Real estate industry in tears as cyclist Anna Meares shares the highs and lows of a 15-year career.

It’s hard not to get emotional when you’re in a room with Anna Meares.

Just ask the 200-plus Canberrans who shared breakfast with the Olympic cyclist last Friday: experiencing – in Anna’s own words – the lows of a broken neck after a harrowing bike accident in 2008 and the highs of standing atop the podium to receive a gold medal at the 2012 London Olympics.

Anna was in town as part of the hugely popular Zango presents series: our way of motivating and inspiring the real estate industry - and other Canberrans - to be the best they can be.

Anna’s approach to resilience through tough times, and the absolute power of waking up and working every day with a specific goal in mind - winning - resonated with the room.

“Yes, I’m the most successful female athlete in my sport of all time,” she said.

“But I’ve lost way more races than I’ve won.

“I won 11 times, but I lost 29.”

She spoke on determination and having to “change the game” almost every single time she raced.

“If I did the same thing every time, I would have always achieved silver and bronze and nothing more,” she said.

“If you want the gold, you have to do things differently and go to places within yourself you’ve never been before.”

Details of the four-year strategy Anna put in place to beat rival cyclist Victoria Pendleton on Victoria's home turf at the 2012 London Olympics were astounding. In a clash dubbed ‘Broomstick versus Lipstick’ by the British press (Anna was the broomstick), the Aussie cyclist combined data and a strategy she kept secret for 18 months to win gold.

“But I honestly believe the reason I won this day was because I executed my plan better than my opponent executed hers.

“It all comes down to preparation. You cannot expect to win in a competitive environment if you do not do all of the preparation beforehand.”

Zango Brand and Marketing Manager Andrew Sherer said, “We knew from the outset that Anna was the perfect speaker for our Agent Community and Zango presents series. Proudly local and supported by a focussed team who understood the importance of competition and change. And that in order to achieve the ultimate result you need to break away from predictability."

Also present in the room to hear Anna speak were the winners of our giveaway: two local cyclists who were also able to meet their idol on the day.

“I’ve followed Anna Meares’ career for over 20 years and she has been a huge inspiration for me - how I lead my life and overcome adversity,” said winner Lucy Stewart.

“Thank you so much for the opportunity to attend and further be inspired by Anna.”