Editorial page

BERMUDA SPORTS

RESILIENCE IN SPORTS

Resilience is a very important skill in all sports. Athletes have to deal with the stress of competitions and the pressure of being the best in their respective fields. You must also add the worrying they experience about working with their very bodies which is something often hidden behind the medals. Elite sports punish the body, push it to the maximum, and are far from being healthy. In turn, this idea is related to another source of pressure – injuries.

How does resilience work outside of sports? The truth is that athletes aren’t the only ones who have to overcome obstacles. We have all had to suffer solitude and touch rock bottom. Usually, this is accompanied by the feeling that it’ll be very difficult to pick yourself back up again. In fact, this is something we all go through with more or less intensity in our everyday routines.

Following this parallelism, sports, for individuals who don’t practice them as amateurs or professionally, can become a training ground for certain psychological variables. Resilience, obviously, can be found among these variables. Plus, an accident or the death of a loved one are experiences that one is rarely prepared for. During these situations, having great resilience marks a big difference between overcoming them successfully or not.

If there’s something that sets athletes apart from the rest of us it’s that most of their pressure is self-imposed. At the same time, many have no other choice but to self-manage themselves. However, this pressure grants them the maturity which allows in sports to develop and strengthen their resilience. Thus, they become people who are committed, have a great deal of determination and, above all, have the faith that comes from having experienced many storms and witnessed how, over time, the clouds retreated.

Valuable Lessons for Life:

1.) Don’t give up when it gets hard.

Life isn’t about winning or losing. It’s about giving your best effort and enjoying the ‘ride’. Some might say that Special needs athletes have been dealt with a “tough hand”, but they don’t see it that way and neither should we. We can learn from these athletes who have to work harder for everything that they have. But they persevere through it all and they EARN their success and we should, too.

2.) Be grateful for your gifts.

It is truly awesome to watch athletes, both children and adults, try their hardest regardless of the outcome. They aren’t always concerned with the wins rather they enjoy the competition and still “hugged it out” afterwards. No poor sports at these competitions! It is so refreshing to see the positive attitudes and the larger-than-life smiles following each competition. They are truly grateful for their gifts.

3) Genuine Sportsmanship

I usually witness genuine sportsmanship and mutual respect in the interaction of athletes in all sports events. Their rivalry is infectious as there is ‘no hard feelings’ when the results are in, and there is no evidence of discrimination of any form. We should all strive to imitate their love for others and share their positive light.

Nathalee Simons

BITS & PIECES

SANAA RAE MORRIS

Sanaa Rae Morris, who earned a bronze medal with Bermuda’s 4 x 200 meters relay women’s team at the 2019 Carifta Games in the Cayman Islands has set a new personal best time of 56.55sec. She was able to drop her time of a 58.03 in the open 400m to a split of 56.55 in the 4 x 400 with her IMG Academy team-mates to secure the bronze medal in the 4 x 400 meters relay at the Virginia. Beach Sports Centre. The Bermuda Pacers Track sprinter feels strongly that if she can lower her time in the relay, there is no reason why she cannot do it in the open. She has already qualified for Carifta in the 200 meters and 400 meters. Sanaa Rae’s IMG Academy Coach, Jean Carlos Arroyo, believes the 16-year-old Bermuda Pacers Track Club athlete relay splits performance shows that she will have personal records early in the outdoor events, but we are aware that Sanaa has her eyes set on performing at her best for the 2021 Carifta Games. Bermuda will host the 49th Carifta Games at the National Sports Centre this summer and more than 600 athletes and officials from 27 Caribbean islands will arrive in Bermuda for the Games. Athletes who qualified for the 2020 Games will not have to qualify again in the same age group. However, a new qualifying deadline has been set for three weeks before the Games for those who still have not reached qualifying standards. Bermuda was scheduled to host the Games last year which were postponed for the first time in its history because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

McKEISHA SMITH

McKeisha Smith has taken up the role as President of the Bermuda Equestrian Federation. Ian Truran stepped down after 18 years of service, McKeisha accepted the position as President and her goal and objective is to build on the foundation laid by her predecessor. Michael Whalley, a well-known runner, affectionately known as the ‘The Flying Scotsman’ has died at age 74. Michael was born and raised in Scotland, came to live in Bermuda in the early 70’s and worked as an electrician at the Castle Harbor Hotel. It was there that he met and married Fay Smith in 1972.

In his younger days, Michael was active in cycling and played football for the Academicals but acquired his nickname ‘The Flying Scotsman’ for his love of running. He was a regular feature in road running and crosscountry events for more than 50 years. He ran in the Bermuda Day Half-Marathon Derby from the 1970s, finished third in 1981 and ran his last Derby in 2017. He was a likeable and well-loved competitor and instantly identifiable in his trademark Scottish running vest and shorts.

Apart from his sporting activities, Michael was also willingly involved at the Christ Church in Warwick, where he did maintenance, helped with the food banks and other odd jobs. Even though he had not been in good health, he continued to run. He loved Bermuda and the many friends he made here but remained a proud Scotsman.

Michael Whalley leaves his wife, Fay, stepchildren, Edwin, Isabell, and Eric Smith.