"I WOULD NEVER BE ABLE TO DO THAT"
- Greg
- Feb 8, 2024
- 6 min read
EXAMPLES
If you would rather just skip straight to the famous examples I have included, click on the relevant link below to jump to that section:
DON'T WRITE YOURSELF OFF TOO EARLY
Throughout our lives, we have all experienced that feeling where there is a target we would like to achieve, but we quickly decide that it is beyond our ability. It could be related to anything, but this is especially the case for people when targeting sporting or athletic achievements.
Obviously some targets are simply unobtainable, which is why a comment such as “you can achieve anything you want to” is an unhelpful suggestion. You may want to be the fastest person alive over 100m, but it’s just not going to happen for the average person.
However, there are many times when a scenario has been deemed either unrealistic or bordering on impossible, and yet a person or team found a way to defy the odds. These achievements can serve as an inspiration to you, to keep yourself motivated when you have your own goals that you would like to achieve.
A lot of the time, it won’t just be other people that view your target as unachievable, but often yourself too. If you look at some of the examples in this write up, you will see that there are 2 main characteristics to the achievements – self belief and commitment. Those are 2 attributes that we can all adopt in order to turn a goal in to a success.
FROM A PERSONAL POINT OF VIEW
Over the years with my own running, I’ve also experienced those self-limiting beliefs about what I could achieve. Back when I started running properly, I suffered with shin splints in the first couple of years and that meant that I couldn’t do much mileage each week. That lead me to believe that my 5K potential was capped at a certain level, and for years I remember trying to break the 20 minute barrier with no success.
Consequently, the thought of getting in the 18-19 minute range for Parkrun seemed unachievable for me. Over time though, my shin issues began to ease as I adapted my training, and my legs got more used to running, which meant that I was able to do more mileage and achieve better results.
It was then that I started to realise that I was capable of far more. I have since been able to run within the 18-19 minute range at Parkrun numerous times, and have even got a PB of 17:40, which I never believed would be possible for me when I first started out. I am also setting my sights on much greater progress as I eventually hope to break 17 mins, and possibly even 16 mins for 5K.
Whilst some targets may be out of reach, there is no harm in setting your targets high, even if other people suggest those targets are unrealistic for you. If you don’t quite meet your full objective, you can still get close, and you will most likely surpass what you would have achieved had you only aimed for the more modest target.
The commitment characteristic that I mentioned earlier was key for me in being able to start making big progress with my running. I knew that I wanted to get much better so I made sure that I changed certain things in my training plan in order to be able to increase my mileage.
Repeatedly showing commitment then helped me with the second characteristic, self belief, because the commitment I gave to the task ahead, and the consequent improvements, gave me a lot of self belief to keep moving forward with my goals. I personally believe that adopting these 2 characteristics, and working on them, can help everyone who is wanting to improve.
DEFYING THE ODDS TO SUCCEED
Here are 5 famous examples of where the odds were defied in Sport (as an amateur 800m runner I have chosen 2 800m examples)...
DAVE WOTTLE (IN THE 800M FINAL AT THE 1972 MUNICH OLYMPICS)
Wottle had started out his career with a preference for the 1,500m race and had been suffering from tendinitis during the summer of the 1972 Olympics. However, he was clearly a talented 800m runner and so his coach suggested he run in the 800m as well as the 1,500m. Despite languishing at the back for the first lap of the race, Wottle ended up edging out Yevgeniy Arzhanov by 23cm, despite Arzhanov being the favourite and not losing an 800m final for 4 years.
LEICESTER CITY (IN THE 2015/16 PREMIER LEAGUE SEASON)
Going in to the 2015/16 season Leicester were 5000-1 to win the title at the Bookies. The season earlier (2014/15), was their first season back in the top flight for 10 years and they only won 2 out of their opening 18 games, leaving them bottom of the league and likely to be relegated. However, they won 7 out of their final 9 games, securing safety, and that incredible run of form continued in to the following season, despite sacking manager Nigel Pearson in June 2015 over a breakdown in relationship between him and the owners.
In 2015/16 manager Claudio Ranieri led Leicester to their only ever title win. The story was epitomised by the goal scoring exploits of striker Jamie Vardy who had been released by Sheffield Wednesday at the age of 16, and had spent most of his career playing non-league Football.
Vardy won the Player of the Season award after scoring in 11 consecutive Premier League matches which broke Ruud van Nistelrooy’s Premier League record.
Leicester only lost 3 games all season!
According to the BBC, the bookies odds suggested that it was more likely for Simon Cowell to become Prime Minister of England (500-1), the Queen to be the Christmas number 1 (1000-1) and Elvis Presley to still be alive (2000-1).
GORAN IVANISEVIC (AT WIMBLEDON IN 2001)
Ivanisevic had previously played in the Wimbledon Final in 1992, 1994 and 1998 losing on each occasion. In 2001 Ivanisevic had won only 9 matches all year, was suffering from shoulder pain and was ranked 125th in the World. He entered as a “wildcard” and became the only male player to win Wimbledon as a Wildcard, a feat that is still in tact today!
The important thing to take from Ivanisevic is the never give up attitude. I can imagine that losing 3 Wimbledon finals must have been pretty hard to take and it wouldn’t have been surprising if serious self doubt about his chances of winning hindered him, but he kept on believing in himself, stayed committed and kept trying.
KELLY HOLMES (IN THE 800M AND 1500M FINALS AT THE 2004 ATHENS OLYMPICS)
Kelly Holmes won the 800m final in Athens in 2004, coming from the back of the pack to win, as Dave Wottle did in 1972. Holmes, like Wottle, had initially been a 1500m runner. She only announced that she would be competing in the 800m 5 days before the first 800m race.
Not only did she defy the odds in the 800m, winning Gold, but she then went and achieved the “impossible” by claiming the 1500m Gold as well, becoming the first female British double Olympic champion in track and field. She was also only the third woman in history to achieve the 800m-1500m gold medal feat.
Going in to the Olympics, she was rated a 100-1 outsider to take both medals. We often look at people like Kelly Holmes and think “well she is an Olympic athlete”, but it’s important to appreciate that she was also competing against the rest of the world’s best so it’s not like achieving this feat would have been seen as an easy goal for her. Even those high up in the sport would have seen this achievement as a bit unrealistic.
DERRICK ROSE (INTERVIEW WHILST PLAYING FOR THE CHICAGO BULLS IN 2010)
“Why can’t I be MVP of the league?
The final example I have included is Basketball player - Derrick Rose, whilst playing for the Chicago Bulls.
Although this achievement is probably less impressive due to his outstanding talent anyway, it is an example of believing in yourself to achieve something that others may say is not possible. The interviewer only mentioned becoming a top 10 player, but Rose said he saw no reason why he couldn’t be the number 1 player in the league.
The next year (2010-2011) he won the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the league award, becoming the youngest player ever to do so at the age of 22.
It’s also clear how his mindset was key in helping him to achieve that goal. He didn’t just rely on his talent, he had to put in hard work and made it clear he was willing to put in that hard work to be the best he could be.
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