Endurance

I was watching the Olympics over my lunch hour today. I turned on the women's table tennis matches. I like to watch sports that are a little less-known and get a little less press, so I was on MSNBC cable instead of the NBC station.
The United States contender was pretty much having her way with the challenger from...I don't remember where. It was one of the smaller European countries. As I watched, I thought that as the match went three games to none (4 out of 7 wins the match), the European player would just give up. But that did not turn out to be the case.
Although out-gunned and out-matched, the European player played harder than ever, and even took the fourth game to deuce a couple of times. She won the fourth game, making a fifth necessary. She then lost the fifth game, which was the match loss.
While all of this was going on, I thought, “She knows she's going to be beaten. She knows she can't out-play her opponent.” Then I thought, “But this is the Olympics. This is the ultimate. Those who make it to the Olympics aren't quitters and people who give up. She's playing as a true Olympian.”
I've seen this in contest after contest. There are always some in these events that are totally outclassed and out-matched by the stars. But those folks try every bit as hard...train every bit as much...and put all they have into what may be this one moment in their lives.
They may run only one race. They may play only one volleyball game. They know that they probably will not go any further. Then they are eliminated from further competition. But they do it with all they have and with all their heart.
Paul says to run with endurance the race set before us and to look at the goal...the prize...at the end of it. He says to run so as to obtain the prize. The difference between the race that Paul is talking about and the Olympic races is that everyone who finishes the race described by Paul receives the prize. All one has to do is finish.
I am reminded of the vault of Kerry Strug in the 1996 Olympics...vaulting with an injury that would otherwise have sidelined many, and with that vault “finishing the race” as it were. For those of us that saw it, it was an unforgettable moment. For Kerry, it was the mark of a true Olympian...a true champion.
“I have fought the good fight; I have finished the course...”