Sapolai Yao is a Papua New Guinea athlete. He participated in the recently conducted common wealth games held in Delhi. He participated in the men’s steeple chase tournament. He came last in the finals.
Why have I chosen him as this weeks role model?
During the finals, he was pitted against the strong Kenyans. He was from the “smaller nations”, small built, the climate was too hot for him. He ran the entire race at a steady pace and didn’t falter despite being many places behind the top 5. As the distance between him and the others grew steadily, never once did he allow the pressure get onto him. He still maintained the pace. There came a point when his opponents over took him i.e. he was a lap behind them. Everyone expected him to stop the race, but he plodded on. Finally the race finished. He still had one lap to go. He ran the last lap with the entire stadium watching him run. All the other athletes had completed the race and were getting ready for the prize distribution ceremony, our man was still running.
He carried on at the same pace. When he finished the race finally, he got a standing ovation from the entire crowd. Some people clapped in mockery, but other people applauded his spirit.
What would you have done?Would you have given up the race knowing very well that the competition has beaten you hollow or would you have carried on at the same pace and come last.
Lessons learnt
Keep your fighting spirit, till the end. You never know what destiny has in store for you. The trick is to be focused on what you are doing and not let anything disturb your equilibrium. You might win the race or come last, but at the end of the day you are a winner in your own way. Yao came last in the race. Yet his fighting spirit inspired people at the stadium and inspired me to write about him.
Go ahead fight till the end, irrespective of what happens at the end.
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