Oct 21, 2026 · 19 min · 9 segments
What happens when the way you experience the world changes, but your drive to keep moving forward doesn't? Today, Hillary is joined by Victoria Nolan, a blind world champion rower, Paralympian…
Victoria NolanGuest
Hilary LeBlancHost
Now, in the middle of all of this, I feel like I have to add that there's a big swath of time from 99 to 2017 that you were also a teacher.
Um, while being a three-time Paralympian and also being a mom, which, you know, you just really wanted to stack all of it.
What is it inside of you? Like what has ignited that fire for you to keep going, to persevere, to achieve more than I think society might think you're supposed to achieve as somebody with vision loss? Yeah.
And I think I had it in me already, but this experience with elite sport has just really solidified it.
That having those long-term goals and knowing that you're moving incrementally towards them.
Um, so yeah, so I loved teaching, but it's that's not the same kind of drive, right? You don't have that same kind of like, you know, I've got to hit these targets today.
So yeah, teaching all day and then going and getting on the water was not a challenge for me.
I couldn't have done this without him looking after the kids and supporting me through all of it.
And also I would hope like maybe a calendar and organizer to keep that 24 hours in a day, like tidy, because I'm like, when did you, I was like, you're a teacher, but when do you row? I thought teachers, I feel like they work six to six.
Um, And of course, now you're an author, a public speaker, you've done TV hosting, you're an executive leader, you still have so, so much that you're doing.
Now, in the middle of all of this, I feel like I have to add that there's a big swath of time from 99 to 2017 that you were also a teacher.
Um, while being a three-time Paralympian and also being a mom, which, you know, you just really wanted to stack all of it.
What is it inside of you? Like what has ignited that fire for you to keep going, to persevere, to achieve more than I think society might think you're supposed to achieve as somebody with vision loss? Yeah.
And I think I had it in me already, but this experience with elite sport has just really solidified it.
That having those long-term goals and knowing that you're moving incrementally towards them.
Um, so yeah, so I loved teaching, but it's that's not the same kind of drive, right? You don't have that same kind of like, you know, I've got to hit these targets today.
So yeah, teaching all day and then going and getting on the water was not a challenge for me.
I couldn't have done this without him looking after the kids and supporting me through all of it.
And also I would hope like maybe a calendar and organizer to keep that 24 hours in a day, like tidy, because I'm like, when did you, I was like, you're a teacher, but when do you row? I thought teachers, I feel like they work six to six.
Um, And of course, now you're an author, a public speaker, you've done TV hosting, you're an executive leader, you still have so, so much that you're doing.
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