On Sports and the Joy of Effort

Sport produces great athletes and, I believe, great people. We can argue about that but there will be no dispute if I say that sport, reflecting life as it were, is a great teacher. Among the several lessons that I have learnt from my association with sport in multiple roles – as an athlete, sports journalist and student of high performance sport – the Joy of Effort is paramount. This was evident when Cdr. Abhilash Tomy (retd.) recently became the first Indian to circumnavigate the world non-stop from Les Sables-d’Olonne, France, via the five Great Capes in a solo yacht and with equipment similar to what was available in the 60s. His feat, unique in itself, assumes greater significance due to how his 2018 campaign ended. Back then, he had to be rescued after 83 days at sea following a complex international effort. Halfway between Australia and South Africa, the disabled yacht was as far from rescue as anyone could be. Three and a half days later, a French Government fisheries patrol vessel recovered Abhilash in a stretcher. Two days after arriving in India, titanium rods were inserted in his spine and 5 vertebrae were fused into one.

He recalls that his legs were so badly off that he had to learn to walk again. “But I did learn to walk, and then got into a cockpit and got back to Navy flying, and sailing! Three and a half years later, he headed back to the same race that almost got him killed. Abhilash bought a yacht in France and named it Bayanat. He had five months to complete a full refit and sail a 2,000 mile solo voyage to qualify for the 2022 Golden Globe Race. He was the last entrant to join the adventure and finished second in 236 days 14 hours 46 minutes and 34 seconds, just a day behind the winner, Kristin Neuschafer (South Africa). He has reveled in warm and memorable reception on his return home, but his expedition did not get much traction. Clearly, he was not driven by thoughts of how India would respond on his return home but he was fueled by an intense desire to complete a task that he took upon himself – and enjoy it every minute of the long journey. It is not the easiest of things for sportspersons to do by choosing to the road less travelled, but they reap rewards later – some extending to well beyond their respective lifetimes. Indeed, as the first men who scaled the world’s tallest peak, Tenzing Norgay and Sir Edmund Hillary will be remembered for as long as Mount Everest is around. The thread that binds such achievers is obvious. Besides the adrenalin rush and the solitude, the joy of effort is what drives them.

The pride they draw from training and competing internationally, unmindful of the lack of media space, public attention and reward. It is this ability to give it the absolute best that could be the biggest reason for them to stay on journeys that have few, if not no, precedents. It is one thing to be in popular sport and draw applause and accolades from everyone around and altogether a different thing to identify and pursue a passion that is not common. The mindset of such athletes is quite amazing for the challenges are not only different but also greater than for what can be called popular sport. For instance, the lack of infrastructure will be just as stark as the absence of elite coaching support, let alone sponsorship and such institutional support. Those who overcome these challenges and remain committed to the passion of choice and discover unchartered territory are worthy of high praise. Sadly, modern society, brought up in an era where cable and satellite television and internet streaming had brought top class sports competition home every hour of the day, lays much premium in international success and has crowded out time and space for everyone else who strives to be the best version of their selves from our minds. Unfortunately, we live in times when besides controversy that interests media, it is only success at the international level that makes it take note of an athlete. The rise from the grassroots to the elite level is largely unnoticed but when an athlete or a team succeeds, there can be considerable attention, even if shortlived. Yet, while they pursue their dreams, away from the teeming crowds and from the focus of powerful TV cameras, it is important for fans of sport to come together and make them feel respected, admired and loved. It is easier said than done but not an impossible task to achieve, one that needs concerted effort by well-wishers. The sportspersons’ joy of effort must find resonance with their fans, no matter how small a community. It becomes imperative for this group to keep the fire in the athlete’s belly stoked. And hope that someday ordinary folk who dare to dream differently and take up a less popular sporting vocation will find consistent support and encouragement through their respective journeys.