Stories From The People: 4 Athletes
Introducing the “4 Athletes” article, where readers send me a short or long story about an athlete they relate to and give some insight into how this relationship started. A huge thank you to Salma (@SalmaBLBD), Tayo (@ITweetBanter), Tejiri (@TheBaeJiri) and Olu (@VibesPatron) for getting the ball rolling.
@SalmaBLBD on Rafael Nadal
The sportsperson I relate to the most is Rafael Nadal. I remember watching him play for the first time during the Wimbledon Championships Men’s Finals in 2007. What made him stand out for me was his tenacity and “lack” of awareness of his sheer brilliance due to his humility.
I have definitely mirrored some aspects of his work ethic. Nadal is someone that focuses on one goal at a time which is something that is usually hard for me to do, but understanding that taking it one goal at a time sometimes gets you to where you want quicker than you envision.
@iTweetBanter on Allyson Felix
2004 Athens Olympics. I was on holiday in Ireland basically babysitting for an entire month and the only sporting events on tv at the time was Olympics so I watched almost every single event. The men’s 100,200, 400 and 4x100 metre relays are always billed as the most exciting. This would have been the first Olympic Games I watched consistently as I had just a faint memory of Sydney 2000 and fortunately for me it was the start of my admiration for the track queen, Allyson Felix.
The women’s 200m stays etched in my mind more than any other event. I remember watching this leggy 18 year old, baby faced American with the smoothest running form I’d ever seen run the fastest time in Round 1. She looked so comfortable running at such speed with an elegance I’d never seen. I was genuinely in awe at how easy she made it look. I was a keen athlete from as early as 9/10 years old. I enjoyed reading Michael Johnson’s Biography at an early age about his Atlanta 96 feats and I fondly recall watching Marion Jones and Maureece Green run and represent the US in what then seemed like the dopest star spangled fits in the early 2000s. By 2004 I was a bit more knowledgeable in the world of athletics but it was Miss Felix who caught my eye. Fast forward to the final, She medalled silver in Athens. And repeated the same feat four years later in Beijing and always had a huge grin on her face despite the obvious disappointments. 4 years later she returned to the Olympic stage and won her 200m gold in London at the 3rd time of asking. I was lucky enough to be in the Olympic stadium to watch her in the first round heat where she won comfortably and I was able to see other legends of the women’s sprints including Jeter, Richards Ross, Campbell Brown and Fraser Pryce run.
Whilst Usain Bolt is the greatest track star of all time, I put it to most that women’s sprinting is far more exciting as it is less predictable with an equal dose of quality. Watching her win in London after two silver medals for me served to further augment the ‘we always go again’ mentality. The joy on her face when she crossed the line definitely matched mine. 8 years of disappointment(success depending on how you look at it) finally made right. How graceful she is on the track is one of the most aesthetically pleasing sights in track and field but beyond the form and the huge smile is an absolutely dominant force. Her body of work is remarkable. She is the only female track and field athlete to ever win six Olympic gold medals and is the joint most decorated female Olympian in track and field history, with a total of nine Olympic medals. Felix is also the most decorated athlete, male or female, in World Athletics Championships history with 18 career medals, and also has the most number of gold medals at 13. She’s the GOAT. She’s my GOAT. One of the biggest inspirations and role models for me in life both on and off the track. Watching her come back from the setbacks, amongst other athletes, continued to imprint on me the ‘Hard Work: DEDICATION’ ethos. There will be setbacks in life, but the only guarantee is that if you give up, you will fail. If you keep showing up and you keep trying to push through it, you give yourself a chance. Whether you take it or not is a different argument, but give yourself a chance.
@TheBaeJiri on Serena Williams
The athlete I relate to and admire the most is Serena Williams. Growing up, I always liked Serena and Venus Williams (because they were pretty much the only girls who played sports and looked like me) and while I don’t remember the first time I ever saw her play, I remember very clearly the day I decided to stan forever at the Indian Wells Final in 2001. I cried watching the match because I just couldn’t believe what I was seeing. Racial slurs being hurled at her and her family throughout the match, 99% of the crowd booing her after every point she won and cheering after every point she lost. It was brutal. I cried so hard that day because I was so sure she was going to lose, I mean who on Earth would be subjected to that kind of racism and cruelty in a big final and still pull of a win? Well, Serena Jameka Williams, apparently. It was that day I decided that it’s me and Serena Williams until the wheels fall off.
Serena has also heavily influenced me through her wins but even more so in her losses, because one thing about Serena? Beat her once and the next time you play her, just bring an extra bag with you so you can carry your L (See her ‘rivalry’ with Maria Sharapova for reference). That’s one thing she’s definitely instilled in me over the years; Don’t focus so much on the losses (that’s life, you’re bound to take a few Ls here and there), what matters most is how you learn from it and bounce back. I’m not sure why, but I get emotional when I talk about Serena. She’s been through so much in her life, from her sister being murdered, to the injustice and racism she’s faced throughout her career, to almost losing her life TWICE, to winning a grand slam while 3 months pregnant! She’s faced all these challenges and adversities and is still the only tennis player (male or female) with the most grand slam titles in the open era. She’s my biggest role model and the undisputed GOAT.
@VibesPatron on Thierry Henry
I watched Thierry Henry play for the first time watching Arsenal lose the UEFA Cup final on penalties to Galatasaray in 2000 and I became an Arsenal fan on that same day ironically. I think it was the yellow SEGA kit on the day that initially drew me to Arsenal and I’ve never left the ship ever since.
Thierry Henry naturally was the closest thing to a super hero as far as I was concerned. Nothing else was more exhilarating in my young life then and Henry was the leader of the show. There was a confidence and swagger to Thierry that is hard to quantify in words to the present generation. He was unquestionably the best player in the league for a sustained period of time in the truest sense that was undeniable & respected by all rival fans. As a young Arsenal fan, I really took for granted having the best player in the league who gave you a chance in every single game we played no matter the condition or situation. One thing I also appreciated about him is that he knew he was the best player in the league and acted like it. Reading about his life later on as an adult, his remarkable mental resilience and work ethic stood out for me growing up in the Paris suburbs and going on to become his country’s all time top scorer while not being fully appreciated by his own & being revered to a greater extent in a foreign country.
As an adult, I’ve also come to appreciate his standing as a figure of black excellence, showing what can be achieved in one’s industry with the right mix of humility, strong work ethic & confidence which is something I try to apply to my personal career by ensuring I don’t put any mental blocks in my way while also believing I can achieve whatever I put my mind to with the right dedication & focus This also nicely ties into purpose in life as its fairly obvious Thierry Henry fulfilled one of his primary purposes in life by pursuing the right career, which was football for him. I try to apply this thinking into my life focusing on my purpose and what really matters while we all have life and I hope to fulfil my purpose on Earth too in due course In hindsight, I’m so grateful to have witnessed Thierry Henry in his prime and he’s the primary reason for my obsession with football and Arsenal. It’s fair to say there have been bumpy rides along the journey but boy am I glad to at least have the memories of the King & the Arsenal winning the Premier League.
