Everybody is cheering on their country’s athletes at the
Olympic Games in London. To be brutally honest, I usually don’t care about any
other country’s performance but my own – Jamaica. That changed when, on
August 6th, I watched the men’s 400 m finals. A young man in a green, yellow and
red track outfit, representing the tiny Island of Grenada, had the world
willing him to win. Kirani James, 19, was the favorite to win the race, but I
became a fan of his after seeing how well he represented his country with pride
and eloquence. He was putting Genada on the map while ensuring that the
country’s first ever Olympic medal would be nothing less than one of gold. I
was most impressed, however, by James’ golden character when he displayed
world-class humility and sportsmanship after winning the semifinal race. The
Grenadian star embraced Oscar Pistorius, the inspirational South African double
amputee runner who finished last. In a show of respect and solidarity, James
asked him to exchange name stickers.
After winning a race, Grenada's Kirani James embraces double amputee Oscar Pistorius of South Africa.
Kirani James won the gold medal and as a feature story of Grenada was aired on NBC, I welled up with tears because I knew what it felt like to have one’s tiny country in the limelight on the international stage. I imagined the mothers and fathers of Grenada beaming with pride because their own had made them immensely proud. I thought of the boys and girls of Grenada who will dare to dream because they have seen what can happen. Their next-door neighbor was number one in the world. Not everyone is suited for athletics, but I hope little boys and girls realize that they too can become shining stars if they dream big dreams and work hard enough.
Double Amputee Oscar Pistorius might have finished last, but he finished the race and inspired millions at the London Olympic Games. He won his heat but failed to move on after the semifinal race.
There is a gem I learned in school, in Jamaica, when I was a
little boy. It reads, “The heights by great men reached and kept were not
attained by sudden flight, but they, while their companions slept, were toiling
upward in the night.” You see, I plan to toil upward in the night because I too
want to be the best I can be in what I do. I would rather die than settle for
mediocrity. Do you have the same burning desire to succeed?