A True Athlete

Please watch the video before proceeding to my post. It’s 3 minutes long. I could not find the original on youtube but this one has the same content.

I was shown this video at an Entrepreneur business building event. At the beginning (about a minute into the video), I already knew it was going to be a “sad motivating” type of video.

Or I thought I knew.

I was wrong. I had no idea that the video would impact me so much. By the time I was half way through, I was no longer able to contain my emotions and the streams of tears from pouring down my face. I have never seen a video that has hit me so hard (no pun intended).

At first, when Derek fell down in agony, I felt sorry for him. In my mind, I was thinking, “Poor dude. He must be devastated. He probably trained for years to get this far. He might never have this opportunity again.”

I was sad, but I wasn’t moved.

But then, he got up.

He started hobbling towards the finish line. I was in shock. Derek already knew he was going to be last place. Any hope for a medal surely must have vanished. Yet, he was still determined to finish the race?!

As the audience, we could definitely see how broken and torn Derek was. Derek could have waited for the paramedics to attend him. That was what everyone expected, including me. Yet, he continued on despite the pain. He refused to be defeated. Most people would have stopped/given up.

My pity for him turned into admiration.

Derek may have lost out on a medal, but he gave it his all and finished the race.

To me, Derek is a true athlete.

This then inspired me to write the following:

True athletes work very hard. They train for years to master their skills/moves. They train to become stronger, better, and faster.

True athletes track their progresses. They track so they know whether they have improved or not.

True athletes do not settle for average. They push their limits. They strive for the top. They try their best.

True athletes don’t give up. They will keep going no matter what.

At the end of the day, it’s all about the mindset, developing good habits, and taking massive action. I firmly believe if we are willing to incorporate the traits of a true athlete into our lives, we will become more fulfilled and successful.

Do you have the mindset of a true athlete? Are you willing to be a true athlete?

It’s definitely not easy. But I know it’s worth it. Let’s try our best, everyone!