I am sure most of us have been following the intriguing struggle for Olympic selection between Rob Waddell and Mahe Drysdale. It was one each and then of course the “decider” on Wednesday – the drama was intensified by us all having to wait at day for Lake Karapiro to be calm enough to race on.
As we now know, Waddell experienced a recurrence of atrial fibrillation or irregular beating of the heart – in Rob Waddell's case it sped up to around 200 beats a minute and he said, “it is like rowing in mud”. We all felt for Waddell and can only imagine the agony he has been through over all of this. In fact, it seemed unfair that two such talented athletes and apparently very likeable people should have to battle it out for the one slot.
It seems to me that many of the big issues we face in life are “decided” by factors outside of our control. I have just finished reading the autobiography of Anthony Venn-Brown, “A life of unlearning – a journey to find the truth”. A story of a man's struggle to come to terms with his sexual orientation – a gay teenager and adult in a heterosexual world. The story made me think a “what if” - how different my life would have been if I had walked the path that Anthony has had to walk.
I guess the challenge for all of us, highlighted by the Robs and the Anthonys of our world, is coming to terms with the “decider(s)” - those things that are out of our control but very much part of our lives. The things we cannot change but are called to rise above.
