If you’ve never tasted failure, you’ll never appreciate success.
There’s been a lot of articles on Nathan Chen this Olympic season, articles suggesting the games were too much for him, there was too much pressure, and that he fell to it. It was disheartening for many people to watch, and unimaginably more for him. But after his long freestyle performance last night- Nathan Chen not only embodied everything the Olympics is about but taught us all a valuable life lesson.
I call Nathan Chen the “Golden Boy”. He’s hands down one of the best skaters in the world, a supernatural quad killer. His performance in the US National Championship was a statement to every competitor, “Be afraid. Be very, very afraid” because this young man can beat your best.
Of course, in the team event and short program, Nathan couldn’t seem to find himself. Whether it was the pressure, the conditions, having to skate right after Hanyu, he couldn’t complete his quads. And it was obvious, it had nothing to do with talent. It was difficult not to be disappointed for him. Everyone wanted to see him find his confidence and compete at his best. Not even to get the gold, but to show that he could do this, to show who he is as a skater.
Then something happened, in the depths of discouragement- he rose.
He came back from the most-dire situation. After two performances of falls, he made Olympic history. Chen added six quads to his performance, setting a new standard for men’s figure skating. He demonstrated exactly of what he’s capable, and his ability to not only fly but soar above his competition. He may not have won the gold, but he won the freestyle program with a score of 215.08 compared to gold medalist, Hanyu’s score of 206.17. Proving his ability to stand up against the best.
While Chen might be contemplating the “what if” of his Olympic experience, this shouldn’t be a story of disappointment. His story teaches us something much more valuable. It’s not the score, it’s not the points, and it’s not the Gold. It’s the refusal to give up even in seemingly desperate situations.
The Olympics may consist of the world’s elite coming together to compete but there’s so much more behind that. It’s spirit, it’s achievement, it’s struggle, it’s the dedication required to get there. The greatest Olympic moments aren’t always those that end on a podium, but those that end in triumph. They’re the moments that something is proven to ourselves and the world- it’s grasping the impossible.
We don’t always perform the way we want or what’s expected of us. Life throws obstacles, obstacles we never see coming, obstacles making us feel as though we’ve failed. There’s a lot to bear in that disappointment, and to make a comeback sometimes feels unattainable. We have to dig, we have to believe in ourselves, in our talent, in our ability to succeed. What defines us is how we react to failure. In adversity, we find ourselves. We collapse, we grow, and then we succeed. More than we could have ever imagined. The most meaningful award is not tangible, but rather that of content and acclaim in who we are and what we do. There’s been a lot of articles on Nathan Chen this Olympic season, articles suggesting the games were too much for him, there was too much pressure, and that he fell to it. It was disheartening for many people to watch, and unimaginably more for him. But after his long freestyle performance last night- Nathan Chen not only embodied everything the Olympics is about but taught us all a valuable life lesson.
I call Nathan Chen the “Golden Boy”. He’s hands down one of the best skaters in the world, a supernatural quad killer. His performance in the US National Championship was a statement to every competitor, “Be afraid. Be very, very afraid” because this young man can beat your best.
Of course, in the team event and short program, Nathan couldn’t seem to find himself. Whether it was the pressure, the conditions, having to skate right after Hanyu, he couldn’t complete his quads. And it was obvious, it had nothing to do with talent. It was difficult not to be disappointed for him. Everyone wanted to see him find his confidence and compete at his best. Not even to get the gold, but to show that he could do this, to show who he is as a skater.
Then something happened, in the depths of discouragement- he rose.
He came back from the most-dire situation. After two performances of falls, he made Olympic history. Chen added six quads to his performance, setting a new standard for men’s figure skating. He demonstrated exactly of what he’s capable, and his ability to not only fly but soar above his competition. He may not have won the gold, but he won the freestyle program with a score of 215.08 compared to gold medalist, Hanyu’s score of 206.17. Proving his ability to stand up against the best.
While Chen might be contemplating the “what if” of his Olympic experience, this shouldn’t be a story of disappointment. His story teaches us something much more valuable. It’s not the score, it’s not the points, and it’s not the Gold. It’s the refusal to give up even in seemingly desperate situations.
The Olympics may consist of the world’s elite coming together to compete but there’s so much more behind that. It’s spirit, it’s achievement, it’s struggle, it’s the dedication required to get there. The greatest Olympic moments aren’t always those that end on a podium, but those that end in triumph. They’re the moments that something is proven to ourselves and the world- it’s grasping the impossible.
Hello a child of God. I am a Pastor from Mumbai, India. I am glad to stop by your profile on the blogger and the blog post. I am also blessed and feel privileged and honoured to get connected with you as well as get connected with you as well as know you and about your interest in striving to be happy, humble and kind and your belief in love, fate and destiny and helping others. I love getting connected with the people of God around the globe to be encouraged, strengthened and praying for one another. I have been in the Pastoral ministry for last 40 yrs in this great city of Mumbai a city with a great contrast where richest of rich and the poorest of poor live. We reach out to the poorest of poor with the love of Christ to bring healing to the brokenhearted. We also encourage young and the adults from the west to come to Mumbai to work with us during their vacation time. We would love to have you come to Mumbai to work with us during your vacation time. I am sure you will have a life changing experience. Looking forward to hear from you very soon. God's richest blessings on you, your family and friends also wishing you a blessed and a Christ centered rest of the year 2018. My email id is: dhwankhede(at)gmail(dot)com and my name is Diwakar Wankhede.
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