraging, Sebelski says. ”Train for a couple of weeks with focus and discipline, and lo and behold, you’ll be surprised by what you can do,” Sebelski said.