A Swimmer's Tale

I watched TLC's What Not to Wear the other night, and the subject was Tara Kirk a previous Olympian, who was also working toward the Beijing Games. I decided to google her to find out if she had made the team. On the show she came across as thoughtful, and smart, and I was left rooting for her and all of her hard work. She's the kind of woman you see and you want her to be the one to win. Here is this extremely strong, smart woman (Stanford graduate, Rhodes scholar finalist) with a beautiful smile, yet she was very unsure about what to wear, didn't feel feminine, and worried about her broad shoulders. Needless to say, she was a knockout by the end of the show.

Well apparently, she didn't make the Olympic team. She came in third by 1/100th of a second in the 100 meter breaststroke and only the first two finishers make the Olympic team. Now this would be a normally disappointing athletic tale, except that the winner tested positive for drugs, and in the last two days has resigned from the team. But Tara is being told that because the Olympic team has been finalized she cannot be added to it. So, technically she came in 2nd place, and there is no way to get onto the team. Even though the officials may have known about the drug test results when they named the team.

Her blog, and her description of her disappointment at losing, her journey to deal with that disappointment, and her frustration at the current situation are poignant and touching (and very well written). It demonstrates that even someone who works extremely hard, and is extremely talented can be disappointed and have circumstances well beyond her control momentarily take control of her journey. It's her strength in her disappointment that is amazing.

This is a quote from Tara while she was in Ireland on a trip with her fiance after she lost the race: "As the days pass, I feel the burden of my disappointment less and less. It is by no means lighter. Instead, it’s as if the exercise of carrying it and not collapsing under its weight has made me stronger and I can go longer and longer before I notice it."

I can relate to that statement, and realize that she is right we don't crumple. We grow under our burdens until we can lift them away from us. And then we can move on. I wish Tara and all of the extremely wonderful women I know the wisdom to know that you can carry the burden. And come out the other side, stronger, smarter and ready for the next adventure in life.

There is a link to Tara's blog under Read these Blogs.