The power of belief.
We’ve all faced it. In our careers and in our lives. Things aren’t going quite to plan. Some well-meaning family member, friend, or mentor says, “You can do anything if you put your mind to it.” You smile, thinly, and thank them for their encouragement.
But what do you do what that encouragement? Do you really believe it? If you’re on the fence, you’d do well to absorb the lesson of Sha’Carri Richardson.
If you’re not a track and field fan, you may have missed it. For some reason, or perhaps many reasons, our track and field athletes can’t muster the same media passion as, say, professional lumberjacks or cornhole players… even though they prove, again and again, to be the world’s best.
Perhaps you remember Sha’Carri, though. In 2020-21 she qualified to run the 100 meters for the U.S. at the Tokyo Olympics. Sub sequent to that, it was revealed that, after the race, she tested positive for cannabis. The (then) 20 year-old admitted she had used cannabis to help her cope with grief following the death of her mother. Some took on her defense, others clucked that ‘rules are rules.’ The bottom line … she didn’t compete at the Olympics, and entered a period of professional decline … hitting her nadir when she was unable to get out of the first round at the 2022 U.S. Championships.
Sha’Carri was an easy target for those who wanted to take shots. She was brash. Colorful. Wore bright wigs and at least 2-inch nails. And she was, to some, just too outspoken. Some, sadly, seemed to revel in her decline.
But Sha’Carri believed. Believed in herself, Believed in her talent. At the top ranks of sprinting, an unshakable self-confidence, even swagger, is indispensable. You must believe you can, and will, beat everyone … or you will be left behind.
And, even while holding onto that will, she dramatically, pointedly, removed her trademark wig, right at the starting blocks prior to running at the U.S. Championships several months ago. She needed to place in the top 3 at the Nationals to qualify for the Worlds. She set her mind to it, and she did it. But an important step was to symbolically leave behind the baggage of expectation and perception by discarding the trappings of the “old” Sha’Carri. Sometimes you must leave behind part of who you were to become who you are meant to be.
But, left behind was exactly what she was, as the gun went off in her semi-final race at this week’s World Championships. I’ve been following/competing in track and field all my life, and I don’t think I’ve seen a worse start by an accomplished runner in a major race. She didn’t panic, though … she put her head down, tapped into that belief in herself, and ran fast enough to qualify for the finals.
The finals came, and we were told she really didn’t have much of a chance. And, to be fair, it was a tall order. She was stuck all the way over in the outside lane … and she was running against 2 of the greatest, if not THE greatest, 100M runners from Jamaica.
As you may know, against all odds, she won.
““I would say ’never give up,’” she replied when asked what message this triumph conveyed. “Never allow media, never allow outsiders, never allow anything but yourself and your faith define who you are. I would say ‘Always fight. No matter what, fight.’””
Her reaction after the race reminded me of another famous moment in athletics history, when Bob Beamon collapsed in amazement after long jumping nearly 2 feet further than any other man in history.
Belief in oneself can be a powerful thing … powerful enough to reduce you to delirium. Sha’Carri bet on herself when no one else would. See what’s possible when you put your mind to it? :-)