Dare To Dream The Olympic Dreams

By:- Dr. Thamsing Lamkang *

In the beginning of Nineteenth Century, A young man GEORGE EYSER once dreamed of participating in the Olympic Games. In St. Louis in the year 1904 that dream became a reality. George not only participated but he won a Gold Medal in Gymnastics, as well as two silvers and a bronze.

He had always dreamed of being an Olympian and winning a medal. He had dreamed of the glory of reaching the unreachable, a glory that to him was worth more than a power or money. Do you know why? His left leg was made of wood, as his real leg had been amputated after a train accident. Almost everyone thought his case was impossible but for him, it was a dream that had to be fulfilled.

We have seen many dreams fulfilled during the last Beijing Olympic Games. But all dreamers cannot fulfill their dreams because someone worked harder to achieve the dream of becoming the champion. Every nation, every individual had a dream of winning a medal to be on top of the chart for its own glory.

No world record or the Olympic record was broken like the Beijing Games; 35 World Records and more than 80 Olympic Records had been broken by all the dreamers. But such records may not last long, because every athlete will have a dream of breaking those records. There will be a new champion every four years and their names in the record book will be replaced. The name of those champions will be forgotten.

Let me tell you another unique story. In the Olympic Games of Mexico, in the year 1968, John Akhawari of Tanzania, came in the last in the Marathon. He arrived almost two hours late after the winner, with a knee injury and in much pain. Only one reporter stayed behind to immortalize the moment. He asked John why he had not abandoned the race, since there was no-one left in the stadium to see whether he finished or not.

John looked at him through tired eyes and, almost without strength to speak, he whispered, "My country didn't send me 12, 000 kilometers to start the race, but to finish one." The concept is that, God didn't make us to easily give-up the 'race of our life' but to fight well and finished till the end. Dreams do not belong only to winners, but to all those who dreamed. What about you, do you have dreams to be fulfilled?

Let me also add another important sport historic how it came into exists. During 400-500 BC, the dream of every Greeks was to destroy the Persians, as the competition between Greeks and the Persians at that time was like the US and Russia of today. And the dreams of every Greeks become a reality when they defeated the Persians in the historic war finished at Marathon town.

The Marathon race we know about is the foot race of 42.2 kms. Marathon was a town in Ancient Greece. In 490 BC, Greek won a war against the Persians. A soldier called Pheidippides ran 40.0 kms from Marathon town to Athens, to bring the news of great victory. Unfortunately, Pheidippides collapsed and died soon after he had passed on the good news. But since then, the Marathon went down in history as a test of physical strength, endurance and courage.

In 1896, during the first Modern Olympic Games, Marathon race was included in the Games. Aptly, Greek won the first Marathon Race. It was only at the 1924 Olympics that the Marathon distance was increased from 40.0 to 42.2 kms. This was done so that the finishing line would be opposite the Royal box, and the royal dignitaries could see the exciting finish. Many countries organize regular Marathon and the length of the course is varying. That is why the International athlete's organizations do not list a world record time for the Marathon Event.

When you dreamed of something and the dream became a reality, you are on top of the world. Greeks were on top to fulfill their dreams of destroying the Persians. Pheidippides didn't realize the distance he ran due to the excitement of fulfilling the nation's dream, eventually, it cost his life!

Have you ever thought "If I could, I would do this or that"? If you have, let me ask you something else. Why did you stop believing in yourself? If we think that a problem is impossible, we are the problem. "The majority of people die before they die". They die little by little over their life time, losing their hope, joy and the beauty of the simple things. The majority of people die when their dreams die. Although living, they die when they become more and more critical, and when their hearts become ever bitterer in the way they see life.

And let me remind you of one thing. A bitter person has never helped to change the world. It is the dreamers who build the future, those who can see beyond the circumstances, and those who are able to show us that there are other possibilities. "Dreamers believe, and believers make dreams come true." We wouldn't be able to live the way we do, if some one hadn't dared to dream. To give you an example, we wouldn't be able to read the written stories if no one had ever dreamed of recording their thoughts. Many of the things we enjoy today are the result of someone else's dream.

And you- what are you dreaming? What will you leave to the world as a result of your dreams? One has to remember that life is not a rehearsal. Why don't you look inside your heart? Maybe, some of your dreams are going to be lost if you don't work to make them come true. Allow me to give you one advice as you keep on reading: Remember what the Bible says about our desires, "Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart" (Psalm 37:4). And always remember that, "A dreamers believe, and believers make dreams come true".

GOD BLESS YOUR DREAMS, IF YOU HAVE ONE!!

(The articles is extracted from the book "BORN TO PLAY, TO WIN", author by Dr. Thamsing Lamkang, soon to be publish)