Whether I'm standing on the sidelines, at the edge of the pool or on the wrestling mat, I witness those pivotal moments up close. Let me share a couple of these memories as athletes reach their limits.
For instance, a football player, drenched in sweat and out of breath, limps to the sideline and collapses in pain as the trainer quickly lifts his cramping leg. After a moment, he stands, puts his helmet on, and heads right back into the game. Scenes like this repeat as the athletes push themselves to their physical limits.
Similarly, during the final lap of the cross country section championships, runners face a steep hill. While leaders slow slightly, they cruise through. Those in the middle of the pack battle exhaustion and their will. Many slowly drop their head and succumb; they begin to walk. A few will slow, reach deep down one more time, and charge up the hill.
Another defining moment unfolded on the wrestling team's senior night. With a large crowd of family and friends cheering, a wrestler led on points going into the final period. Nearing exhaustion as the clock wound down, he just needed to avoid a pin for 30 seconds to win. His opponent forced him to the mat, nearly pinning him as the referee hovered, ready to call defeat. Trembling with effort and pain, he fought to keep his shoulder inches off the mat. At the brink of his endurance, he made one last effort, slipped out, and rolled onto his stomach just as time expired. With help from the referee, his hand was raised in victory.
These are just a few examples. Wanting to learn even more, I asked several Blue Devil athletes who play multiple sports about how they face their limits.
Soni Clayton has played soccer for more than 10 years and has been on the varsity flag football and basketball teams for the past two years. "I find that basketball is where I find myself pushing through exhaustion the most due to the amount of running up and down the court,” she said. “I have felt at the brink of exhaustion, where I have felt my ears ringing and losing vision."
Jonas Rohr is a varsity wrestler who has played sports including football, swimming and cross-country. "I’ve done tons of tough sports, but nothing has ever pushed me to both my mental and physical limits as much as wrestling has,” he said. “Tournament days mean waking up at 4 a.m. and wrestling all day, leaving you exhausted and wanting to stop. The fear of losing helps me push through the moments of total exhaustion. Overcoming these challenges is exactly what makes the wins so rewarding, since only you know how far you had to go to get there."
Last year, then-senior Brooklin Cienfuegos competed in two of the most physically demanding sports: water polo and wrestling. "Both sports are very challenging in their own respects,” Cienfuegos said. “In water polo, you have to show up to help your team. Tournaments are the toughest; the matches are too long, and you must be 100% ready. In the case of wrestling, it’s physically tough on the body. You’re really out there getting thrown around on a slightly cushioned surface, and it hurts after a while. I’d say physical limits are often reached on the mat."
I look forward to seeing athletes continue to push themselves and redefine what they thought possible to achieve greatness, and ... Click here to read full article
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