“A lot of people run a race to see who is the fastest. I run to see who has the most guts”.
This quote goes along with my beliefs. I grew up always hearing that you have to want it more than the other guy and I took that idea to heart. In the six years I have participated in track and field, I have lost a lot of races, but I believe that I have never been out worked. There have been faster kids, kids with better form, and kids who were just flat out better, and I have beaten them.
The reason is I want it more than them. I will give whatever it takes to win.
Steve Prefontaine is a great example of someone “who has the most guts”. He won, often, just because he wanted it more than the guy next to him. I have watched some of his races and you can tell he doesn’t look like the fastest guy out there, but you know he is going to win because he has the heart, the stuff you can’t gain in the weight room or on the field. Heart is something that you find deep down inside yourself, that allows you to do even more than you thought you were capable of. It allows you to overcome the obstacles that you face. Athletes like Prefontaine are who I grew up idolizing, and they helped to make me the athlete and person I am.
I learned that to be truly great one must have a combination of athletic ability, work ethic and guts.