Once about a decade ago I was asked by a former Olympic gold medalist to help her prepare a speech in front of a group of successful businesspeople in Beijing.

I had known her from the time when she dominated the diving pool until she quit and founded a training school for young children. I suggested she talk about her competitive spirit, determination and other traits that could be found in an MBA class on leadership.

But she turned down my draft, saying "it was not me." Instead, she would focus on the human side of her sport career and how she had always wanted to live like a normal person.