The Road to the 2013 American Open: Tick, tick, tick…
By Rhi Reynolds
My name is called. I get up from the chair I’ve been fidgeting in for the past few minutes. I walk, calmly and confidently, up to where the chalk is. As I turn the dust over in my hands a few times, all falls silent. Silence from the time I step up to the bar until I’m standing up with it overhead: the silence being broken by the buzzer and beautiful sight of three white lights.
This is the optimal vision. It’s the visualization that I have been playing over and over in my head to block out all the thoughts of alternate endings. It’s what I’ve been working towards. It’s also the hardest part of the game.
Every second that passes before the American Open is marked as an audible “tick, tick..” in my brain. I’m excited the time is flying, yet I want more time for perfection. Realistically, there is no time more perfect than now. The only reason I want more time is because that little voice manages to break through and reminds me of the ‘what if’.
What if I fail?
Well, what if I fail? Is that going to make or break my short-lived weightlifting career? No. For me, this is the beginning to a long and glorious road. If I fail, I’m not going to stop loving the bar. If I fail, I’m still going to be thankful for the experience. If I fail, I’m only going to come back stronger.
We all live by the phrase ‘what if’. But we can’t let a simple phrase define us or transform our identity. How are you supposed to get any better without taking risks? This is a risk I’m willing to take. I’m willing to just give it my all no matter if circumstances turn out to be in my favor or not. But you can’t go in thinking of failure: you will end up failing before you even touch the platform. That’s why I mentally fabricated my own ending to the story: a good ending.
This week will be insane. I’ve spent the last two weeks slaving at work to make sure I was able to hit my bonuses without having to worry about the impact of the trip on my paycheck. I stopped listening to music during my workouts and practiced keeping the internal noise quiet without distractions. The next two days before my flight will be brutal: mentally, physically, and emotionally. But that’s okay. This is the feeling I live for, and this is the feeling I’ve been waiting for.
Good luck to all of the 2013 American Open Competitors.