You think you have it tough? Imagine growing up in a tough New Jersey neighborhood and being “the dreamer.” Dreaming of being a champion and making mom proud. A celebrity… being in the Guinness Book of World Records. Now imagine that you’re a young kid with nothing to lose, no support, no coaches, no help whatsoever – and wanting to be the best more than anything. Wanting Olympic Gold.
How can some ordinary kid off the streets become a champion? I know one kid who did, and his name is Ron.
Ron wanted to win the Track & Field Olympic Gold Medal in the 400 meters. As a teenager, he would hit the track every night, running in the dark, pushing himself with thoughts of how kids in Kenya or California trained all day to be the best. He wrote “44” on his sweatshirt and visualized running that time, aiming to break the Olympic 400 meter record by running a 44 second lap. He’d focus on making this success a reality by staring into the flame of a candle and visualizing his success… he saw himself in the race, as he came off the first 200 meters ahead of the pack and pulling away. He visualized his lean across the finish line, edging out his competition. He saw “44” seconds on the clock, which would be his “personal best” time.
No one told Ron about the Olympics or about being the best. Ron wanted it himself. He wanted to break records. He wanted to be somebody: the best he could be. And through his sweat, pain and tremendous dedication every single day of his life – he worked towards it. At the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City, all his dreams came true. He was disappointed at first, with his third place bronze finish in the 400 meters, but there was still the 4×400 meter relay. As the second leg of the relay, he took off when Vince Matthews handed him the stick, and looked like he was flying. He ended up running the fastest 400 meter split in the world and helping the US team take home the Gold with a world record time of 2:56.16.
Ron was my personal running coach. He used to tell me about Vince Lombardi’s famous phrase: “winning isn’t everything… it’s the only thing.” It’s about shooting for the stars and still being a winner if all you can do is catch the moon. It means that we may not get we want in life, but working hard, reaching high and visualizing success can help you achieve so much. Ron didn’t win the 400 meter race in the 1968 Olympic Games, but he did run the fastest 400 meter leg in history and got into the record books. His 4×400 meter relay World Record stood for 20 years.
You might think that some of Ron’s techniques are strange, but look at what he accomplished. It’s all about staying positive, even when people around you feel “down” and de-motivated, it’s about reaching beyond anything you can possibly imagine and believing in yourself, believing that anything is possible if you put your mind to it. It’s about being confident, strong and sure, and visualizing success. Right now, everyone can use a little visualization to stay focused.
Ron taught me about these techniques and helped me reach inside myself to become an All American Track & Field and Cross Country Athlete. Through the years, I met Carl Lewis, Butch Reynolds, Lee Evans, Jackie Joyner Kersee, Flo Jo, Joetta Clark and other Olympic athletes, and I even trained with some of them. The intensity of focus, gritting effort and positive thinking builds courage, confidence and character. We all have it in ourselves to be great. We just have to do it, and encourage our teams, employees, clients and partners to stay focused and be confident.
When times are tough, we need to dig in harder. After all, rising above difficult circumstances transforms ordinary people into the extraordinary, where anything is possible.