Fourth Place Champion of the World

So, World Championships happened and it took me a while to put my thoughts about it down into words. Sorry about that. Honestly, I knew the result with 20m to go. I pushed through to the line with everything I had. But, something was just not right. I just couldn’t get the acceleration I knew I was capable of to keep the position I had. I can’t put into words the heartbreak of watching it slip away, again. I knew I had it this time, but sometimes, your body just betrays you and there’s nothing you can do about it. In Tokyo it was a hard, bittersweet result finishing fourth again, but this time it was just downright agony. There was no obvious explanation, it was just me not having quite enough on the day and that stings. Not to mention, It also doesn't help having the commentator throw shade with a patronising comment about finishing fourth again… Boo!  But, shoutout to one of the team coaches who stood up for me about that issue.

My coach and I have reflected ad nauseam on what happened. We’ve come up with theory after theory. The front running theory being that since the qualifying race was the evening before and then the final was the next morning that my body just hadn’t fully recovered in that turn around… quadriplegia problems. But let’s move on from this. Y’all don’t need to hear about every thought and theory that’s rolled around in my head since then. Enough of the sad and self pity journal entries no one wants to read. Let’s “turn over a new leaf” or “set our eye on the horizon” or whatever inspirational new beginning expression you think is best. Actually, you know what, I’ve got it. Let Batman's father give the line he said to Bruce Wayne, “Why do we fall, Bruce? So that we can learn to pick ourselves up.” Throwback to 2005.

Bane loves to break backs. Or at least tip people onto them…

Right now, I’m doing just that. Picking myself back up.  I feel healthy as ever training through this off season.  We’re trying a couple new things with positioning and gloves and they seem to be working out. Since, you all know, tenths and hundredths of a second make all the differences and these little tweaks add up. So, while Christopher Nolan or Matt Reeves won’t be biopic-ing my life anytime soon, I’ll just keep telling myself “Our scars can destroy us, even after the physical wounds have healed. But if we survive them, they can transform us. They can give us the power to endure, and the strength to fight.”

PS:  I swear I don’t actually think I'm Batman.