2023-April-06
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Going For Gold
BY PASCALE DELAUNAY · TECHNICAL SOLUTIONS ARCHITECT · UNITED STATESS
WITH JERRY SOVERINSKY AND HELEN GALL
4 MINUTE READ · 7 MINUTE LISTEN
When preparing to compete in the Olympics, every athlete must eventually reckon with self-doubt.
Not necessarily doubt over whether you’re good enough, but whether you can cope with the challenges of competing on the world’s biggest athletic stage.
For me, during the London 2012 Games preparation, there wasn’t a specific moment. However, years of 20-hour training weeks, jumping, lifting, icing, massaging, rehabbing, and balancing a full-time Cisco engineer career took a toll.
To overcome self doubt, I relied on my turbulent childhood as a Haitian immigrant in the U.S. I learned to adapt and optimize time management — in all aspects of my life — for peak performance.
Early challenges
During Haiti’s coup in 1991, my parents moved my six siblings and me to the U.S. It was a major culture shock transitioning from a laid back, island life of relative comfort and predictability to an impoverished, stressful environment. And all while learning a new language.
We united and leaned into our strengths, moving for our safety or better job opportunities. Constant change brought us closer, emphasizing the importance of supporting each other.
Even amid the uncertainty, my passion for learning thrived. I enjoyed problem-solving and excelled at disassembling, understanding the inner workings of things, and reassembling objects. When something broke, I was the go-to fixer, leading me towards becoming an engineer.
My parents emphasized education while at the same time also nurtured our extracurricular interests. Following my older brother, a track star, and I joined my high school’s track team. I leveraged my good grades and athletics to earn a University of Rhode Island scholarship, becoming a Division I student athlete.
A bridge to possible
After earning my engineering degree, I joined Cisco as a system engineer in the North Carolina office.
After a few years, the idea of returning to competitive athletics and possibly qualifying for the Olympics emerged.
After relocating to Los Angeles, I connected with an elite coach, Dr. Gregoire — a.k.a. Coach G — who had trained multiple Olympians. After assessing me for three weeks, he recognized my Olympic potential, but warned that my full-time job would put me at a steep disadvantage.
Unfazed by challenges, I collaborated with my coach, my trainers, and medical staff — at a significant personal cost — to train for the 2012 Olympics.
While the hours were grueling, the flexibility that Cisco provided allowed me to pursue my passion and continue my career. The most challenging part was maintaining my health, but balancing priorities was a delicate act.
Haitian ambassador
The hard work paid off. I was ultimately selected to represent Haiti on the global stage.
Cisco granted me a leave-of-absence and sponsored my training, allowing me three months of focused preparation before the Games.
But weeks before, a severe injury during training struck, upending years of training.
It took time to gain a positive perspective from the journey.
Visiting Haiti after the Games, children celebrated my world-class athleticism, welcoming me as a hero. I became a beacon of possibility — especially as a woman. The smiles and awe on their faces made all the challenges worth it.
Win-WIN++
After the Games, I returned to Cisco, with renewed focus on my career and reigniting my passion for innovation. In late 2020, I joined Cisco’s Women Inventor Network (WIN++), which pairs innovators with a mentor to pursue patents.
My mentor, Distinguished Engineer Gonzalo Salgueiro, supported our growth. He created a safe space to share ideas, explained the patent process, and shared how to optimize our chances for success.
Gonzalo encouraged us to pursue cross-discipline solutions in saturated patent areas. Our first invention disclosure invloved collaboration and language comprehension, leveraging machine learning. It was an area with many existing patents.
Since joining WIN++, I’ve grown as a leader and guided others through the innovation process. I’ve submitted multiple invention disclosures over two years, five are patent-pending, and one was submitted for academic publication.
Connect and elevate
Reflecting on my experiences, the importance of support and mentorship stand out.
It’s thanks to the support of my parents, siblings, coaches, and trainers that I was able to adapt and thrive in new environments, and overcome the physical and mental challenges to train for the Olympics.
Without the mentorship and support of Gonzalo, the WIN++ program, and my cohort teammates, I wouldn’t have been able to achieve my innovation and patent success.
Appreciating the roles that others have played in my life’s journey, I established a non-profit, Connect and Elevate, which brings experts in the field of athletics, STEM, and the Arts to Haiti and other under-served areas.
We train local instructors and mentors so they gain the knowledge and tools to empower children in those areas. The goal is to empower the next generation of Haitians — and others — to rise beyond expectations, conquer self-doubt, and achieve success like I did with my support systems.
My journey taught me that through the power of connection, we each have the opportunity to elevate and go for the proverbial gold in our lives.
The bridge to possible is open, we just need courage and support to cross it.
Employee Resources
- Powered by Purpose: Women of Impact 2023
- Women of Cisco inclusive community
- Women in Science and Engineering inclusive community
- Learning & Development
- Cisco Purpose Report 2022
Related Links
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