Heartbreaking to fall short of gold
Re When they were kings, July 10 I want to thank the Toronto Star for the recent feature, “When they were kings.” It was a compelling read and one that I can personally relate to.
In 1968 in Mexico City, I twice fell short of winning Olympic gold in the 100-metre and 200-metre backstroke, having been favoured in both events. I came home with three of the five total medals won by Canada that year. However, the fact that none of them were gold made me feel like I had let my country down, mirroring the sentiments of boxers Willie deWit, Shawn O’Sullivan and Dale Walters.
It seems ironic to think that chasing one’s dream of gold can destroy lives rather than enhance them. Something is greatly amiss here. We need to make a cultural shift in our narrow-minded definition of success. Athletes need to be counselled and morally supported both before and after their short-lived competitive careers.
Lofty goals and achievements come at a cost for sure but certainly not at the ultimate price that some pay for a dream that never comes to fruition.
Yes, it is heartbreaking to fall short of one’s expectations, but failing to live up to it is not nearly as difficult as doing it with redeeming grace.
It takes a lot of courage and inner fortitude to chase a dream but it takes a true champion in life to live fully in the consequences of it — win or lose.
If I could leave words of wisdom to all those who dream big and pursue their own golden moments, I would say plod on and take pride in any and all of your accomplishments along the way. Some may get to the pinnacle but many will not. But just remember, our lives contain many chapters and win or lose there will be many more pages to be written. The secret to success and living purposefully is in knowing just when to turn them.
Elaine Tanner OC, Oro-Medonte, Ont.