IT IS a terrible misconception people harbour that champions -- in any field -- are made in strong body supported by strong hands and legs that can achieve any physical feat with ease. If that were the case, great Indian classical dancer Sudha Chandran would never have been the legend she ultimately became. For, she has only one leg, the other one having been lost in an accident. But with an artificial leg, Sudha carved a special niche for herself not only in the field of performing arts but also in the zone of human resolve. Obviously, the champions are only partly made in strong body and strong limbs.

 

Much to the contrary, they are made in their head and heart. The champion-material in any field, thus, is almost always the product of a purposeful use of a few strong emotions such as pride, will to excel, determination, unwavering commitment to doing well. Yes all those emotions represented by words like grit, grime, gumption as mentioned in the last week’s ‘Loud Thinking’. Human history -- not just in the field of sports but also in other areas of endeavour -- is full of persons who rose to the top of their chosen causes despite their bodily limitations. Countless among them are without appropriate resources -- physical or economic or social or cultural. Yet, they have the will to persist, and relentless readiness to keep pursuing their chosen goal no matter if others appreciate or not. Single-mindedly, they persist and insist upon doing the thing they believe. The legendary cricketer Sunil Gavaskar was once asked the secret of his success as a century-maker. He responded simply: Self-belief and pride.

 

How true. For, Sunil Gavaskar is a man of small physical stature. Against bowlers of massive physical frames and strength, he stood firm and kept scoring centuries and went past the record of Sir Donald Bradman. By his excellence, he amazed the world. And when an awestruck journalist asked him the secret of his excellence, he said “Self-belief and pride” (which are the two sides of the same coin, so to say). There are people who excelled in various fields by studying under street lights, by remaining awake nights after nights hand-copying books they did not have money to purchase, by remaining hungry for days as their families could not afford even one square meal a day, by walking several miles every day to school, by begging for a little money to pay college fees ...! The legendary scientist Dr. Raghunath Mashelkar faced a typical problem as he sought an entry to a better school in Mumbai. His mother who worked as maid in many families could not keep aside just twenty-one rupees as admission fees in time. And when she could save that much, it was too late and the little boy had to make do with another school. Only one thing guided him -- belief in self and faith in Destiny.

 

The iconic painter Bal Gaitonde -- some of whose paintings fetched prices to the tune of Rs. 50 crore -- walked several kilometers to the J.J. School of Arts in Mumbai every day as his father refused to support his studies in visual arts. His constant companion, too, was self-belief and a heightened sense of pride. All of us can cite countless such examples. Yet, most of us tend to limit our own potential by keeping ourselves framed in small issues. We do not realise that by doing so, we are only keeping ourselves away from becoming champions. That is the reason why we miss the fact that champions are not fully made in strong bodies and big resources, but are made in head and heart. That is the open secret!