Redmond, Being Resilient

Having love in life is so important, it fosters your appetite to achieve even more! And I had found this love very early in my life, my math mania. I was always a mediocre, average student all through my academics but was always popular for my craze for numbers and math. I had loved math even when I flunked in it and even when I topped in it. My love for math just grew with time.

Fast forward, I was in grade 12 preparing for my board exams with just one dream, the dream for which I strived each day, I wanted to secure complete 100 in mathematics, for the rest subjects I wouldn't bother even if I score just fifty.

Finally, the day arrived, it was Math paper 1, I happily came out from the examination hall and greeted my parents. I knew I answered all and will get full fifty, now I had to gear up for the next, maths paper 2. Two days later, I was in the examination hall writing math paper 2, "Ten minutes more students then no supplements will be given," the class invigilator informed. My heart started throbbing. I still had 30 marks question to be answered. I knew the answers, I scribbled as fast as I could. The bell rang and the papers got collected, I couldn't attempt for 6 marks.

I can still reminisce the feeling my younger version went through that moment. With a broken heart and lost dreams, I told my parents the truth, who were anxiously waiting for me at the gate. As we reached home, my dad tapped my shoulder and said, " Don't lose heart baba, just 6 marks right but you will get the rest 94, that's excellent". I couldn't bottle my emotions anymore and wept out loudly hearing those words, it was my only dream, I had not only cherished but nurtured it each day! How could I let this happen? I was inconsolable.

My dad let me vent out for some time and calmly said, "I want you to hear one story and then decide.

The story is about an athlete, who was very passionate about his craft just like you are. He had brought many laurels on his name and for his country though nothing came easy for him owing to his frequent injuries. But that didn't deter him from his only dream to win a gold medal in the Olympics. It was 1988, Olympics in Seol where the athlete had participated but unfortunately had to be pulled out of the opening round of the 400 meters just 90 seconds before his heat because of an injury to his Achilles tendon. Before the 1992 Summer Olympics, he had to undergo eight operations due to the injuries.

However, with sheer determination for his dream, he prepared himself in a good form by the time Barcelona Olympics were scheduled same year. In the first round, he was declared the fastest and virtually even went to win his quarter finale.

In the semi-final also, the athlete had started well but in the back straight 250 meters from the finish, his hamstring tore and he fell down in pain. Looking at his plight, the stretcher-bearers made their way to him but the athlete decided he wanted to finish the race. He limped, hopped along the track until his father barged past security on to the track to get his son. But he refused and had decided he will not let anything harness his dream let alone himself so limping slowly along with his dad, the athlete reached the finish line as the 65000 spectators rose to give a standing ovation.

This story is about an athlete, Redmond who was determined that even though his injuries derail him from winning the championship, his dreams are limitless and he will and did finish the race. The story speaks volumes about being resilient, sometimes it's not about winning its only about completing. Today the world doesn't remember Redmond as a loser in that tournament but they say Redmond completed the race. That's the difference!

And with a spark in his eyes my dad said, "How will you know the pleasure of rising until you fall? "

I smiled back, these words of wisdom are still engraved deep in my heart.