WHEN I was growing up, the staple career choices encouraged in my household were that of a doctor, lawyer, engineer or accountant as a tried-and-tested path to a brighter and more comfortable life.
Although I’m sure the list has expanded as a result of advancements in technology, I’m certain that becoming an athlete is not one of the options available today.
As a sports journalist for over two decades, I have had the privilege of speaking to various athletes from all over the world.
From multiple world champions to retired sports icons and rookies making their debut, I’ve come to notice that athletes around the globe share many similarities and characteristics that make them very different from the rest of us.
Firstly, they all share the drive to win.
Elite athletes are not interested in making up the numbers ─ they all want that gold medal, and when they’re not winning, they’re busy thinking, training and strategising on their next opportunity to clinch a victory.
This fire burns within all elite athletes, and one personified by three-time badminton world champion and reigning Olympic champion, Carolina Marin, from Spain.
Each time I’ve had the privilege of speaking to her, the desire to succeed comes across very strongly. Even while recovering from an injury that could have ended her career, she shared that her only desire and motivation was to defend her gold medal at the now-cancelled Tokyo Olympic Games.
Most athletes are also very aware that they have a limited time to make an impact as a competitive sporting career has a much shorter lifespan than regular jobs.
Usain Bolt set his first world record at the age of 21 and went on to spend his twenties racking up eight Olympic gold medals and eleven world championship titles. But just shy of his 31st birthday, the fastest man on the planet ran his last race at the 2017 World Athletics Championships, thus ending one of the most successful sports careers in history.
Athletes know that they have a short time to shine and they make the most of it. For some, the dream could be becoming a national champion, for others, regional or world titles are what they desire.
Either way, there is a sense of urgency that prevails in everything that they do, which is something that I, for one, have tried to emulate.
Imagine if we all knew that we had less time to achieve success, how would that change our approach?
Sportsmen and women also acknowledge that it takes hard work and teamwork to be successful. They know that you can’t reap success unless you have put in the work, which is why they spend more time training than competing.
The training regimes, which are often brutal, require heaps of dedication and sacrifice.
Whether they compete as an individual or as a group, these athletes are all thankful for the team in the background that helps them get on to the playing field.
Even though their one objective is to win, athletes know how to lose as accepting defeat comes with the territory
Seven-time Formula 1 world champion, Lewis Hamilton, once said to me that he learnt more from his losses than from his victories.
He added that it wasn’t important how many times you lost, it’s how you bounce back that matters, which is why they are also not afraid of losing.
While it is too late for me to consider a career in sports, it’s not too late for me to take a leaf out of the athlete’s playbook: to aim high in my endeavours, to approach things with a sense of urgency, to put in the hard work, and above all, to learn from my mistakes.
I might not be on course to becoming a world champion, but if I live my life like an athlete, I can be the best version of myself, for me. ─ The Vibes, 30 January, 2021
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