i was made to ponder the meaning of "normal" when I began work with an elite triathlete. She is wonderful. She has been focused and dedicated and extreme in the extreme. She trained three times each day and thought of triathlon as a career. Until she came unstuck. She has began to wonder if she really wants to keep going. She struggles with the messages of loved ones who encourage her to reach her potential. But, Maybe she has reached her potential, if potential includes a factor called "interest." Maybe many, many of us (myself not included) could reach much higher levels of sporting achievement if we dedicated huge amounts of time. Maybe success is attributable in large part to dedication as much as "talent." May be many talented people never "make it" because they can't sustain the interest necessary for the very top.
The other question of course is what price the dedication? Does it leave any elite athlete "normal?" What happens when it comes to an end? how do they adjust and not struggle with finding normal again? Is focus that is that intense, that narrow and that driven a good thing?
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