Creating Champions

Ans Botha is relatively inexperienced as a coach on the world stage. There is an astonishing age difference between herself and the young man in her charge; she is a white Afrikaans woman with the responsibility of developing the sporting potential of a mixed-race male athlete.

The Olympic Games illustrate the possibilities that are open to us once we dare to dream and to work beyond the narrow limits that we or society dictates we must observe.

The key to success is multi-faceted. The athlete must have complete trust in the wisdom of his coach, and the coach must be open to learning new techniques and to experimenting until she discovers what is best for the unique individual whose development and success lie in her hands.

The athlete must adhere to the discipline and the focus that the coach demands and he must be committed to striving continuously for the highest standards he is capable of, and to overcoming the obstacles and pitfalls which may stand in his way. The wise coach wraps the whole enterprise in the warmth of caring and humour and the recognition of the weaknesses and frailties that can bring a painful and tragic end to a promising career.

In essence, the Games encapsulate much of our common human experience. It is instructive how many parallels there are between the van Niekerk-Botha story and today’s Gospel.

St Luke tells of Jesus teaching in the towns through which he passed, warning that to attain the kingdom of Heaven we must pass through “the narrow gate for many...will to attempt to enter but will not be strong enough” (Lk 13:24).

Those who claim the right to enter may be turned away because they have not earned that right through their sincere and continuous striving to please Almighty God, nor have they trusted that with His help they can overcome the pitfalls that every human being encounters.

In the heavenly kingdom, as in the world of sport, there are no shortcuts to success. Despite our human weaknesses, there must be the will to succeed and the unswerving faith that following the life plan laid out by Jesus in His preaching, we can and will receive the highest reward.

In addition, artificial barriers created by human institutions are demolished by the courage, perceptiveness and passion that people like Ans Botha embody.

Jesus Himself says that in the eyes of God, “Some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last” (Lk 13:30).

May the universality of the Olympics strengthen not only our recognition of the humanity that we share; may it also open our eyes to the possibilities that are ours, if only we choose to see.