We are in week 9 of our Summer Challenge, and this week is make or break for everyone! A few of our members are still scrambling to reach their 36 sessions, and then of course, awaits the 3rd and determining body assessments. As much as we always remind ourselves that these Challenges are about personal victories, and that we are striving to only become better versions of ourselves, the fact remains that there are always 3 overall winners, and whether we like it or not, we all know: Winning is just so much nicer than losing…
When Eswee was 12-years-old, we were driving home one evening from Middelburg, where he took part in an ATKV public speaking competition. Out of the blue Eswee asked: “Mamma, hoekom sê die tannies van die ATKV altyd, ‘Julle is almal wenners’, maar dan gaan net twee sprekers landswyd toe, en die res van ons gaan huis toe…?” Hmm, very, very good question.
When we were young, grown-ups always tried to convey the very same message, “It doesn’t matter if you win or lose, it’s about how you play the game.” But it’s easier said than done. We all know that winning just feels better. Week after week we felt it, as we sat on the edges of our seats during the Rugby World Cup, screaming with joy as the Boks managed to win, time and again, even when it was only with one point. It felt good. It lifted our spirits. It gave us hope.
The term “basking in reflected glory” got new meaning for us. We ALL enjoyed the victory even though none of us did anything but cheer: “Go Boks! Go!” We heard our captain and our team say: “We didn’t win this for us, we did it for our people at home…” And everywhere we read and heard: “The Springboks are more than a rugby team. To South Africans, they represent the unquenchable spirit of a nation…”
Our boys have indeed proven to everyone why they are world champions and deserve to retain the trophy. But isn’t it a bit unfair of us ordinary South Africans, to keep demanding the Springboks to give us hope through their victories, when we don’t meet them halfway?
Now that the hype has died down, the fireworks are long gone, and the celebratory tours have ended, how are we going to show that we have learned from them in our own lives, with our own personal views on “winning”?
We play our part by working the hardest we can in our jobs, by serving as if we’re competing with the best in the world, by speaking positively about our country, and by treating ourselves as Springboks…
I am not sure how our Springbok team would have reacted if they had lost in that final game, but my guess is that we would still be immensely proud of them. I am convinced that Siya, our captain, would look each Kiwi in the eye and give them a pat on the back, and a firm handshake, unlike Wales captain, Dan Biggar, who stayed on the sideline and cried, and English captain, Colin Farrell, who was seen having a brawl with Willie le Roux after the final whistle was blown.
Our 72 Challenge members have made us proud the past 8 weeks, with their dedication, sportsmanship, and enthusiasm about everything. The fact that so many of them have taken part in more than 20 of our overall 25 Fitness Challenges, is proof enough that they view it as a personal journey of self-growth, every single time, without comparisons and constant competition with others as a measure of self-growth. I cannot wait for our end-of-the-year function to pay tribute to everyone.
I think we have learned a few valuable truths during the past few years, and especially during this summer of 2023, our participants have proven again: You can win, and so can your competitors. You improve without harming anyone. On the contrary, with your improvements you cause your fellow participants to improve as well. You can win without anyone having to lose…
Sharing the joy of your national team winning the World Cup, is not a win-win situation. This is: When you define your own concept of victory, your own concept of winning. For some people it is to improve, for others to give everything, and for others it is to participate. When you start to focus on yourself, and forget about others, it’s much easier to achieve results, above all.
When Irish captain, Johnny Sexton, walked from the field after his World Cup dreams were shuttered, there was no more fitting praise than that of his own son, Luca. With a moving moment captured on camera after the match, 8-year-old Luca said: “You’re still the best, Dad”, as he looked up to his father with tears in his eyes.
I have accepted many years ago that I would never play tennis at Wimbledon. Even at my best, I had a better chance of surviving The Hunger Games than beating Martina Navratilova. But I can compete with myself to be better today than I was yesterday. I can’t control the excellence of my members, but I can control my own.
You don’t win by lifting a golden trophy or wearing a medal, you win by beating your anxieties, limitations, and self-doubt. It’s about beating self-imposed obstacles and rising above your current level of performance. The more you improve, the more you trust yourself and the more you realize what you are truly capable of.
Plato said thousands of years ago, that “the first and best victory is to conquer yourself.” Mahatma Gandhi said that “the reward lies in the effort, not in the attainment. Full effort is full victory.” Isn’t that beautiful?
To understand victory as effort, sacrifice, and hard work. This is the unquenchable spirit of an individual!
Yours in fitness
Mirna
082 779 0507