Passion- it’s such a peculiar word. According to Webster’s dictionary online it’s a noun that means:
1. Any powerful or compelling emotion or feeling; as love or hate.
The definition continues further but that’s not applicable to this blog. You can Google it if you feel so inclined. But what is pertinent is love and hate.
This ying and yang is the quintessential paradox to an athlete’s life. Passion is what drives us to success. Passion is what drives us mad.
What is loved: the satisfaction of winning. It’s plain and simple that an athlete strives for gold and not much less. The feeling of power as you PR a lift. The surprise of the clock after a run when you thought it sucked. The feeling you get when you first pull on a race suit and realize- it’s game on. That same feeling of adrenaline that pumps through your body, makes you sweat and tingle, and puts your mind on a completely different level. The recognition for our accomplishments and efforts.
What is hated: the feeling of an off-race. 2nd place or 4th place. The third week of a 3-week lifting cycle- when 10 pounds feels like 10,000. Being fooled by the clock after a run where you thought it was the ride of your life. The uncomfortable jitters you get before the first race because everything is new and anything can happen. The feeling of the unknown and questioning yourself- did you do enough reps? What if you were one kilo heavier? What if you pulled 10 more starts? The sacrifices you make in being away from your family and friends. Airports. International charges on your credit card. Long days spent driving from one small town to the next. Making people understand that living in Europe for 6 months doesn’t mean there’s time to play. Being defined by our sport.
Though it looks like the negative list may outweigh the positives the grass is always greener on the other side. Ask any athlete what their life would be like without their sport and I’m not sure you would get a completely accurate answer. This particularly applies to Luge athletes.
As a senior in high school you’re supposed to make the huge decision about the rest of your life… what college are you going to? What major are you going to pursue? What do you want to be when you grow up? Well push those types of decisions up the timeline about 4 years, add in the college savings account (minus the degree because you’re forgoing that due to time restraints) and make sure that everyone in the family is on board with this LIFE decision because no one can do this alone.
While starting this Preston Griffall, US National Team Member just happened to hop on Skype and I wanted to know what his loves and hates were. He loves the racing, he loves the travelling, and he loves being pushed physically and mentally. He hates sacrificing the small things in life. He hates leaving his family and friends for months upon end. He hates knowing that every year that passes he isn’t getting any younger and those life milestones of college, jobs, girlfriends, marriage, kids, buying a house, etc… are still being put on hold.
We all sacrifice. It’s a matter of what you choose to sacrifice for. I retired because I didn’t want to put those life milestones on hold any longer. I did what I set out to do- make the Olympics. Do I miss it? I miss the people. I miss the travelling. I miss the simplistic life I led of sleep, train, eat, train, work, sleep, and repeat.
The key to happiness I’ve found though is figuring out what you’re willing to compromise less on. Make a choice, and own it. You may hate aspects but nothing is perfect. You create your perfect ying and yang.
