On becoming a Champion ...

1. You have to be considered number 1 in the sport you are competing in. That
makes you a winner.
2. To become a winner you have to outdo all the others in your race.
3. That in itself does not create a Champion…
4. A champion gets defined on how he or she handles victory and defeat.
5. We have a great admiration for Champions in sports. This admiration even
makes some of them into super stars…
6. But what creates a champion?
7. It is easy to win but very difficult to lose.
8. A champion gets energized by defeat; he brushes himself of and cannot wait
to get back into the arena, while the average person gets demoralized.
9. In order to become a champion you must go through many peaks and valleys.
Each time you have to come back stronger and more determined.
10. You must be willing to do WIT ( whatever it takes)
11. You must be passionate about your goal, determined, relentless, and above
all have stick-to-it-ness.
12. A Champion gets up even if he cannot…

Now this is true in sports but it also translates into everyday life.
I have always said that sport provides a concrete way to visualize and learn abstract life lessons.
There are many lessons that I learned in sports that ended up invaluable in my own life. Here is one of them…
When I was 13 years old my Dad took me to the track. I was a figure skater but for cross training we went to the track (high jumping, running, running long-jump and shot putting).
He had figured out my average results in all these events and I had to reach that level every time I went to train.
One day we went to the track at 3pm and I started with high jumping (which was my special event)
After warm up I attempted my average competitive result. I tried and tried and each time the bar fell. Hours passed. People gathered around and felt really sorry for me because my (in their mind) cruel Dad did not let me give up. I went through every possible emotion. (I cried, felt sorry for myself, got angry, etc., but my Dad did not give up)
In the meantime it was 9 pm. I remember this moment as if it was yesterday.
I tried the next attempt, put everything I got into it, and the next thing I knew I was laying on my back in the high jump pit and the bar was still up …….
My Dad simply said “Uschi let’s go home. When you think you can’t there is a lot left inside of you….!”
This was the greatest lesson I ever learned. I have carried it through my whole life. You only need to learn that once and then you will know how to push the reserve button inside of you. Trust me it is a trial that is very, very tough but once you learn it, the results are incredible.
I use this lesson in my teaching and coaching. I have given many students a task they must stay and complete without quitting. The ones that had the guts and endurance and trust in me to learn this great lesson went on to great things, including World titles.
That is what I mean by stick-to-it-ness.
I thank my Dad every day of my life for having had the patience and love to teach me many life lessons….
To me sports and life are interchangeable. I live on blades and skate thru life.
It is important in life that you continue with what you do to reach a level of excellence. The principles apply in every area of life.
For instance, you have to learn something seven times over before you reach your first level of skill.
This shows how much stick-to-it-ness it takes to become highly skilled. Most of us are happy with the fact that we can do something. That is not enough if you even want to consider becoming a champion at anything.
Anybody that has ever travelled the path of the pure joy in the pursuit of excellence (the Olympic Ideal) has never regretted it and would do it again, even though it is tough…
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God says you have W.I.T. (Whatever It Takes) in Philippians 4:13
When He tells , we can do all things through Christ who gives us strength.
You have what it takes!
What will you do in your lifetime to become a Champion?