Two days after a disappointing performance in Beijing, Chad was kind enough to share his thoughts with us. We know he will come back better and stronger.
"I wake up throughout the night with increased pulse to realize with relief that it was all just a dream. Then, slowly, as I put the scattered puzzle pieces back together in my head, I rediscover that it was all painfully too real. As I lay there awake with knots in my stomach, trying not to think about it, I get no closer to my goal of falling back to sleep. I finally drift off knowing that I will be awakened dreadfully again later. I find comfort with an occasional reminder that time heals and God is good. My faith is shaken but still strong, with an unconditional belief in a better tomorrow.
The night before my competition I watched, "Facing The Giants," for a little extra motivation and inspiration and as a reminder; the message of the movie being to Praise and Trust God, win or lose. In the lose category, this is so hard to do and seems almost impossible at times if you can even figure out how.
More than anything I want to use my Olympic position, or whatever position for that matter, to be a witness. I always saw the 2008 Olympics as being my time. I would put in a good performance to build my credentials and add to my testimony. My training between the trials and the Olympics was good in the snatch and the jerk, but never got going in the squat and the clean. It was as if I woke up one day and I just wasn't quite wired in for the heavier ones; to make a long story short. This was very frustrating and played with my head a little, but toward the end I came to the conclusion that if I reached my ultimate goal of breaking the American Record in the C&J, it would undoubtedly not be with my own strength but with the Strength of God. This comforted me and it made sense that it would happen because it would strengthen my testimony.
I have come to believe that some bad things that happen are from our own ignorant free will and others come straight from God as lessons, direction, etc. I would like to think that this one, for me, was straight from God. Either way, I know that He can bring many great things from it. This, as well as the knowledge that I have been blessed with many good and great competitions, a great life, and that there are more important things in life and worse things that could happen, have all been of great comfort to me and have allowed me to be mostly OK with all of this.
Seeing Melanie and Kendrick perform the way that they did and the attention that Melanie is getting from all angles makes me realize that it is not my time yet. They have both given me so much motivation, hope, and fire for the future. Any thought I had about moving on with life away from weightlifting was smashed on 08/13/2008. I don't know how long I will stay or what the future holds. All I know for right now is that I have to just keep going.
From the moment I arrived in Beijing, I felt a great sense of peace and satisfaction. Anything on top of just being here would have been sweet, sweet icing. I am having a great time all the way around and I was very excited and happy about being a part of a group of people that come together to do everything we possibly could to help me lift the most I possibly could on competition day. As good as my body and the weights felt on that day, I would like to say that it almost worked. The village is amazing and the red carpet is rolled out for you on competition day at the venue. It was the smoothest competition I have been to and they even had personal beds in the post weigh-in waiting area.
To all the weightlifting fans and supporters I would like to say I am sorry, but I can't honestly say that I would go back and do anything differently. I saw an opening and I went for it like I always do; that is just me and I just came up short this time. I have never been one to just "get one in" and this has cost me many attempts though the years and is why my average is probably somewhere around 3 for 6. My aggressive approach to competition and training is both the reason why I am here and one of the major things that has held me back. Seeing what Melanie has gone through makes me realize that I have not been patient enough, and my lack of patience in training and competition has probably been my greatest downfall. Patience is a virtue that I must obtain. I still have time to put in, dues to pay, and much to learn and relearn; but that just means that I have more room to grow. The more I do learn and relearn about weightlifting, and life in general for that matter, the more I realize that I know almost nothing other than a few basics - to work hard, and to persevere. So, that I will do.
With Faith, Hope, and Love,
Chad Vaughn
A very good friend of mine sent the following to me right after I lifted:
IT IS NOT THE CRITIC WHO COUNTS, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows in the end the triumph of high achievement; and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.
Theodore Roosevelt"
"I wake up throughout the night with increased pulse to realize with relief that it was all just a dream. Then, slowly, as I put the scattered puzzle pieces back together in my head, I rediscover that it was all painfully too real. As I lay there awake with knots in my stomach, trying not to think about it, I get no closer to my goal of falling back to sleep. I finally drift off knowing that I will be awakened dreadfully again later. I find comfort with an occasional reminder that time heals and God is good. My faith is shaken but still strong, with an unconditional belief in a better tomorrow.
The night before my competition I watched, "Facing The Giants," for a little extra motivation and inspiration and as a reminder; the message of the movie being to Praise and Trust God, win or lose. In the lose category, this is so hard to do and seems almost impossible at times if you can even figure out how.
More than anything I want to use my Olympic position, or whatever position for that matter, to be a witness. I always saw the 2008 Olympics as being my time. I would put in a good performance to build my credentials and add to my testimony. My training between the trials and the Olympics was good in the snatch and the jerk, but never got going in the squat and the clean. It was as if I woke up one day and I just wasn't quite wired in for the heavier ones; to make a long story short. This was very frustrating and played with my head a little, but toward the end I came to the conclusion that if I reached my ultimate goal of breaking the American Record in the C&J, it would undoubtedly not be with my own strength but with the Strength of God. This comforted me and it made sense that it would happen because it would strengthen my testimony.
I have come to believe that some bad things that happen are from our own ignorant free will and others come straight from God as lessons, direction, etc. I would like to think that this one, for me, was straight from God. Either way, I know that He can bring many great things from it. This, as well as the knowledge that I have been blessed with many good and great competitions, a great life, and that there are more important things in life and worse things that could happen, have all been of great comfort to me and have allowed me to be mostly OK with all of this.
Seeing Melanie and Kendrick perform the way that they did and the attention that Melanie is getting from all angles makes me realize that it is not my time yet. They have both given me so much motivation, hope, and fire for the future. Any thought I had about moving on with life away from weightlifting was smashed on 08/13/2008. I don't know how long I will stay or what the future holds. All I know for right now is that I have to just keep going.
From the moment I arrived in Beijing, I felt a great sense of peace and satisfaction. Anything on top of just being here would have been sweet, sweet icing. I am having a great time all the way around and I was very excited and happy about being a part of a group of people that come together to do everything we possibly could to help me lift the most I possibly could on competition day. As good as my body and the weights felt on that day, I would like to say that it almost worked. The village is amazing and the red carpet is rolled out for you on competition day at the venue. It was the smoothest competition I have been to and they even had personal beds in the post weigh-in waiting area.
To all the weightlifting fans and supporters I would like to say I am sorry, but I can't honestly say that I would go back and do anything differently. I saw an opening and I went for it like I always do; that is just me and I just came up short this time. I have never been one to just "get one in" and this has cost me many attempts though the years and is why my average is probably somewhere around 3 for 6. My aggressive approach to competition and training is both the reason why I am here and one of the major things that has held me back. Seeing what Melanie has gone through makes me realize that I have not been patient enough, and my lack of patience in training and competition has probably been my greatest downfall. Patience is a virtue that I must obtain. I still have time to put in, dues to pay, and much to learn and relearn; but that just means that I have more room to grow. The more I do learn and relearn about weightlifting, and life in general for that matter, the more I realize that I know almost nothing other than a few basics - to work hard, and to persevere. So, that I will do.
With Faith, Hope, and Love,
Chad Vaughn
A very good friend of mine sent the following to me right after I lifted:
IT IS NOT THE CRITIC WHO COUNTS, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows in the end the triumph of high achievement; and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.
Theodore Roosevelt"
1 comment:
Chad,
Please read this:
The Olympic Creed:
"The most important thing in the Olympic games is not to win but to TAKE PART.
Just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph but the STRUGGLE.
The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well."
You should be so proud of yourself to have reached the absolute highest level there is in sport, you should be so proud that you were there at the Olympic games, the opening ceremonies walking amongst the best athletes in the world, representing your country as one of them, you are an inspiration to so many, you represented are country very well, and we are all so proud of you, so many athletes around the world train day in and day out and never become good enough to become and Olympian,you made it, and No one can ever take that away from you, you are an Olympian, one of the few in this world, you are an amazing athlete and weightlifter, no matter your performance that day.
God Bless You Chad, don't beat yourself up over this, you are blessed to have had the Olympic experience, and there is always London 2012, Go for the Gold in 2012!!!
Take care,
Your friend in sport
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