If any of our athletes are in need of extra inspiration leading up to the London Olympics, they could learn several lessons from two of New Zealand's high-profile sports people regarding mental toughness and resilience.
Irene van Dyk learnt of her mother's death hours before taking the court for what turned out to be a nail-biting game between the Magic and Mystics.
Considering the circumstances, she remained the consummate professional and played a key role in extra time to secure a spot for Magic in the transtasman netball final.
Meanwhile, Pat Lam predictably lost his grip on the Blues coaching job to Sir John Kirwan. His fight to the bitter end was valiant, and his final presentation to the press was both emotional and professional, considering the tough time he has had this season.
Both cases involved tears and were more moving than the recent triumphs for the Blues and Magic they may have inspired.
Why do I find these displays of mental toughness and resilience so inspiring?
It has long been claimed that sport builds character. That is, through participating and playing sport athletes will learn values and traits such as integrity, self-discipline, respect, responsibility and self-control.
Time and time again, however, researchers find there is little evidence to support this claim.
Rather, there is evidence that sport does not build positive character and that it can actually erode character through competition, bending of the rules and gamesmanship.
In the scenarios involving van Dyk and Lam, however, we have seen positive character traits shine through.
Were these developed in sport or were they merely aspects of these individuals' characters that were given an opportunity to be displayed in a sporting context?
Lam and van Dyk seem like fighters to me. They fight against barriers and societal expectations of how they should behave. They are not afraid to challenge stereotypes and do what they love.
Despite (or maybe because of) their passion for sport, both individuals have been scrutinised recently.
Since turning 40, van Dyk has had to endure many questions about when she willretire, while Lam has been under a lot of pressure to step down as Blues coach, due to the team's disappointing performance this season.
Their characters showed through in these challenging situations and, as a result, they have unwittingly become trailblazers and role models for others.
As a woman, mother, wife and "mature" athlete, van Dyk unapologetically considers sport a high priority in her life, and her commitment to netball and honouring of her mother's memory by playing should be respected.
As a New Zealand-born man of Samoan heritage, Lam was defiant and refused to fall on his sword to suppress the racist remarks and negativity directed at him, his culture and the Blues.
I believe it is possible to develop character in the sporting context, but it is often what happens off the court and field that is most beneficial to this kind of development.
For example, Lam in his leaving speech said "I truly believe that I'm a far better coach this year after what I've gone through", and van Dyk said the morning after their mammoth game against the Mystics that "it was possibly the toughest day" of her life, having to play such an important game after hearing of her mother's death.
Both were inspired by those who had supported them during their sporting careers - van Dyk by her mother, who had always been a huge supporter of her netball aspirations, and Lam by his players and management who gave him a wonderful send-off against the Brumbies.
So how do we develop resilience and mental toughness in sport?
By looking at athletes and coaches as more than robotic performing machines and acknowledging they are moved, motivated and inspired by a range of people and circumstances; by giving sports people the opportunity to experience disappointment, loss and challenges out of the sporting arena where they can develop their moral reasoning and ethical decision-making in a more holistic manner.
Let's be honest: life is 1% what happens and 99% how you react to it.
