Video Transcript
Hi, I’m Abby Raymond, Team USA Weightlifter and multi-time youth weightlifting National Champion.
Today I wanted to talk to you about respect and accountability, and there are three things I’d like you to know:
First, doing the right thing isn’t always easy. Sometimes putting the blame on others seems like it could be the easier option, but in the long run, this fails to help us grow as athletes and as people.
Second, if you want respect from others, doing the right thing and holding yourself accountable is an important behavior to practice.
And third, when it comes to being treated with respect, it is important to treat others as you would like to be treated.
In athletics, it’s especially important to show respect to your opponents, coaches, teammates, and officials, even when competition intensifies.
Being responsible, punctual, and prepared for practices and games is also a great way to practice accountability and show your teammates and coaches you respect their time.
During my last National Championship, I found myself competing against an athlete who was comparable in both skill and strength to me.
We were tied going into the final lifts of the event and that meant I had a realistic shot at becoming that year’s National Champion.
I felt good and knew that if I could keep the momentum up, I would be walking away with a gold medal around my neck.
My final lifts went really well, and I waited to see if my opponent was going to make all her final lifts, too.
As I watched, I didn’t want to wish bad on her, as I knew she had put in a lot of work to get to this point too, but I also really wanted to become the National Champion and winner of the competition.
She put more weight on the bar than she needed to place in the top 2 spots, making me even more sure that there was a chance she could miss her final lifts and I would walk away a 1st place winner.
She set up. She went to lift.
And she missed an attempt.
She set back up again, and she went to lift.
…and she was successful.
Just like that, I went from a likely first place finish to second place.
Was I disappointed that I wasn’t the winner of the entire competition? Sure.
But, did I try to blame my coaches for the choices we made as a team about my lifting strategy? No, not at all. We were a team, and I trust and respect my coaches fully.
Would I have changed anything, or do I wish I had done something different? Maybe – there’s always something to work on in weightlifting.
Am I proud of my performance? YES!
I put 100% of my effort into training and the competition.
When we got to the podium, instead of glaring at my competitor or ignoring her win, I chose to congratulate and hug her as she celebrated. She earned her win, and I was excited for both of us.
TrueSport athletes understand that disappointments are part of sport and life, so no matter what, it’s important that we take responsibility for our actions and show respect for others.
I encourage you to show yourself and others respect and to practice accountability, even when it feels like a hard thing to do.
