Sport has an astonishing ability to touch the very depths of our souls. Whether we are competitors or spectators, our emotions can be touched and stirred in our innermost beings almost beyond any other experience. For some, winning a major trophy moves us intensely; such a feeling is only magnified greatly if there had been no real sign of it happening before. For others, simply coming back against all odds, be it injury, failure, setbacks, pain or rejection can stir up raw emotions with fresh power and passion; losing a loved one can be deeply disturbing, but finding that loved one when we thought she had gone goes even deeper. For others still, a performance of excellence, beauty and fluency can leave us emotionally challenged (all the more so if previously there had been no sign of such potential).
Imagine then the depths of our emotional experience if we were to combine each of those factors into one event! How could we ever find a word to describe such a person or team that inspires such powerful human responses and joys? Well, there is a word and it is a word that coincidentally is the name of one person whose story encapsulates every aspect of the scenarios mentioned above. That word is ‘Champion’ and that man is Bob Champion.
Let us recall the remarkable story of Bob Champion, the jockey whose world was turned on its head, not so much by the victory in the world-famous Grand National horse race in 1981 but by the events leading up to it. Less than two years before the win on his brave horse Aldaniti, he was diagnosed with having testicular cancer, which at that time only gave a 35-40 percent chance of being cured; he was given eight months to live. He went through with the agonising treatment and resolved with greater intent to win the Grand National on the horse which he always had believed could win the National, Aldaniti. This horse also had overcome astonishing odds, having twice broken down, on one occasion to the extent that the vet suggested the horse be put down. But he came back too and together with his rider they overcame the toughest horse race in the world (just under seven kilometres long, jumping thirty high fences) and all opposing riders to win the coveted title.
He was not simply a winner though; he was a champion. The difference between the two has been wonderfully described in the following manner: “For a Winner nothing else matters besides winning. He attaches who he is to what he achieves. For a Champion there’s a WHOLE World of things that matter besides winning. In spite of wanting to win, he doesn’t attach his self-worth to the outcome of any competition. Becoming the master of his full potential is the outcome he seeks.
“A Winner will stop at nothing to win. The ends justify the means. A Champion knows that if he wins at the cost of his honour, he didn’t win. Why? Because it’s about his legacy! A legacy is built under the pillars of integrity. A Winner sees shame in defeat. A Champion sees a chance to learn, to grow and evolve beyond what he already knew. A Champion honours his legacy with every action, with every effort and with every breath. A Champion can lose a battle without losing his honour.
“A Winner sees his opponent as his enemy. A Champion sees no opponent but himself. He understands that the only person that can prevent him from using all his potential is himself. A Winner is only happy when he wins. A Champion finds happiness and joy in everything that happens on the journey because those feelings come from living aligned with his purpose. They know how to use ANY emotion to move them closer to where they want to be. A Winner lets his competitors set the standards for him. A Champion doesn’t let anyone but himself to set the standards for his Life. No one has higher standards than himself. No one expects more from him than himself. A Winner is afraid of losing. A Champion is more afraid of not giving all he’s got than all his other fears combined. A Winner sees winning as the reward. A Champion sees his whole journey, to become ALL he can be, as the reward.” [Anon ]
The legacy that Bob Champion and other such champions have left behind is ours for the taking. Our role, our legacy, as parents or coach of the young children in our care, very simply is surely to ensure we raise up not winners but champions. If we do, then we will in turn be the real champions.
