"Never give up, for your work will be rewarded.” ~ 2
Chronicles 15:7
Chances are you’ve never heard of Károly
Takács. But he’s a national hero in
Hungary; everybody knows his name and his incredible story.
At age 28, Károly was the top pistol shooter in his country. Having won the major national and
international championships, he seemed destined to capture the 1940 Tokyo
Olympics’ gold metal.
Just months before the Games, while training with his army
squad, a hand grenade exploded in Takács’ shooting hand. Both his right hand and his Olympic dreams vaporized
in milliseconds.
Most people would have quit. But not Takács. He was a winner. Winners recover QUICKLY; simply bouncing back
is not enough. When they experience a
setback, they recover immediately so as not lose drive and momentum.
He focused on what he still had – mental toughness and a
healthy left hand. While he couldn’t write
a legible sentence with his left hand, he decided to make it the world's best
shooting hand.
But he had no fear of failure.
A year later Károly resurfaced at a Nat’l Shooting Championship
in Hungary. His colleagues were
delighted to see him and appreciated his attending to cheer them on.
He surprised them by announcing that he was there to compete
against them – their best shooting hand against his ONLY hand. He won!
Károly’s Olympic dream would not
be fulfilled for 8 years as two consecutive Olympic Games were cancelled due to
World War II. When they resumed in
London, Károly represented Hungary in the pistol shooting event. Imagine being a gold medal favorite, losing
your shooting hand in an accident, yet picking yourself up from a shattered
mess, and training your left hand to shoot as well (or better).
He WON the 1948 Olympic gold medal and set a new world
record in pistol shooting. Egged on
perhaps by his rival, Károly won a 2nd gold medal in the same event
at the 1952 Helsinki Games.
When a boxer gets knocked down, they have 10 seconds to get
back up. If (s)he gets up in 11 seconds,
they lose. Remember that next time you
get knocked down.
Takács definitely had a right to feel sorry for himself; to
stay depressed and ask himself “Why me?” He had the right to act like a beaten man.
But Takács made the DECISION to find a solution; to pick
himself up and to learn to shoot all over again. Winners always search for a solution. Losers search for escapes.
Next time you get knocked down, decide to act like a winner.
Get up quickly, take action, and shock
the world!
Lord, my energy is sagging, and my motivation is
lagging. I need Your strength and fresh
touch to get back on track. I need your
joy to replace all the bone-tired parts of my mind, body, and soul. Amen
