The 23rd season of Dancing With the Stars (DWTS), the reality dance show that pairs celebrities with professional dancers, concluded on November 22, 2016 with Olympic gold medal-winning gymnastic Laurie Hernandez taking first place and the Mirrorball Trophy. Her win came as no surprise. In an article by dance expert Mary Murphy which appeared in TV Guide Magazine at the start of the season, Hernandez was tagged as a favorite to win it all.
What did come as a surprise was James Hinchcliffe taking the number two spot. In Mary Murphy’s article she highlighted six teams “which have the skills to land the coveted Mirrorball Trophy.” Hinchcliffe was not one of the six. He most certainly succeeded against all odds.
This was not the first time that Hinchcliffe overcame the odds. He is a pro race car driver who overcame life-threatening injuries sustained when he slammed into a track wall while practicing for the 2015 Indianapolis 500. His surgeon appeared on the October 10 show of DWTS and shared that the odds of him surviving were slim and if he did survive, his odds of ever walking again were very slim.
Well, he defied the odds and survived. And, not only is he walking, he is now a dancing star! What is it about Hinchcliffe (besides magnificent medical care) that led to his succeeding against all odds? From my perspective he was: determined, confident, 
dedicated, tenacious, focused on his goals (living, walking, and dancing well enough to compete on DWTS), resilient, disciplined, and motivated (he challenged the impossible against all odds).
He was willing to listen to experts and learn from constructive criticism (after the accident, his doctors and rehab specialists; on DWTS, his pro dancer and the judges). He demonstrated flexibility (especially when his pro dancer got injured and he had to work and dance with a substitute pro dancer). He had a support system of friends, family, and colleagues. He sought solutions to the issues, problems, difficulties, and challenges he faced (rather than dwelling on them). He has a positive attitude and he strives to see the good in situations.
Hinchcliffe was willing to step outside his comfort zone. In an Us Weekly exclusive he shared, “So much of this week and the story that I wanted to tell wasn’t about something bad that happened to me, it was what good came out of that. Eighteen months ago I don’t think I would have done this show, but what I went through really changed my perspective on a lot of things, and it opened me up to doing something a little bit outside my comfort zone. Or a lot outside my comfort zone!”
Robert Schuller said, “Most people who succeed in the face of seemingly impossible conditions are people who simply don’t know how to quit.” 
That is James Hinchcliffe in a nutshell. There’s a lesson for all of us in James Hinchcliffe’s success. Anything can happen at any time. And, it is during challenging times that one truly discovers what we’re made of. As Herodotus, the Greek philosopher, said, “Adversity has the effect of drawing out strength and qualities of a man that would have lain dormant in its absence.”
When adversity befalls us, we need to channel our inner Hinchcliffe and use our determination, confidence, dedication, tenacity, focus, resilience, discipline, motivation, and positive attitude to defy the odds and prevail. We, too, can succeed against all odds.
Author Becky Johnen 