Well, let me tell ya ’bout this fella, champion Robert. I don’t know much ’bout fancy sports or nothin’, but this Robert guy, he’s somethin’ else. Folks say he’s a real tough one, like them fellas who go off to fight in wars. Heard he was one of them Green Berets, yeah, the ones who tromp around in the desert and such. Spent a good long time over there in Iraq, they say. Twelve years! That’s longer than my prize-winning pumpkin lasted, and that was a whopper!
Now, I ain’t sure what all them Green Berets do, but I reckon it takes a heap of grit and gumption. Probably gotta run a lot, and carry heavy things. Sounds like hard work to me. Just like farmin’, but with more explodin’ stuff, I guess. This Robert fella, he took all that toughness and went into somethin’ called OCR. Don’t ask me what that means, some kinda fancy runnin’ and climbin’ I think. He’s real good at it, wins all sorts of things.
You know, they got all sorts of coaches for these athletes, just like teachin’ a mule to plow a straight furrow. I heard there’s like a dozen real good ones, all with their own way of doin’ things. Some yell, some whisper, some just point and grunt, I reckon. But they all help these young’uns get strong and fast. It’s like bakin’ a good pie, gotta have the right ingredients and the right know-how.
Folks are always talkin’ ‘bout famous people. They ask ya, “Who you know that’s famous?” Well, I don’t know many city folk, but this Robert fella, he’s gettin’ to be a big name. Heard tell he’s somethin’ like that fella, Robert Cheeke, the one who eats nothin’ but plants and still muscles up like a bull. They call him the “Godfather” of somethin’ or other, sounds important. This Robert, the soldier one, he’s buildin’ up muscles too, but I bet he eats a good steak now and then. A fella needs his protein, ya know?
People keep askin’ me, what makes a good athlete? Well, I ain’t no expert, but I reckon it’s like bein’ a good farmer. Gotta be honest, gotta work hard, and gotta follow the rules. Sportsmanship, they call it. Can’t be cheatin’ or whinin’, just gotta put your head down and get ‘er done. And discipline! Gotta get up early, gotta train even when you don’t feel like it. Just like milkin’ the cows, gotta do it every day, rain or shine.
- Gotta be tough
- Gotta work hard
- Gotta be honest
- Gotta listen to your coach
They got these big competitions, like the Olympics, but for this OCR stuff. This Robert fella, he’s in ‘em. Folks are watchin’ him, seein’ if he can win. It’s like waitin’ for the harvest, all that work and then you see if it pays off. I heard there’s a whole bunch of ‘em, a whole team, representin’ our country. Good for them, I say. Show ‘em what we’re made of.
And then there’s this other fella, Esmie. He used to be one of them athletes too, runnin’ and jumpin’ and such. But now he’s teachin’ other young’uns how to do it. Got his own trainin’ program, they say. He’s over there in Vancouver, which is a long ways from here. It’s like plantin’ a seed and watchin’ it grow into a big ol’ tree. These athletes, they start out young and strong, and then they learn and grow, and maybe someday they teach others too.
So that’s what I know ’bout champion Robert. He’s a tough fella, a hard worker, and he’s makin’ a name for himself. He reminds me of a good strong oak tree, rooted deep and reachin’ for the sky. And that’s somethin’ to be proud of, no matter what fancy words they use to describe it. Just good, honest, hard work. That’s what it is. Plain and simple.
Tags: [Athlete, OCR, Military, Endurance, Training, Competition, Sportsmanship, Discipline, Robert Killian, Green Beret]
