| Focus April 1, 2003
All About Heart
"Talent will not; nothing is more common than
unsuccessful people with talent.
Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb.
Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts.
Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.
The slogan ‘press on’ has solved and always will solve the problems of the human
race."
-- Calvin Coolidge
I’ll be the first to admit that I am not the most
naturally gifted person when it comes to grace, poise or athleticism. I am envious of
fitness competitors who, year after year, pull off flawless routines and make it look so
effortless. I know they have probably spent the better half of their childhood in a dance
studio or gymnastics club, and are reaping the benefits today as some of the CBBF’s
top competitors, but an extensive background or great genetics is only part of what makes
a great athlete.
In fitness, many people possess the potential to be great;
however, whether they realize that potential and use it to its full advantage is another
story. Yes, an extensive background or past experience in athletics and great genetics can
help fitness competitors today, but it is not enough to keep them on top. So what can
inevitably keep them on top? Persistence, persistence, persistence!
If you work at something, no matter what it is, you will
eventually achieve success. In the case of fitness, there are many competitors who start
off feeling completely overwhelmed by the amazing talent of other competitors. Instead of
being discouraged and giving up, the persistent ones use this as their inspiration to push
on. A perfect example is the 2002 Medium class winner of the CBBF Canadian Fitness
Championships, Sandra Wickham. In an interview
with Sandra, she admits that when she first started competing in fitness she was
bitter because she lacked the extensive gymnastics background possessed by many of her
fellow competitors. So, she used that feeling to motivate herself to train harder, year
after year. For those of you who caught her Little Mermaid performance in Winnipeg last
September, you would never be able to tell she only started taking gymnastics when she
started competing in fitness.
The same lesson can apply to anyone. With hard work,
dedication, persistence, more persistence, and then more persistence (and can after can of
tuna), you too can reach your full potential as a fitness athlete. Calvin Coolidge sums it
up best.
See you in Edmonton in eights weeks!
...Denyse Johnson
denyse@seriousaboutfitness.com |
