What comes up must come down.  The Law of Gravity is an unavoidable reality in our life here on Earth.  Not surprisingly this law can also be seen in the well being and affairs of people—most of us have a hard enough time keeping our footing amidst all of life\’s difficulties.  For many of us there seems to be a law of gravity constantly pulling us down.  We acknowledge our potential but have a hard time attaining it.
But what of the superstars? Throughout history individuals have risen to defy gravity, demonstrating that what goes up does not necessarily have to come down. These rising stars continue to inspire us. Â Isn\’t that one of the great aspects of the Olympics? Â Not only the performance of world class athletes, but the stories of how they endured and conquered against all odds.
The Olympics weren\’t short of excitement this year in London. Â The crowd thundered for sprinter Usian Bolt after he flashed past them down the track, being first to break through the 100 and 200 dash finish line ribbons once again. Â Lebron James made basketball look easy as he defied gravity with his one-handed dunks. Â David Boudia twisted and spun through the air from the high platform, leaving a small ripple in the pool and a gold medal around his neck. Â Sand volleyball player, Kerri Walsh, hovered over the net to block the wicked hard spikes, Â leading her and her partner to their three-peat gold performance, dominating the game for 12 consecutive years. Â Olympic swimmer superstar Michael Phelps defied gravity as he effortlessly glided through the pool to end his decorated career with 22 gold medals. Â And of course there were many others: Â Reese Hoffa launching the 16 lb ball of iron across the field, Jennifer Suhr vaulting 14 and a half feet over the high bar, Greg Rutherford jumping 25 feet over the sand pit, Jade Jones (taekwondo gold medalist) with her trademark flying kick to the head, and American boxer Clarissa Shields, who refused to be beat.
So what caused these athletes to rise above the other thousands of athletes in the world?
The answer isn\’t easy—there are many variables as to why and how athletes rise to stardom.  All of these athletes possess a special gift and a tenacious ambition; they work hard and never give up.  Perhaps the single most defining thing, however, is most of them have world class trainers surrounding them as well as supportive friends and family cheering them on when they most need it.
The years of training before the Olympics is really more of a spectacular thing than the competition itself.  The reality of dedication to training is what makes the medals they earn so admirable.  The private time of training is truly where these athletes defy gravity—they have to consistently train hard as a lifestyle, putting down weak mindsets and working through injuries and other various drawbacks life brings their way.
The biggest key for all the Olympians is that they did not go it alone. They all had tremendous support.
Similar support is what every person needs if they are going to go a little further than what they alone can accomplish. Â It is very difficult to set goals and continually face the challenges that inevitably come through every season of the soul. Â By having coaches and a community of like minded people who are also training you can stay on track even when you feel like backing down. Â Consistency and longevity are necessary for any true and lasting achievement such as weight loss, having a trim healthy body, or attaining formidable martial arts skills.
At SwiftKick we are dedicated to helping you stay on track with everything that is in your heart for physical fitness and self-defense skills. Â Also the friendships formed amongst our students and with our staff have been a great encouragement and a lot of fun! Â We encourage you to get involved and stay committed to your training, and to please let us know how we can help you meet your goals!