IN the world of sports, the trophy tends to favour the most physically gifted athlete. After all, the bulk of popular sports is about peak physical performance, hence the runner, who reaches the finish line first ends up with the shiny medal.
That means the fastest, strongest, most physically dominant, and enduring contestant is always at a clear advantage. It is for this reason that the top athletes spend fortunes on their physiques.
To illustrate, Lebron James, the number 2 ranked basketball player of all time as per the official NBA 75 best players rankings, reportedly spends approximately US$1,5 million on his physique every year!
It comes as no surprise then that he has consistently played at an elite level for each of the 20 seasons that he has played in the NBA — and he is still going strong.
It is also for this reason that most sports, at least most physical sports, are a young athlete’s game. By the time most athletes reach 30, they are no longer as fast, sharp, or enduring as they used to be and there is an army of 18 to 25year-olds sitting on the thrones they once sat on.
You can name a few exceptions of course — Tom Brady, Lebron James, Zlatan Ibrahimovich — who continue to perform at an elite level despite their age. But one would not be faulted in claiming that physical ability plays a major role in the success or failure of an athlete.
Most people often forget, however, that the body does not perform on its own, it operates because you give it direction. These are the words of seven-time Mr. Olympia, Arnold Schwarzenegger, who, from 1970 to 1975, won the title six consecutive times before retiring at the top of the bodybuilding world to make it big in Hollywood.
Arnold Schwarzenegger is a prime example of a person, who willed himself to the top of his field. Born in Graz, Austria, in 1947, he became obsessed with moving to the United States of America when he was 10 years old, and at the age of 14, after watching Reg Park’s Hercules and being thoroughly impressed by Reg’s body, he entered the world of bodybuilding as an avenue through which he would fulfill his childhood dreams of moving to the United States.
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Schwarzenegger started weight training at the tender age of 15, officially starting his competitive career at 17, and becoming the youngest ever Mr. Universe at 20 - just five years after starting his bodybuilding journey.
From 1967 to 1980, Schwarzenegger practically dominated every competition he competed in, winning 15 titles and only placing second thrice! Ironically, it was mainly because he had trained his mind so well that he dominated a sport where muscles rule. And this is not to say that we must put all focus on the mind and neglect our bodies - Mr. Olympia, at the end of the day, is not a brain contest - but that also is not to take away from the mental horsepower needed to prepare for and win such a contest.
It was Freddy Gerstel, an early supporter, who instilled a strong mindset in Schwarzenegger by advocating for the importance of not only having a solid body with strong muscles but also a strong mind.
He should Schwarzenegger, “Remember one thing, that you can get an injury, and then all the athletic stuff is over, you can have a million dollars, and someone can rob you blind in a second, but the only thing no one can take from you is your mind and brain power. Your mind and will are ultimately much more important than the body”.
This is one thing we must all keep in mind — that without the brain, our bodies, no matter how strong they may be, are as good as pudding. The body is often like a child that likes having its way every time it cries.
The alarm rings in the morning, and you might feel like switching the damn thing off. You might not feel like getting out of bed and working out on a particular day, or you may feel like eating junk food even though you’re on a diet.
You may feel like watching a movie instead of studying for an extra 30 minutes — and if our brains are weak, we are prone to listen to our bodies instead of imposing our wills.
It is therefore our daily duty to remind ourselves of the power of the mind over our physical beings.
With the proper mental direction and visualisation, we can influence our actions and the outcomes thereof. It takes practice, dedication, patience, and a strong mind to get there, but we will thank ourselves in the end for having been strong-willed and pushing through when it mattered most.
The reality is that at some point our bodies are going to break. Kobe Byrant tore his Achilles during a game against the Golden State Warriors on April 12, 2013.
Mandela was imprisoned on June 13 1964.
Jon Jones popped his arm to escape a submission attempt during his UFC 152 fight against Vitor Belfort and the Rock tore his right hamstring during his Wrestlemania 28 match against John Cena.
What makes all these incidents similar? They all willed themselves to keep at it. Kobe hit two clutch free throws to help the Lakers win the game 118-116, guaranteeing them a spot in the playoffs.
Mandela endured prison for over 27 years until March 31 1982 when he was finally released. Jones fought on, after escaping Belfort’s armbar submission, to eventually win the match via a round four submission and retain his light heavyweight title.
And the Rock delivered that final Rock Bottom to Cena while his torn hamstring burned with pain to win the WrestleMania main event.
The question is: when our bodies have given up, but we know that we must soldier on and impose our wills, will we be able to?
- Kachambgwa is a lawyer and writer based in Harare, Zimbabwe. — +263 0777319739; rukudzokachambgwa@outlook.com.
