Competition

Meanwhile… the 2022 Olympics are on. It’s time to stand back and admire the skill, dedication and drive demonstrated by the athletes who are so focused on excellence.

Watching the snowboarding this week, I was taken aback by the effort and courage of the competitors. Danger aside, the participants’ resilience in finishing the course in the halfpipe after a fall or misstep was mindboggling. My conservative nature is probably the result of an extensive orthopedic history with my 1950’s model legs. That tagline years ago on a sports show: “the agony of defeat” is ringing in my ears.

The learning and education gained along the athlete’s paths parallel other strengths and benefits of competing in sporting events. I never met a person where participating in sports has come up in conversation that I didn’t think of how the experience changed them for the better. The analogy of a “win-win” jumps off the page.

I was that kid that only played road hockey a few times and never brought home a ribbon from field day in public school. Dad’s interests took the complete opposite direction to sports. I guess it was up to me. Maybe I was a late starter.

In high school, Dac Thomas, my physical education teacher in tenth grade, came up to me on the first day of classes, grabbed my shoulder and issued the command, you’re a big guy, see you on the football field at 3:30.

Starting on the junior football squad, I can honestly say that defence and offence were terms I had to clear up with strangers the next day on the school bus. Despite my problematic launch, the team enjoyed a good season taking the city championship. New friends, new drills on the field and I came out of the adventure a winner.

Shortly after football, a new neighbour Jack Gilchrist came across the yard to introduce himself as a weightlifting coach. Inviting me to join his small group of lifters, I became acquainted with the sport of Olympic weightlifting. The experience did more than build muscles.

I made new friends and acquaintances. After taking a silver medal, I shook hands with the prime minister at the Canada Games. My confidence grew, I adopted a competitive spirit, sports changing everything.

Competition in your life can give meaning to the previously meaningless. Challenges shouldn’t be limited to the physical kind. As a teen, schoolwork received more attention. The added activities came with expenses that required a part-time job to support; I enjoyed the responsibility. Being a competitor, winning more than games and weightlifting matches rounded out my teenage years and changed my path.

After a short gap between school and starting with the local ambulance service, the brief exposure to sports paid off when it came to learning as an individual then working as a team. Instead of competing for points or pounds and a win, the focus was now on education, patient care and positive outcomes.

A lot of responders foster that competitive spirit. You don’t need a team behind you to bring out rivalry. Wanting to be a part of something good, whether a group or individual cause, creates good chemistry. The environment will drive individuals to do better, becoming a culture.

Whether it’s sports, an activity group with a common interest like chess or photography, young people are setting themselves up for success with their involvement. Taking a sincere interest in something and wanting to do better is a quality responders share. Some of the best responders I have had the pleasure of meeting over the years have experience in lifeguarding, gaining new skills and a heap of responsibility along the way. Lifesaving competitions have built giants for the EMS industry.

Looking in from the outside, some would say; wow, you’re a paramedic, police officer, firefighter or emergency dispatcher. That’s cool. After revealing our career to the curious, most responders have heard that or a similar reaction. I would bet most of us did not set out to receive kudos or recognition. We were attracted to a profession we admired from a distance, and the challenge was like a new event or club, deriving pleasure from the challenge.

Your competitive spirit and chemistry drive you to continue learning and improve your skills or craft. For some, the drive never eases, directing you to promotions, success and more challenges. A common theme with responders, healthcare workers, and public servants is continuing education. There are not many other fields where continuous improvement is predominant.

Believe it or not, the spinoff of a person’s competitive tendencies usually produces benefits we all improve from. Being part of a rivalry makes teams out of individuals, crews out of paramedics, pump crews out of firefighters, tactical teams out of police officers, and the list goes on.

It is difficult to imagine success without competition. The flavour of success is unequalled even by the best food or drink ever enjoyed. Good for your physical and emotional health, the journey through any struggle takes most participants to a new high. Test your hindsight, and I believe most will agree. There are not many downsides to a challenge.

This blog is the byproduct of being a couch potato yesterday. Well, it is back to the tube to watch skating, then off to workout at the Y. Have a great day. GO CANADA!