Suffering,chocolate donuts and greatness
Feb. 1993
Dear Izzy, Max, and Kate,
I came across this old picture a few weeks ago at Nana and Papaw’s house. It’s from a cold evening in February 1993: McClellan Gymnasium on the University of Tennessee Chattanooga campus.
In the picture I’m taking my first bite of a donut after my senior wrestling season. I had just won the state title after years of dreaming about it, bleeding for it, crying over it, and suffering for it.
I had never tasted anything so delicious. So many nights during my wrestling career I went to bed in a sweatsuit, my protruding ribs like a cage around my dream, that familiar hollowness of hunger, and the taste of my own blood in my mouth from lips so dry they bled.
When you haven’t wrestled, and suffered for it, it’s hard to understand all of this. But physical suffering in the name of gaining strength and immense mental strain are part of becoming great.
But none of that was possible until I began to believe what my coach had taught me: you must believe, with all of your heart, that you are the best and what you are doing is right – before it will ever become true.
On the other side of the necessary suffering, there are moments like that first bite of a chocolate covered donut (a dozen of them actually).
I guess this relates to where we are now.
I can smell the donuts.
A dozen of them.
And they WILL be delicious. Because I believe in the steps we’re taking. I believe they are right and guided by more than my own whims.
Izzy, you had your first swim meet of the season yesterday. You did awesome! In the final event of the day, the 9-10 year old girls 100 Individual Medley, you won by a half pool length. It was a dominant race!
You ran to me, Mommy, Max, and Kate immediately after the race. I’ll never forget the smile on your face and your astonishment at learning how truly great you can be.
I love you,
– Daddy
TRAINING:
Sun: Biked 32 miles / ran 2 miles BRICK
Mon: Swam 2000
Tues: Biked 26 miles / ran 2 miles BRICK
Wed: Ran 10 miles
Thurs: Swam 1800
Great story! It made me think of my husband’s stories of some of the extreme methods that you mentioned to reach the perfect weight while on the wrestling team in high school. It takes grave determination to make that type of accomplishment and as a fellow Tennessean, I’m glad to hear that you won for UTofC!! 🙂
I ran to the nutter butters!
Wow Izzy!! You’re a champ!