Colonel Rajyavardhan Rathore: How Optimism Turns Injury Into an Olympic Silver
Colonel Rajyavardhan Rathore's career should have ended with an injury that could have taken his shooting hand out of the game. Instead, it became the story of India's first individual Olympic silver in shooting. Here is what his explanatory style teaches every professional about the trait of Optimism.

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By Avinash Chate — Maharashtra’s #1 Corporate Trainer & Motivational Speaker. .