Last June, Anita arrived in Budapest to contest for laurels, as athletes do. She is a two time Olympian, daughter of an Olympian mother (in swimming) and Olympians' coach father. Her grandpa worked as a senior official at the 1980 Olympic Games. In short, Anita lives for such great moments as the World Aquatic Championships in Budapest. The 25 year old American artistic swimmer dived into the pool for a routine free solo. But, Anita fainted and rather than swim, she sank. Her coach Andrea Fuentes knew Anita and suspected accurately that all was not well with Anita. She dived in. With her instinctive intervention and that of the medical crew, Anita was restored back to life. Lucky Anita!

Did I call it luck? Maybe. Anita had Andrea, just as Joshua had Moses. Andrea Fuentes is a two time Olympian with multiple medals, the most decorated swimmer in Spain national team's history. Andrea's husband - Victor is a two time Olympian gymnast and her late sister Tina was an Olympian swimmer. Let's stop the history there.

Today's story is for young people like me. Anita had everything working for her stardom, but more interestingly in my opinion, she wouldn't rest on her genealogy and laurels. That's a bit more than luck. Genealogy may be luck (fate), but her choice of coaches and her resilience go beyond fluke. It is true that many of us don't have Olympic Games veterans in our chosen fields as biological parents or grandparents, but disadvantaged genealogy doesn't debar people from stardom as woeful decisions and lack of psychological/thinking depth do.

Last year June, the same Andrea Fuentes dived into the pool - clothed to rescue the same Anita. And while experts were starting to question if and why Anita should continue with her swimming career, Andrea was very proactive in leaping to her defence - physical setbacks happen to all athletes. "Just so grateful to have her (Andrea) as a coach; I mean, I say this all the time to her and to other people" Anita said concerning Andrea. With mentors like Andrea, Anita's 2021 setback in Spain wouldn't be enough to truncate her career. Anita has a platform who is not lily-livered, and by every sense a veteran.

A very close example is Tobi Amusan, her Jamaican coach foresaw these days when she recruited the then 14.2s runner. Tobi’s talent, passion, hard work synced with Jamaica’s sprint history and Lacena’s great records. Lacena Golding-Clarke is a three time Olympian and took part in the World Championships in Athletics on five separate occasions. Tobi’s golden exploits at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham might have gulped more psychological preparation than the world records’ outings in Oregon two weeks earlier. It is more difficult to sustain excellence. She’s running on a veteran’s shoulders.

Do you have a coach or mentor? What do you look for in picking your coaches/mentors? Are you committed to relationships? Are you accountable to anyone? Are you humble? Are you teachable? Are you grateful? Are you a quitter? The family history of Anita isn't enough to propel her to destiny. She still had to submit to a coach, and build an effective sync such that her momentary silence is recognised as abnormal for her moves and rhythms. In this fast paced Z generation of fast baked G.Os and when many become "self-made" CEOs without being employees, climbing ladders from the top seems to be the new patterns as leaders without mentors take the stages. Life is deeper and tougher to navigate than oceans. What happens when your Anita suffers a setback in the pool with no Andrea watching over you?

Oh, you can wish or pray challenges away in Jesus name. That's part of the reasons you need mentors, veterans are people who have been refined by challenges and come forth excelling. They know well enough that the paths to the podiums are laced with trials and that folks without principle-based baking will be toasts to the storms of life. Career, business, ministry, marriage and health all feature diverse forms of storms. As the storm raged against her health and career, Anita had Andrea. Who do you have? I know many broken homes and capsized churches that could have been salvaged, had the folks involved had and submitted to the leading of some elders around them. Dependence or seeking help is not a weakness, rather knowing that you don’t know it all is indeed strength. Let go of damaging ego and seek help.

Selah!

© SELAH SERIES 2022