Being Thankful
The message I want to send is that I am thankful for reaching this goal. I have been blessed to stay healthy and to have just the right amount of support when I needed it most. There were times when it seemed like it was not possible to make ends meet financially, and there were times when I thought I would never learn the three new sports in time.
In 2005 I realized that I was in the business of making the 2008 Olympic team; I was not in the business of earning the tip-top price on my house that was for sale. I sold the house in 2006 at a much lower price than I originally expected, but that is the type of decision that must be made at times when you know the bigger goal.
What is your main mission? A person has an easier time making decisions when he/she knows the primary goal, because your decisions should support that goal. Most of the decisions I made the past three years were to give this dream a chance, and it was realized in large part because of that focus.
The real key, however, was in the family, friends, coaches, sponsors, and general support I received. It was at times just enough to keep me in the game, and at other times it was in abundance. I could not be more thankful.
Now, going into Beijing, my goal is to enjoy the Olympics again as I did the first time in 1996, with wide eyes. I do not want to look at it in terms of conquering in the arena of play. I will train for that. I want to win. There is nothing that will keep me from putting forth everything I have to train to do my best, but the one thing that I could do that would make this the best Olympic experience is to view it with the spirit I had in 1996. The Olympics are amazing. The entire world represented in one city for two weeks, putting aside differences in religion and politics, and coming together on one playing field, a fair playing field... it is a beautiful event.
While I will be trying to win, I want people to know that the mission I set out on was realized. I wanted to break the paradigm that a person is too old at age 39 to learn new sports, and I wanted to break the paradigm that it takes 10 years or more to learn a sport. Since that goal was realized, now the training is focused on enjoying the process of trying to improve as much as I can to have a shot at the podium. I could win, and I could be last place. That is what sports are about... we do not know who the winner will be. That is why the competition must be held. The gold medals cannot be handed out today. It must be contested on a fair playing field. I am a wild card.
I hope you know the spirit of my quest, and I hope it is fun to watch.
Sheila T.
In 2005 I realized that I was in the business of making the 2008 Olympic team; I was not in the business of earning the tip-top price on my house that was for sale. I sold the house in 2006 at a much lower price than I originally expected, but that is the type of decision that must be made at times when you know the bigger goal.
What is your main mission? A person has an easier time making decisions when he/she knows the primary goal, because your decisions should support that goal. Most of the decisions I made the past three years were to give this dream a chance, and it was realized in large part because of that focus.
The real key, however, was in the family, friends, coaches, sponsors, and general support I received. It was at times just enough to keep me in the game, and at other times it was in abundance. I could not be more thankful.
Now, going into Beijing, my goal is to enjoy the Olympics again as I did the first time in 1996, with wide eyes. I do not want to look at it in terms of conquering in the arena of play. I will train for that. I want to win. There is nothing that will keep me from putting forth everything I have to train to do my best, but the one thing that I could do that would make this the best Olympic experience is to view it with the spirit I had in 1996. The Olympics are amazing. The entire world represented in one city for two weeks, putting aside differences in religion and politics, and coming together on one playing field, a fair playing field... it is a beautiful event.
While I will be trying to win, I want people to know that the mission I set out on was realized. I wanted to break the paradigm that a person is too old at age 39 to learn new sports, and I wanted to break the paradigm that it takes 10 years or more to learn a sport. Since that goal was realized, now the training is focused on enjoying the process of trying to improve as much as I can to have a shot at the podium. I could win, and I could be last place. That is what sports are about... we do not know who the winner will be. That is why the competition must be held. The gold medals cannot be handed out today. It must be contested on a fair playing field. I am a wild card.
I hope you know the spirit of my quest, and I hope it is fun to watch.
Sheila T.
Labels: Beijing 2008, Olympics, pentathlon
posted by Sheila T at
7:26 PM
