Yesterday, amidst fever and cold and pains in my back, I asked myself why I was taking part in the following day's fencing competition.
Because... It's making use of my God given talents. And because through this I get a chance to be... A model example of a sportsman to others too. So it didn't matter if I lost, as long as I was a good participant and did my best.
Well that's easy to say...
It's a different thing when you actually start losing.
I got beaten back again and again during the group stages, losing 3 bouts and winning only one.
I took off my suit after, thinking I had been eliminated, but later found out I was ranked 43 out of 61, the second last to qualify.
I gave the opponent a good fight, but still lost.
How did the rest of the team fair? Well here's a quote from my teammate Dominique to sum it all up:
"I should not have drank so much alcohol last night."
But hey, he may have had insufficient sleep and a hangover, and he may have busted his leg muscle during a fall in the first bout he fought (he did a split like me, but didn't get back up the way I did), but he still went further than any of us. Man... that says a lot about my skill if a hungover and injured dude could do so much better than me. I guess it takes much more than a pretty blade to win at fencing.
Heh but kudos to him, my new hero- The drunken master.
Okay after all that... I realised that you only really are a model athlete when you win and then act humble right?
So what was I doing here?
I was sitting down with Dom and Jun Wei waiting for the others like Jasper to finish. Then we saw a poor random dude carrying a bag and limping out of the hall the way Dominique was. This guy had sprained his ankle.
I immediately put on my shoes and chased after him. I relieved the guy of his bag and walked with him slowly to the road where he waited for his mom to pick him up. We spoke, and laughed at the day's events. At the end, I asked him what his name was.
"I'm Justin"
I laughed.
"Me too."
As he got into the car there was an old lady walking past, pulling behind her a great big trash bin filled with rubbish from the sports hall. She looked at him entering the car and asked me in mandarin if he had gotten injured and if he was going to see a doctor. I said he might, since his mom was here to pick him. She asked me if I was his friend. I said no, but I saw him injured so helped him carry his things.
The old lady smiled at me with a most genuine smile. She may not have had many teeth, but there was no lack in sincerity as she said "Thank you" to me in Chinese, almost as if on the boy's behalf.
I smiled back, and offered to help her pull her huge trash bin.
Because... It's making use of my God given talents. And because through this I get a chance to be... A model example of a sportsman to others too. So it didn't matter if I lost, as long as I was a good participant and did my best.
Well that's easy to say...
It's a different thing when you actually start losing.
I got beaten back again and again during the group stages, losing 3 bouts and winning only one.
I took off my suit after, thinking I had been eliminated, but later found out I was ranked 43 out of 61, the second last to qualify.
I gave the opponent a good fight, but still lost.
How did the rest of the team fair? Well here's a quote from my teammate Dominique to sum it all up:
"I should not have drank so much alcohol last night."
But hey, he may have had insufficient sleep and a hangover, and he may have busted his leg muscle during a fall in the first bout he fought (he did a split like me, but didn't get back up the way I did), but he still went further than any of us. Man... that says a lot about my skill if a hungover and injured dude could do so much better than me. I guess it takes much more than a pretty blade to win at fencing.
Heh but kudos to him, my new hero- The drunken master.
I recall my loudest cheering came from my PRC friends that I made at the RJ Invites competition last December. Oh the little joys they were. And of course Florence our ever present support who actually prayed with me before my bout.
And I saw a baby rat on the way out! It was so cute I tell you! It looked like a hamster with longer tail.
Okay after all that... I realised that you only really are a model athlete when you win and then act humble right?
So what was I doing here?
I was sitting down with Dom and Jun Wei waiting for the others like Jasper to finish. Then we saw a poor random dude carrying a bag and limping out of the hall the way Dominique was. This guy had sprained his ankle.
I immediately put on my shoes and chased after him. I relieved the guy of his bag and walked with him slowly to the road where he waited for his mom to pick him up. We spoke, and laughed at the day's events. At the end, I asked him what his name was.
"I'm Justin"
I laughed.
"Me too."
As he got into the car there was an old lady walking past, pulling behind her a great big trash bin filled with rubbish from the sports hall. She looked at him entering the car and asked me in mandarin if he had gotten injured and if he was going to see a doctor. I said he might, since his mom was here to pick him. She asked me if I was his friend. I said no, but I saw him injured so helped him carry his things.
The old lady smiled at me with a most genuine smile. She may not have had many teeth, but there was no lack in sincerity as she said "Thank you" to me in Chinese, almost as if on the boy's behalf.
I smiled back, and offered to help her pull her huge trash bin.
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