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Posted by John Morrison on 11th Feb 2014

What makes champions tick?

IT all started last Thursday when Dominican Republic's Felix Sanchez won his first, and also his country's first ever,' gold medal at the Olympics, via the 400 metres hurdles. It continued with GB's Kelly Holmes winning two running gold medals at the end of a long career, her first Olympic medals. These remarkable achievements dwelt in my thoughts, as I helped prepare a Derry team last weekend to meet the most successful champions ever in Gaelic football, Kerry. Eight out of the last nine semi-finals they had appeared in, winning three titles. Kerry, indeed, were giants of the game. I thought too of Armagh and Tyrone's great triumphs over the past two years, built on three to four years of standing knocking right at the door. What makes these champions tick I wondered? Indeed, what makes up the profile of a champion in any sport? After a very long conversation with Kerry great Ger O'Keefe, a member of the Kingdom backroom staff, after the game, I came to the conclusion that champions had most, if not all, some nine qualities. Champions are not naturally born and these 'winning' qualities are, and can be, acquired. The first quality is ambition. But of all those who claim to have ambition, why are so few successful? Champions 'surrender' to their ambitions, while second best is stopped by obstacles along the way. For champions, however, they find ways round those obstacles because, in their 'surrender', they will allow nothing to stand in their way. Second comes self image. Champions think good of themselves and have faith in themselves. They may listen to others but they do not take on board the opinion others have of them.

BAGGAGE

To dwell on what others think, especially negatively, creates unwanted baggage. - The starting point for champions is that they are OK as they are, and they then decide where they want to go. Once decided, this involves taking on new things to get there. This is positive and challenging and promotes growth. Third comes the setting of goals. These must be challenging, realistic, worthwhile, and above all be 'written down'. Fourth, champions are in control of their minds. They are 'I can' people, based on the fact that they know the mind operates in two ways. One way is as a 'thinker', e.g. 'I can run fast' then it becomes a 'prover', drawing experiences from the past to show you how you have run fast so many times before. Thus champions work to ensure that all preparation experiences are good ones. It's called the winning habit. Fifth, champions will express their emotions and grow by dealing with them instead of suppressing them, and 'dying' because of them. Thus discomfort, anxiety, anger, frustration etc, must be talked through. In confronting and mastering emotions, powerful feelings like appreciation, attitude, cheerfulness etc' kick in. Sixth, champions are always enthusiastic in their own way. Enthusiasm attracts and enhances, and 'inspired' people always win. Seventh, champions are full of commitment. For me, this is being TRUE to oneself. It is both 'talking the talk' and 'walking the walk'. Second best only 'talk the talk'. Champions keep their word, as the only power they have is 'their word'. They do what they say they'll do. Eighth comespersistence, which is the dynamic of champions. Champions keep doing till they get it right. Lastly, is the champions' use of time'. To them, time is 'now', not looking back or for-ward, but an opportunity to do it now. They know that an opportunity realisedliterally closes one door and opens one or more to better things. I'll leave the last word to Felix Sanchez, who attributed his success to 'hard work in training and only running when right' - nine times right I think. Derry are on the right road, Armagh will come back. I'm hugely disappointed for both but delighted to have learnt so much about myself and human nature this season!