Be a Winner

My sister looks directly into my eyes and leans in for effect. This is her Did you know… stance, and I mirror her position, ready to receive a juicy tidbit of news. “The Presidential Fitness Award is being reinstated in the schools,” she announces, her face a mix of shock and dread. How will the kids now-a-days handle the pressure of not being a winner?

Dispelling the claim that time travel doesn’t exist, I am transported to the gym of Brookwater Elementary School, dangling from a hard wooden dowel which is secured in the painted cement block wall as the gym teacher holds me securely in place. My entire fifth-grade class sits in a semi-circle on the hard wooden floor, heads tilted up to see if I can do it this time. Some are hopeful, some are bored, and some are happy that they will rank higher if I fail.

The gym teacher gives me three tries to hold my body in a flexed arm hang, and she is uncharacteristically compassionate, she knows I have it in me. I wish I did. Maybe then I wouldn’t give up so easily, but it seems quicker to let go. Besides, the smell of adolescent perspiration is getting to me and fogging my mind. Could that be why there are tears in my eyes?

As soon as the teacher let go of her grip, my chin hits the bar. I can feel my teeth vibrate as my lower jaw slams shut, catching my tongue between my teeth. She never has time to start the stopwatch.

There is a universal sigh of relief - this ordeal is over. With the faint taste of blood in my mouth I return to my spot among my classmates, catching a quick reflection of my slumped shoulders outlined in the polished varnish floor.

A second test takes place at this wooden dowel: pull-ups. I psyche myself up and decide that I will not give up this time. Unassisted, I grab hold of the bar while my legs twist left and right - trying with all of my might to pull my chin over the bar. The teacher tells me to change my grip and I am encouraged - that’s why it didn’t work. I try again with the new grip, but no go. No matter how much I try, I can’t even do one pull up.

Luckily, these are not my only memories of the Presidential Fitness Award. There are eight tests in all designed to measure strength (or lack thereof), speed, and agility. Some of the tests are on the fields where we play at recess, and the familiar smell of matted grass and packed dirt is a comfort.

I am the shortest of my class and no one expects much as I line up for the standing broad jump. I am more surprised than anyone as I pounce high and long and score well. The same happens for the 50 yard dash, my little legs carry me quickly over the finish line. I hear someone from my class say they are surprised at how well I did - especially for being so short. Suddenly, I feel stronger.

I played a lot of baseball with my siblings and the neighborhood kids and this comes in handy for the soft ball toss. I wind up and let it rip, glad that I don’t throw like a girl, but I am disappointed. The ball is larger and the weight is different than I am used to, and it doesn’t go as far as I expect. I mutter under my breath that I could throw farther with a different ball. Sour grapes.

My favorite event is the shuttle run - it is more a game than a test, and there is a lot of cheering from the onlookers. I run thirty feet and pick up a block of wood, then run back to the start, place the block on the ground, and repeat with a second block. My score is average but my enthusiasm is off the charts.

In retrospect, these physical tests of strength, speed and agility are a microcosm of life lessons. Many times I wonder what I could accomplish if I didn’t give up. And then, the times I have been unsuccessful even though I try hard - sometimes it is about effort. There are times I am surprised with abilities I never knew I possessed. When outside forces play a factor and I fall short, I learn it is about the process. Having average ability is just fine, but above average enthusiasm makes all the difference.

Is there any benefit for the spectators? Well, yes. They are able to flex their muscles of kindness, empathy, understanding, patience, tolerance, support and encouragement, to name a few. The more these winning attributes are exercised, the stronger they will become.        

The Presidential Fitness Award gives everyone an opportunity to be a winner.