In
1990, at the tender age of fourteen, Jennifer Capriati was adored as the
emerging super star in the American women (lawn) tennis. And sure enough, her
admirers, fans and bookmakers were right. At sixteen, she won an Olympic
championship medal.
However,
her success was short-lived as she fell off the tennis radar. And for years,
her impact was not felt. But this Olympic medalist was determined to top the
world tennis ranking.
From
a very lowly number 267, Jennifer fought her way through, like a wounded lion
to become number one in the world tennis ranking in 2002.
Three
months prior to the Melbourne Australian Open finals in January 2002, which she
won to earn the number one world ranking, she told reporters that it was never
too late to realize your talent or your dream.
In
that memorable tournament, Capriati was losing 4-6, 4-0 to Martina Hingis. It
appeared there was no hope for her, but she was determined to fight on. She
kept fighting until she turned table against Hingis, winning 4-6, 6-4, 6-2.
Thus,
at age 25, in what was described as one of the greatest comebacks in tennis
history, Capriati rose from No. 267 to No.1 in world tennis ranking!
Jennifer
Capriati is no doubt the stuff that champions are made of! She has demonstrated
that there is nothing one wants to achieve that one cannot achieve. She has
demonstrated that there is hope when there seems to be no hope. She has
demonstrated that it is not over yet until it is over.
Dear
reader, what is your goal? What is your ambition? What is it you want to
achieve that look impossible? I am here to assure you that you can realize your
dream. You can achieve whatever you want to achieve. You can break records that
are yet to be broken.
Here
is the blueprint you can use to win in the game of life:
1. Understand What is at Stake
Capriati
understood what was at stake. Earlier in her teens, she was already on her way
to stardom. In fact, at age 16, she became an Olympic champion. However,
somewhere along the line, she lost focus and fell off the tennis radar.
This
is a common phenomenon with most super stars! But it is their ability to come
back stronger and greater that really makes them champions. What was at stake
for Capriati was the championship. And in a championship fight, where thousands
of contestants are doing the best they can to emerge victorious, it is only
those who have the stuff which champions are made of that will be victorious.
After
falling off the tennis radar, Capriati found herself at the crowded bottom. In
fact, from the lowly No. 267 in the world ranking, she knew that getting to the
top was not going to be easy. She knew that she was going to face strong
contestants who would stretch her to the core. Understanding what was at stake
enabled her to thoroughly prepare to fight her way through to the top.
Dear
reader, have you sat down to consider what is at stake to get to the pinnacle
of your career? Are you willing to put in all the efforts that will get you to
the top?
UNTIL
YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT IS AT STAKE TO GET TO THE TOP, YOU ARE NOT YET READY FOR
STARDOM. Understanding what is at stake will help you to plan, prepare and make
the necessary sacrifice to get to where you want to go.
To
be a champion therefore it is important that you sit down to calculate the
cost. Can you pay the cost? Are you willing to pay the cost?
2. Resolve to Fight On
Capriati
knew full well that moving from No. 267 to No. 1 in the world tennis ranking
was not going to be a “bread and butter affair.” She knew it was not going to
be a tea party either. But she was neither intimidated nor discouraged.
She
calculated the price she was going to pay to move from the bottom to the top,
and she made up her mind that she would fully pay the price. The price she was
going to pay was that she would fight and conquer every opponent that she met
on her way until she snatched the No. 1 spot from every contender.
With
this determination, she turned herself to a super woman, overpowering other hot
contenders before getting to the top. When a person is fully prepared for
stardom, and he is set to do all he can to get there, powers which she never
dreamed she possessed will leap to her assistance.
Capriati
was propelled by a force she never dreamt she possessed. She was therefore able
to fight on until she eventually climbed to the top. This is the very stuff
that champions are made. Champions may suffer defeat, but they never give up.
The
Ghanaians have a way of putting it. They would say: “Never say die until the
bones are rotten.” What this implies is that you must fight to the last drop of
your blood. It implies that you do the best you can until you can no longer
continue in the fight.
It
is this doggedness, this fighting spirit that turned Capriati to a super woman!
When you have a fighting spirit, you become unmatchable, unrivalled, and unbeatable!
Every opposition will crash and crumble at your feet!
Remember
what Capriati told the press three months prior to her crucial match against
strong contender, Martina Hingis? She said: “It is never too late to realize
your talent or your dream.”
This,
again, is the stuff that champions are made! Dear friend, what are you saying
concerning your ability to gun for stardom? Are you saying you are finished? Or
are you saying it is not over yet until it is over? The ball is in your court. But
when you choose to fight on, you will acquire the power to become a superman,
knocking out every opposition on your way to stardom.
3. Be Committed and Focus
Unpleasant situations, defeat, and failure are
negative factors that are capable of weakening the morale of any would-be
champion. Things may go from bad to worse. The game may turn against you, but
it is your ability to remain focused and committed that will earn you the
victory.
Martina
Hingis was not in any way an underdog to Capriati. In fact, their crucial match
in January 2002 in the Melbourne Australian Open Finals, Hingis was leading 6-4,
4-0, but the irrepressible Capriati reinforced and turned the table against
Hingis, winning the match, 4-6, 6-4, 6-2.
The
Super Eagles (Nigeria’s National soccer team) of yesteryears is a good example
of the stuff that champions are made of. In most of its crucial matches, it
would start the match leaving the opposing team to have an upper hand.
In
most cases, it would concede at least one goal to the opposing team before turning
on its super power! Conceding one or more goals never weakened the morale of
the Super Eagles team; rather, it strengthened it. If a team scored against the
Super Eagles, be sure that it would level the score and probably go on to win
in the end.
It
was very rare to score the Super Eagles without turning back to level the score
and win! Its focus was always on victory and so, no matter the number of goals
a team scored against it, the team should not relax, because it would come back
into the game stronger and hungrier for victory. This is the stuff that
champions are made of!
To
the champion, defeat is the tonic he drinks to empower himself for victory. A
champion does not give up because the opponent is gaining the upper hand. A
champion does not lose his head when he is losing. A champion is always focused
and committed.
Dear
friend, have you suffered some loss, defeat or failure and you are discouraged
and contemplating quitting? Then, take a cue from the Super Eagles. Also take a
cue from Capriati. At the brink of losing to Hingis, she did not lose her head.
She was focused, she was committed.
She
lost the first game to Hingis, she was about losing the second game, but she
turned on her “super power” and won the second and third game! This is the stuff
that champions are made! IT IS YOUR ABILITY TO BOUNCE BACK AFTER EVERY DEFEAT
THAT MAKES YOU A CHAMPION. IT IS YOUR ABILITY TO KEEP YOUR HEAD WHEN THE
SITUATION IS GOING FROM BAD TO WORSE THAT MAKES YOU A CHAMPION.
NO
MATTER HOW HOPELESS THE SITUATION MAY LOOK, NEVER LOSE HOPE. THE OPPORTUNITY TO
COME BACK STRONGER AND VICTORIOUS IS ALWAYS THERE! You a champion yet to be
unveiled. This is why you must not quit.
Like
Capriati, to win in the game of life, you must:
1.
Understand what is at stake;
2.
Resolve to fight on; and
3.
Be committed and focused.
And
until I come your way soon, choose to fight on and you will end up victorious
in the end!
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