So I'm getting married in less than 2 months and having a budding relationship with God and balancing the job of being an owner/supervisor/trainor/HR/marketeer/quality controller THEN I find myself in a "crossroads" in my climbing career. Okay, it's not a crossroads, I'm exaggerating. But I am faced with a decision.
I go to meet PSC Commissioner Akiko Thomson who's so charismatic and charming, and presents me with an Athlete Priority program that basically asks me to lay-off my work and be a full-time athlete for 1.5 years. She's so eloquent as she explains the program, and though lacking any concrete plans (in classic Philippine government contract style but I will not fault her for that), she wins me over as she ends the conversation about a similar opportunity she had in her day, when she went to the US to train for what was supposed to be just a summer, but extending to a full academic term with her living with foster parents and all, just because she had so much fun and she grew so much as an athlete.
An opportunity I wouldn't have to think twice about if this were 7 years ago, but with my involvement in our business and my obvious marriage to consider, stops me completely in my tracks.
I'm just writing this down to share my thoughts, because as I was weighing my options, I ended up writing this:
I really see this Priority Athlete offer as an opportunity not just for myself but for climbing to grow in our whole country. The MAIN reason why I don't want to just LET IT GO is because I keep thinking about how our community can benefit from it in the long-run, for example: What if I actually become a MUCH stronger climber if sign on with the program? Then maybe I can win MORE int'l comps? Then maybe it will make PSC give our sport more attention? Then more attention = more support?...
That is the part I'll be regretting the most if I DON'T sign on; that I might never get that kind of chance again to contribute to the sport's growth in the country.
I realize I may come off as self-absorbed and overconfident, but that is me and my empowered thoughts.
I felt the urge to share because right after writing that, I come across Roger Federer's interview transcript post-Wimbledon championship win over Andy Murray, and I almost cried reading what he had to say...
If I can help the game of tennis with the image or with, you know, making it more popular, that's enough for me really. I want to leave the game better off than when I came into this great game, which was already unbelievable with the great rivalries we had: Becker Edberg, Courier and Agassi and Sampras....They inspire me to keep on pushing further.You know, not just being happy with world No. 1 or being happy with a Grand Slam title, but maybe to reach for more.
Comforting to know that I am not alone in my super(wo)man dreams.
