Every superhero has a sidekick, every good entrée comes with a side, and every success comes with support.
With the stresses and deadlines that come with modern society, an intricate and diverse support system is vital to a young professional’s life. A support system is your devil’s advocate, they’re that reassuring voice when the going gets tough, and they’re our safety net when we are met with failure. But somehow, when many celebrate their successes, they fail to recognize how they were able to get to where they are.
Take NBA Superstar LeBron James for example. The Cavaliers superstar recently scored his 30,000th point in the NBA, a feat only previously completed by six others in the history of the league. So, what did LeBron do after his big accomplishment? Minutes after completing the game, the superstar took to Instagram to congratulate himself for what he accomplished. When you consider the support that professional athletes receive today including coaching, training, medical, personal, and career support, it’s difficult to comprehend LeBron’s message. There’s no doubt that LeBron James will go down in NBA history as one of the best players to ever play the game, but one thing is for sure, he won’t be remembered for being humble.
On the other end of the spectrum, some of the most successful individuals in sport have failed to recognize themselves as a driver for their own success. These individuals take every opportunity to thank others for the support they receive and are easy to push the spotlight to their colleagues and supporters. These individuals surround themselves with great people, those who will complement their skill set and push them to become better. Sticking with basketball, Kevin Durant, formerly of the Oklahoma City Thunder, was awarded the NBA’s Most Valuable Player Award for the 2013-14 season. During his acceptance speech, an emotional Durant spoke for over twenty-five minutes, thanking god, his teammates, and his mother for his success over his career. Durant took no credit for the award, mentioning his own self-doubt in the process, “I had so much help, so many believed in me, when I didn’t believe in myself. So many people doubted me and motivated me every single day to be who I am.”
With the Olympics passing, and the Paralympics now in the spotlight, it’s easy to see the multitude of pieces involved in one athlete’s success. United States Paralympic Athlete Oksana Masters is a prime example of that. Born in Ukraine with birth defects, Oksana was given up for adoption at birth. Today, after multiple surgeries in the Ukraine and the USA, including amputation of both of her legs, Masters is now a favourite to be the most decorated athlete in Pyeongchang, participating in six events.
Just hours after winning a silver medal in biathlon, Oksana took to Twitter to thank her mother, one of her sponsors, and the media in a group of tweets after the race. “Thank you @visa for standing behind me, believing in me and helping me achieve my dreams,” Masters wrote. “…There’s nothing like being able to hug your family after an extremely tough day,” the newly-crowned silver medalist added.
At the height of her career, even Paralympic medalist Oksana Masters knows, it takes a village to raise a child.
Roberto
