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A Lesson From Athens

By Will Turner

The 2004 Summer Olympics have ended. While the stadiums and venues around Athens have emptied, some of the images of the games remain. The Olympics are always filled with moving stories of triumph and heartache. This one provided its share of inspiring moments.

Michael Phelps, the 19 year-old swimming phenomenon from Baltimore, created his share of Olympic moments. None more poignant, however, than the race he didn’t swim. To really understand the true depth of Michael’s sacrifice, we have to go back a year to another international meet. In a swimming duel, Michael lost the 100 meter butterfly to teammate Ian Crocker. The intensely competitive Phelps was not interested in coming in second again. So, the Olympics provided a showdown match where Phelps out-touched Crocker at the wall. Michael Phelps won the gold and secured his spot on the men’s 400-meter medley relay.

You probably know the rest of the story. Michael gave up his spot on the medley team to Ian Crocker. Ian pledged to swim as hard as he could and he did. The team went on to win gold at record pace, beating out a field of tough competitors.

But let’s put this all in perspective. Sure, it was nice of Michael to give up his spot to Ian. Some may argue that it was the least he could do given all his other gold medals. But let’s look a little deeper. Here we have a competitive teenager that has been hounded by the media at every turn as being the great gold hope for the U.S. We have someone that loves to swim and win. He had even kept a picture of Ian Crocker on his wall for the past year to remind him of his goal to come out on top in their next showdown.

After his win in the butterfly competition, Michael could have dutifully accepted his position on the relay team and no one would have given it a second thought. But he didn’t. He gave the spot to his rival, to his teammate. It was a magnanimous gesture of support and team spirit; one that speaks volumes about Michael Phelps.

The real lesson in this story for everyday mortals is that when we put others first; we not only elevate them, but we elevate ourselves. Phelps demonstrated his commitment to the team and showed us his character in the process. Not only did he deepen the respect of his teammates, he gained it with the world. We, too, can elevate ourselves by elevating others.

Whether it’s with a work colleague or a client, we can accomplish amazing things when we are more concerned for doing what is good and right for others and when we check our own ego at the door.

© Dancing Elephants Achievement Group 2004