For professional athletes, success is measurable and definite. When you or I ask whether we’re successful, we have to first define what makes us successful. Athletes know. Not only do they know, their goals are definite, clearly marked, and measurable by all of us. For Michelle Kwan and other Olympians, that goal is Olympic gold. Sadly, she’s probably never going to reach it.
Kwan will have to learn to live without achieving her life’s goal, something she has worked hard her whole life for. I can’t really imagine what that feels like. Most of us get to look back and realize a dream has ended. Athletes get to see it happen, see the scores, and then talk about it with the world.
Categories: Sports
11:00 AM | 6 comments
February 12th, 2006 at 2:45 PM
Sujal, you and I have this conversation often — but once again, we have such a different outlook on some of these things. I guess even in Kwan’s case, I see that goals and dreams are amorphous, not at all set in stone. A gold may have been one of many goals and dreams, and I’m sure it sucks missing it, but I imagine that she has many other goals and dreams, many that are far more significant than a gold circle on a ribbon. Whether one is an athlete or not, goals can change very easily. I just don’t see it as that bleak.
February 13th, 2006 at 10:22 AM
While I don’t know that she can say she’s hasn’t been a success because she never won the Gold, her Silver still probably looks pretty nice on the mantle.
For me, I wonder what’s next for her. Just like in Football, Baseball, and any other major sport that’s played out in the world, eventually their careers come to an end and we wonder what their next step is. For her, Figure Skating isn’t as popular here in North America, so it makes me wonder will she try something else, or will she keep skating on the “has-beens” tour?
Either way, I am sad to see her gone, but feel obligated to wish her well because of how she entertained us for 8-plus years now.
February 13th, 2006 at 5:28 PM
I think we will see more of Michelle Kwan… she will be a broadcaster. I think we may see her pitching products as well…
But guys, remember, even though her career in skating is over, she is only 25.
I tend to agree with Dan… because of her success in her young life, she is standing at the gateway of opportunity and I think she will do as well if not better then she has done on the ice!
Good Luck, Michelle…
February 13th, 2006 at 9:17 PM
No doubt.
Also, Josh, I wasn’t saying she wasn’t a success, just that we all know the goal she didn’t reach… I can’t relate, necessarily because I don’t know what my ultimate goal is. Is it to run Disney? to be a CEO? to, well… do what? And if I don’t make it, does anyone care?
I had ESPN and some Olympics coverage on at work all day today. Whenever I was at my desk it seemed like people were talking about whether she should’ve been at the Olympics, whether it matters that she won’t win a gold, etc.
All of it less than 24 hours after she quit. It probably started within minutes of her press conference. That’s what I’m getting at… it’s the immediacy of it for her.
February 13th, 2006 at 9:54 PM
Yeah, I can definitely understand that. I’m still making my goals more immediate too. Buying Bread and Milk on a weekly basis is still important to me.
On the other hand, how do I support your bid to be CEO of Disney?
February 13th, 2006 at 10:50 PM
The odds on my becoming CEO of Disney are, well, zero.