Karoly Takacs(Olympic Gold Champion)-Motivational Short Story

 Karoly Takacs-The Olympic Gold Champion

Motivational Story

Karoly Takacs

Karoly Takacs was part of the Hungarian army. By the year 1936, he was a renowned pistol shooter and considered the best already. But since he was only a sergeant and not a commissioned officer, Hungary denied him permission to participate in the Olympics.

However, the management lifted the rule soon after the event allowing Takacs to take part in the next Olympics. People vouched for Takacs as the favorite to win the gold in the 1940 Tokyo Olympics.

High on hopes and dreams, the marksman practiced relentlessly. In 1938, during his army training, a faulty grenade exploded, blowing away his hopes and dreams. The detonation did not kill him but injured his right hand to the extent that he could not use it ever again.

Takacs spent a month in the hospital, devastated not just for the loss of his right hand but also the opportunity to win Gold at the highest level of the sport.

A month after he left the hospital, he spent a lot of time alone and maintained a low key profile. In the spring of 1939, the Hungarian National Pistol Championship took place. When the other shooters saw that Karoly Takacs had arrived, they consoled him for his loss and mentioned they were happy to see him show up to view the event.

To everyone’s surprise, Takacs said he was there not to spectate but participate.

When the event began, everyone expected Takacs to make a feeble attempt to pull the trigger with his right hand so that he could quench his emotional thirst for shooting again.

But when it was Takacs’ turn, the man picked up the pistol with his left hand. He fired shot after shot with his non-dominant hand as the audience watched with their jaw dropped open. And what was shocking was every shot hit the bullseye. Takacs came out as the winner of the event.

After his time at the hospital, Takacs had practiced in private. He thought, “Why should I worry about the right hand I do not have. Let me see what I can do with the left hand I have.” That was it. The learning took some practice but a few months of dedicated effort later, he was back in the game.

But his dream of winning the Olympic gold was again shattered. This time because the Olympic Committee canceled the Olympics of 1940 due to the World War. Takacs, though disappointed kept hanging on. He waited for four long years hoping to fulfill his incomplete dream in 1944.

Unfortunately, the Olympics of 1944 had to be canceled too due to the continued war. But Takacs was not a man who would hang up his shoes.

By 1948, Takacs was 38. In the Summer Olympics held in the same year in London, he was no longer considered the favorite to win the event.

Before the event, the reigning world champion asked Takacs what was he there for. Takacs said he was there to learn. To everyone’s surprise, Takacs went on not only to bag the Gold medal but also set the world record in the rapid-fire pistol event.

His moment of glory had arrived. His years of wait was finally over when he finally stepped on to the podium. He proudly bent down to allow a gold medal to be put around his neck.

The previous champion congratulated Takacs by jokingly saying he had learned enough. Takacs went on to win the Gold medal in the same event in the 1952 Olympics too. His neverending effort for the piece of metal earned him a place in the Olympics Heroes list of the International Olympic Committee.

Karoly Takacs ended his career as the legend who never gave up.

Moral-Never Give Up!" When you have belief in yourself.The whole world is at your feet."  Says Swami Vivekanand

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By team- Deep Motivation