My new gym partner almost made it into major league baseball in America. At the lower levels of competition, he initially found that with hard work, he could keep up with the intensity required of playing this high-impact sport. He pushed hard to match the bigger guys on the team by working out at the gym twice a day. Later, he found out that they were on steroids, which explained why they seemed to be able to perform at 100% throughout the season, with fast recovery times. My friend just couldn't keep up after a while.
He related this story while pressing 80 Kilo dumbbells with ease. I sat down in front of the mirror, pondering the unfairness of sporting systems around the world. It seems that most sport stars swear by supplements that enhance performance. Dope testing is usually only carried out at the top levels of any game. The minor leagues are likely rife with stories of juiced-up athletes performing at better than peak levels. Here's the kicker - when these athletes reach the top levels, they are subject to random drug tests, with heavy penalties and bans. All of a sudden, they are forced to assess their priorities.
Is this a possible reason why some athletes perform incredibly well all the way to the top and then crash in the major leagues? For someone who is dependant on performance-enhancement drugs, this situation poses a tricky choice. Play fair or get caught and be disgraced.
A lot of this pressure to perform comes from society. We want, in fact, demand that our teams win and the stars bring home the goods every single game. The shelf life of most top athletes and sports persons is so short, that they have to maximize their earning potential. There are many factors that decide the choices made by athletes.
A conflict of integrity to achieve lofty heights. I was reminded of Oscar Wilde's statement in De Profundis, " I forgot that every little action of the common day makes or unmakes character, and that therefore what one has done in the secret chamber one has some day to cry aloud on the housetop. I ceased to be lord over myself. I was no longer the captain of my soul, and did not know it. I allowed pleasure to dominate me. I ended in horrible disgrace."
A little profound for a gym session?
