THE BIKE above belongs to Lance Armstrong, the man who just finished third in the Tour De France. Of course, his story of inspiration is well known - man rides a bike; man diagnosed with cancer, given low survival chances; man fights and fights and fights and returns to the most gruelling event in his sport (actually, any sport); man wins the event in 1999, just three years since the diagnosis; and as of that's not enough, man wins it for the next 6 times for good measure; man retires and returns four years later to compete as one of the oldest riders and still ends on the podium. But this is not about Lance Armstrong's show at the Tour De France; it is about the fact how the line across his crossbar on the bike in the picture should be a guiding principle everybody should take up. Everyday, I see far too many (sometimes, mine included) faces worn out by the worries of the world, the childlike aura that I am sure emanates from all of us diminishes or disappears. It is a shame when it does, because that is when we lose the love we have for life. For me, sport has always been an outlet to celebrate life and remind myself how lucky I am to be alive. Watching sport is just an extension of that. And the last couple of weeks two unlikely heroes - Lance at the Tour De France and Tom Watson at the British Open have reinforced that exhilaration. Granted, both didn't win (Tom Watson finished runners up to Stewart Cink after losing the playoff; Lance of course finished third behind his teammate Alberto Contador who won) but that's not why I was watching them, or getting inspired. They were 'old' participants showing the younger ones just how its done, and proving that 'age is just a number'. There was a Pullela Gopichand dispensing advice to the shining and rising Saina Nehwal about staying off endorsements. He was pretty unequivocal that badminton is a sport that requires immense concentration and fitness and he did not want Saina doing anything to jeopardize that. Saina seemed more than happy to take the advice. And that was another lesson - never lose sight of what's a priority.
It's simple; if you lose sight of how exciting everything felt when you were a beginner - relationships, jobs, projects - your spirit more likely than not will falter. That's perhaps why Lance has that line there to look at when he is at the toughest climb on Mount Ventoux, and that's why I hope Saina Nehwal holds on to that spirit to bring India glory and that's why perhaps Tom Watson will come back at the British Open to keep rocking. When I go for a run every morning, the longest distance mostly is between the bed and the floor. To keep myself going, I always imagine the exhilaration that I experienced when I went for the run the first time. Amazingly, it works every morning! The next time worries grow heavy around you, please try to remember how it felt when you were a beginner - the enthusiasm, the excitement and the energy. And believe me, the life force will come flodding back to you. See it Lance's way - never forget the beginner's spirit.
P.S. - The beginners spirit is exactly what I'd like to keep going as Get Sporty moves to a new home and we start a new journey. The enthusiasm with which I have brought to you my take on all things sporting - universal and personal - will remain the same. Hopefully, your support will always be there as a guiding light!
