Heads shaking in disapproval and the look of disappointment
from so many who believed it was possible to not only last 14 years in a competitive
sport arena but to reign supreme with 7 Tour de France titles.
Lance ‘was’ a source of inspiration for professional
athletes from all walks of sports. He was admired and respected for his
personal grit as well as his professional achievements.
Lance
Armstrong’s confession and indictment is another case in sports history where
performance enhancing methods/ drugs rears its ugly head. This deviated path
followed by many striving and established sports professionals to enhance their
careers has almost always ended in a forever tarnished image of them as weak and
beaten against that have fallen stars
Every
such incident, and there have more than a few disillusionments in the world of
sport raises a pressing question – Is living up to a Herculean task more
important that reveling in genuine achievement?
Why
set ourselves up for failure?
Has
sport become so competitive that we would forsake genuine pleasure for facile
records, give up simple pleasures of childhood for harsh and draconian training
methods? A recent article in the guardian spoke of schools for active young
sports enthusiasts and rigorous training
What
are we chasing to achieve? Shouldn’t decrease our belief in our own
achievements when the ground we wish to stand on is nothing more than a
quagmire?