Woods a man of true hope and inspiration
Once in a generation, a unique and inspiring individual comes along, a person that brings hope to all people, but especially instills ambition in the hearts of young Americans. Oftentimes, this person will transcend racial, cultural and economic barriers to become a timeless icon, forever etched in world history.
I’m talking about a man whose father was an African-American; who, despite being raised in a fairly affluent environment, still had to overcome many social obstacles. Although many minorities have achieved success in their own right, this man, his charisma and his accomplishments have captivated the entire world.
Since the first time I watched Tiger Woods play golf, I knew I was witnessing history in the making. Tiger exudes the type of personality that is infectious and stimulating. His focus and determination are rare, and one can’t help but wonder, “how” or “why” does he do it? Examples are “many” and “near” between,” because he manages to find a way to “overcome” almost every adversity he faces in life.
Woods started his career “on fire,” winning tournament after tournament. But after a few years, he realized that his “style” of play would bring unseasonable physical strain, and would likely reduce the length of his career. Though inundated with intense criticism, Tiger elected to “change his swing,” Why would he alter his swing after such record-breaking success? The answer is simple: Longevity… After a couple of mediocre years (while refining his new swing), he began to dominate the field once again.
Tiger is renowned for having “nerves of steel,” rarely succumbing to the pressure of pivotal shots, ones that turn the average “macho” golf pro into utter jello. Just when you think that he has no chance in hell, he steps it up and makes the “impossible,” possible. We have watched him overcome his swing change; witnessed him winning championships in spite of losing his father, Earl (also his best friend and mentor); and at the tender age of 32, Tiger has surpassed all pro golfers except Jack Nicklaus with the most major championship victories by one player.
Once again, we are privileged to behold the magic of Tiger Woods. Monday he captured the 2008 U.S. Open Championship while literally limping his way through all four rounds, a playoff round, and one extra sudden-death hole. In his first tournament since undergoing his third knee surgery, Tiger’s doctors told him that the grueling 72 holes of the championship were to be an almost insurmountable test for his recovering knee (in fact, Woods had not walked a complete 18 hole practice round). However, in reality, it would take the “72 holes,” PLUS an extra 19 (a total of 91), for Woods to grind out his 14th major championship. Speaking at the presentation of the championship trophy, Tiger expressed that despite the intense pain, he could not allow himself to quit on all of the people who supported him. Much like Muhammad Ali, Tiger Woods has once again transcended sports, reminding us that no matter how hard things get, we must never give up.
"You keep playing," Woods said. "Whatever it is, you just keep going, keep going forward. All my buddies and I used to, when we were working out, used to always say 'Four.' How many more reps do you have? Four. Four-ever. And that's the idea. You just keep going, and there's no finish line, and you just keep pushing and pushing." (Pat Forde, espn.com)
Congrats Tiger, and thank you!
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