Olympic dream lives on for Jobodwana, Murray
Medal contenders Anaso Jobodwana and Richard Murray are both in the fight of their lives to get out of the doldrums of injury, says Ockert de Villiers.
|||Cape Town - I’m a living sunset, lightning in my bones, push me to the edge but my will is stone. These lyrics by American artist Ben Harper describes the resurrection some athletes have to go through to get back in contention for the Rio Olympic Games.
Medal contenders Anaso Jobodwana and Richard Murray are both in the fight of their lives to get out of the doldrums of injury.
Considering obstacles the duo have to overcome, it would be easy to write off their chances of returning to the kind of form that made them world beaters in their respective events.
Six weeks after he broke his collarbone at the World Triathlon Series race in Gold Coast, Australia, Murray is tenaciously working his way back to fitness.
”When you have setbacks and you can’t race for quite a while it builds your hunger and you want to do better,” Murray said.
”I would probably say I was in the peak of my life, I was definitely in the peak of my swimming, and usually when things are going the best it is when the s**t hits the fan.
”It is life’s way of saying ‘you still have a lot left to prove’.”Doubts about reaching the Olympics was fleeting as the Commonwealth Games bronze medallist stubbornly set an idée fixe on claiming a podium finish.
Jobodwana finds himself in a similar positon where he has to spend all his time in rehabilitation for osteitis pubis, while his main contenders are burning up the track.
Eight months have passed since the World 200m bronze medallist and South African record-holder ran his last race and it will be at least another month before he can do proper sprint training.
”For some reason it added to the fire, obviously you have your down moments in track and field and I was on the phone with the doctor and when he told me about the prognosis I cried full-blown tears,” Jobodwana said.
”It put it in perspective, jeez, I am not going to the Olympics, but I thought what is my next move from here.”These athletes had to deal with a sense of loss and the possible reality that everything they had worked for over the last four years could account for nothing.
The duo demonstrate a quality most Olympic and World champions possess, that indomitable spirit and insatiable hunger to succeed.
Doom-mongers may say their chances of winning silverware has been reduced significantly but it would be equally stupid to bet against them.
What they may lack in terms of racing experience compared to their peers they make up for in sheer, dogged determination.The stories about athletes that triumph against all odds that captivate the imagination and inspire the next generation.
A long road lay ahead for Jobodwana and Murray, and, while there are no guarantees they will make it, there is no other option in their mind to lay it all on the line.
These athletes have dedicated teams behind them that buy into their Olympic dream and would ultimately go through the same victories and disappointments.
The same could be said about Lawrence Brittain, who was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s disease little over a year ago and should be in the men’s pair rowing boat at the Games where they will be competing for a medal.
”Take your face out of your hands, and clear your eyes, you have a right to your dreams, and don’t be denied,” Harper ends.
The Star