In less than a day the culmination of a lifetime of hard work and dedication will come a step closer to fruition at the SA Swimming Olympic trails to be held at our beautiful Kings Park Swimming Pool 10 – 15 April 2016.
And so the journey pinnacles, the hard hours, the sacrifices, the pain, the blood, the sweat, the many tears of joy and pain, the panic, the rejection and the doubts. But here you are and here you have gathered our darling Olympians, ready and expectant to make your mark in history!
Make it count. This is your moment. Now you stand in front of this beautiful rainbow Nation, and be assured that the nation supports you no matter what! You might be the unexpected one, the rejected one, the one who as ridiculed and laughed at on your stormy journey to this point – but always remember this – Fortes Fortuna Luvat – Fortune favors the brave! To stand here at Olympic trials this weekend, you might not have been the fastest, most celebrated, or decorated one in your early days, but you have been brave to make it through it all to this point, therefore I salute you and wish you all the very best BON COURAGE.
Now, “Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong.” 1 Cor 16:13.
You are chosen and elect and destined to go forth and proudly fly the SA flag high at the world’s largest sporting arena at the Rio Olympics 2016. So this is my message to you as you enter these trials: YOU ARE WORTHY.
You are worthy because you to have come to this age and this stage for a purpose and a reason. You are one of a kind, you have outlasted, persevered and have not fallen by the wayside. In you youth you might have not been able to imagine that you would outlast any of your “fiercest” competitors, but here YOU are, all the way at the top, now stand.
Achmat Hasseim, a Paralympian from South African arrives at Terminal 1 of Heathrow Airport in London.
Celebrate your journey past, you have stood the test of time and trials so lift your heads up high and go for it with all that is within you. Dig deep, set aside voices of doubt and fear, and thoughts of defeat and focus on the prize. You are already respected and revered by your opponents because you have made it thus far, where many have fallen on the wayside. You have already succeeded to be this close to the prize and the honour of being a 2016 Olympian.
For our young athletes attending this special event, be attentive, be strong, learn, and especially dream of the day that YOU will be standing in this very place. Remember that dedication, consistency, hard work, the love of the ‘game’ and clean sport is the only way to the top. Understand that swimming is about the journey and not about instant gratification. Also remember that swimming is what you do, and not who you are. So, grow up to be a balanced person of integrity who is worthy of respect and honour always. There are NO shortcuts to success in life. Most of all, love what you do and enjoy the journey with all your heart.
NB – All images were supplied by the athlete to Heslop Sports. If there are any images that are not credited correctly, please email info@heslopsports.co.za with the details and we will gladly do so immediately.
