Champions

So, what does it take to be a Champion; a Campion runner or a Champion Husband or a Champion Father?  I ask this question tonight because I just got back form the Florida State Cross Country Championships in Tampa Florida.  It was a lot of fun, and I saw some really good runners there today.  But there are many good runners, but very few champions.  I am watching my granddaughter learn to become a champion.  My prayer for her is that she will not only become a champion in running, but a champion in life as well.

I believe champions are made and not born.  Sure, talent helps.  But talent will only take you so far.  I have seen many people with talent only go so far before they were left on the wayside.  So, what are the qualities that it takes.  I believe that the two main qualities that you must have to reach the championship level are will power and focus.  Focus is the most important quality because there is so much that we can be involved in, but if our focus is on the prize, then we will be willing to do what ever it takes to see it happen.  Focus gives life direction and drive.  Without focus, we can all be messed up. 

But almost as important as focus is will power.  It takes will power to sacrifice certain areas of your life to make sure that you have time and commitment to do want needs to be done to see that you make it to the next level.  There is always another level, and if it takes us time to get everything together then one has to be willing to sacrifice other things to make it happen.  It takes a lot of will power to be willing to give up things you like in order to reach your goals.  Most people don’t have the will power to see things through when they get hard.

As I look at Adair I see focus and will power mixed with talent.  These are the perfect ingredients for a championship cocktail.  I have seen it in her for a long time, but it is really beginning to stick out as traits now.  I see total focus on what it takes to reach her goals, and I see the will power to do what ever it takes to get it done.  Yes, Adair has talent. And that is important, but not as important as her focus and willingness to do what ever it takes.  I saw all three in her race today.  She came in ranked eighth in the state 1A schools.  Her Personal Best for the 5K cross country was 19:04.  Well, today she finished seventh in the 1A schools and ran an new Personal Best of 18:47.  That was an awesome race and I am so glad that she did that.  She ran the race that she wanted to run.  You have to be happy when you do something and I think that she was.

Yes, it takes people who are champions to make others around them champions,  I truly believe that Adair will win a championship race someday, but to me, she is already a champion in my book.  It was really fun to watch her run, and to be with the family today.