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SfC Home > Excellence > Explanation of experience concerning winning, losing, and being a champion. Also refer to persistence, positive attitude, celebration, track meet, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Journal Games, Ron Kurtus, School for Champions. One Time I Was a Championby Ron Kurtus (revised 5 June 1997) Have you ever felt like a champion? Many people have allowed themselves to become discouraged, such that they never become a champion or feel like one. I remember a time when I overcame some setbacks and finally really became a champion. Let me tell you that story. There is a mini-quiz near the end of the lesson. Too slow to make the high school teamWhen I was in the 7th grade, our gym teacher timed all the boys in a 50 yard dash. I came in third from last. The only boys I could beat were the two real fat kids in our class who could barely finish the race. But I liked to run, and in high school I went out for the track team. After a try-out, the track coach told me that I wasn't any good. He said there wasn't any room for me on the team. Kept trying and made the college teamBut I still loved to run. I practiced. And I studied. I read how Glen Cunningham overcame serious burns on his legs to become a champion miler. I read how Jesse Owens tried different ways to hold his hands while he ran, just to cut down wind resistance. And I practiced some more. When I got to college, I again tried out for the track team. This time I made the team -- barely. So, I kept practicing and trying to improve. Made it to an international meetBy my junior year in college I had improved enough to represent the school in the famous Journal Indoor Track Meet, held at the Milwaukee Arena. What a meet! There were world-class runners and Olympic champions there. The world record in the pole vault was set at the meet that night. There were television cameras and 12,000 people in the stands. And I was competing there, too. Saw old coachAs I jogged around the track, warming up, someone yelled out from the stands, "Kurtus! Ron Kurtus!" It was the old high school track coach, who said I wasn't good enough to be on his lousy team. But I didn't hold a grudge and went over and shook his hand. The big raceThen it came to be my turn to run in a race. I was nervous, but I tried to do my best. And how did I do? I came in dead last. In fact, I was so far back in the race that most of the people in the stands had already left the Arena, and the clean-up crew was starting to turn off the lights! After the meetAfter the track meet, I went to a party. Everyone there was slapping me on the back and saying, "Hey, Kurtus, I saw you at the Journal Games" or "Hey, Kurtus, I saw you on TV." I was a champion that night. Lessons from this story
Do your best ResourcesThe following are resources on this subject. WebsitesBooksMiscellaneousMini-quiz to check your understanding1. What happens if you keep trying? 2. Why does loving an activity help? 3. Can you be last and still feel like a champion? If you got all three correct, you are on your way to becoming a Champion in Excellence. If you had problems, you had better look over the material again. What do you think?Do you have any questions, comments, or opinions on this subject? If so, send an email with your feedback. We will try to get back to you as soon as possible. Share linkFeel free to establish a link from your website to pages in this site. 
Or use our form to send this link to yourself or a friend. Students and researchersThe Web address of this page is Please include it as a reference in your report, document, or thesis. Where can you go from here?
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