Track season is heating up quick and one sprinter has already provided the spark to set the track world on fire.
Former University of Tennessee track standout Christian Coleman set a new world record in the men’s indoor 60 meters with a blazing time of 6.37, shattering a former world record time of 6.39 set by Maurice Greene in 1998.
In his first performance of the year at the Clemson Invitational, the recent Bowerman award winner does this
I can imagine when the scoreboard revealed the results of the race, the reaction to Coleman’s time went a little something like this
All those hours of training on the track, all that sweat equity gained in the weightroom, all the mental energy it takes to stay focused, and all the discipline required to perform under pressure boils down to all of 6 seconds and change. That’s bonkers. I’m out of breath just thinking about what type of speed it takes to run that fast.
Performances like that one leave spectators speechless with their jaws unable to leave the floor. A 21-year-old just crushed a 20-year-old world record, no biggie. The excitement and magnitude of moments like that are magnetic. For me, what’s even more inspiring about records being broken is that they signal that a pursuit of excellence is in full effect.
I’m convinced that athletes who achieve record-breaking performances like the one onlookers saw at the Clemson Indoor Complex last weekend aren’t so concerned with chasing numbers as much as they are concerned with doing the best they can with the task in front of them.
That’s a source of encouragement because I’m reminded that the pursuit of excellence transcends the track and any other field of play.
We don’t have to be Nike sponsored athletes to chase greatness.
God calls us to do our best with whatever He’s given us (Colossians 3:23). Our lives are full when we focus on giving our best effort to whatever lies ahead of us.
We should offer our best in our relationships, at work, at school, at church or on the street. That may mean finishing that group project on time, giving our undivided attention to mentees, spending quality time with family members, or serving others in need with a cheerful spirit.
Even when we feel we're depleted and feel we don’t have much to offer, God sees our effort.
Greatness doesn’t have to look like breaking a 20-year-old world record in the early days of your professional career as one of the brightest stars on the track circuit. Giving all we can while we can is just as much of a delight in God’s sight, too.
