This morning, I was lucky enough to be able to run a trail race at Bridgetown. Absolutely beautiful.
Part of the beauty of those sorts of events is getting in touch with another side of you. A side that maybe you don’t see too often. It only comes out when you’re fatigued, thirsty, and sore.
This is why sport is an art form.
It’s a creative endeavour, and a chance to express another side of us.
I question the damage we’re doing by commercialising and professionalising sport, like we have in the last 30 years.
When a sport becomes a job, that’s serious. But when that becomes the sole dreams and aspirations of a young kid, not to be creative, not to do meaningful work, just to follow a set of guidelines to become the best in the world, I question our system.
Because only one person can be the best in the world, so it’s a tough task. It’s why myself and many others encourage becoming ‘your best’. That’s still bloody hard, but at least it’s sustainable.
What happens when that little kid is 40, and they still haven’t achieved their lifelong dreams? They lose hope.
I can’t help but wonder, just maybe, if the rise of professional sport, and the rise of mental health issues are correlated…
Let’s teach our young the importance of meaningful work and strive to be better than they were yesterday.