Apart from glory, sports teach us how to deal with failure

Many athletes aspire to compete in the Olympics, and they strive to be "faster, higher and stronger" in achieving their goals.

Only a few of them make it to the world's biggest events, and even fewer manage to clinch a podium finish. The majority of them end up in oblivion or are forced to deal with life-long injuries.

It makes you wonder if it's all worth it.

In my years of covering sports, I've noticed that a key factor is often overlooked – sports provide a lesson in dealing with failure.

It's not uncommon to see some straight-A students, sheltered and spoiled by praise at home and school, turn out to be fragile when they enter the real competitive world of life. If they hadn't been shielded from failures earlier, they would probably have learned to accept the world's imperfections, their own limitations and build a steel wall around themselves.

Back in school, I was always afraid of losing. However, after years of interacting with athletes, I was able to gradually build my confidence.

Strong athletes share two characteristics: passion for their profession and awareness of their own abilities and limitations. This self-awareness usually comes with a lot of frustrations and failures, which is recouped by their enthusiasm for their sport. A well-trained athlete can face all kinds of hindrances in life.

Last week, I met former world champion figure skaters Pang Qing and Tong Jian, who run an "ice art" center in Beijing and nurture youngsters keen on skating.

The last time I met them was in 2019 when they were expecting their second child. I recall Pang mentioning that she admired many athletes, particularly female skaters, because most of them must choose between starting a family and pursuing a career at some point in their lives.

"Once pregnant, a woman goes through physical and mental changes, which usually ends career plans," Pang explained. "I love skating, but I made my choice. Years of professional training have taught me that everything comes with a price. We just try to do our best in every stage of our lives."

Pang and Tong may look back on their sporting careers as two-time world champions and Olympic silver medalists with pride. However, there are many other athletes who have made painful sacrifices but have never gone far.

My middle school PE instructor was a professional Wushu player who had never won a major competition. However, he appeared to like his job, including teaching.

I recall him telling us, "Have you ever noticed that most high jumpers end their final attempts with a failure? Even the champion's last attempt could be a failure. Isn't it interesting?"