I was watching short-track speed skating the other night, and NBC showed a bit on Apolo Anton Ohno, the United States poster boy for the Winter Games. After winning a gold medal the 2006 Olympics in Torino, Ohno decided it was time to call it quits and spent his days enjoying the celebrity lifestyle that comes along with being an international icon. He participated on the show "Dancing With The Stars," and he and his partner won the competition. Shortly after, in an airport, a man recognized Ohno—as "that dancer" from the show. A TV dancer is a far cry from the identity that a Olympian wants to have, and this propelled Ohno to return to speed skating one more time this year in Vancouver. The montage of his training program that followed clearly demonstrated Ohno's unwavering dedication to reaching his fullest potential. And he said something that I've been chewing on since then:
"Before you go to sleep each night, ask yourself this question: 'Did you do everything you could today to be at your very best?'"
I'm not exactly sure what I am, or what I want to be, recognized for. But I have dreams that are presently unfulfilled. I have goals that have thus far gone unaccomplished. I'm not willing to let it stay that way. Starting tonight, as my head hits the pillow, I will begin to ask myself Ohno's question. It's going to be really, really difficult to honestly answer "yes" every night. But I'm going to ask it.
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