an old woman always gets uneasy when dry bones are mentioned
August 28 2000

The saying that "an old woman always gets uneasy when dry bones are mentioned" is a proverb that applied to me last week. After a few articles revealed that I had a tough childhood and that I had to share an egg with a few siblings, it became the brunt of jokes by a few acquaintances. Some people wondered if it was an Ostrich egg we shared. Such jokes actually hurt until you take a look at the people making these comments. Then it becomes obvious that they have had such privileged lifestyles that they don't have a clue. I'm glad I was brought up the way I was because it is what has molded me in to the person I am today.

The ebb and flow pattern of training was evident again last week. I had a few good training sessions and a few substandard sessions. So far, I've had fairly good scrimmage sessions on the mat. It's been my cardiovascular training that has been a bit of a disappointment. A nagging injury has hindered me from sprinting and running - two of my most important cardiovascular training strengths. As a result, I have reverted to the old fashioned swimming and running in the pool tactic. I occasionally jump on the stationary bike, but none of these other cardio workouts provide the same kind of workout I would otherwise get from pounding on the treadmill. I guess I will have to make do with what I can tolerate until after the Olympics to get this injury surgically repaired.

It is about a month to the D-day and I am beginning to feel the heat of the Olympics. There are a lot of media requests for interviews. "Do you think you will win a gold medal? How are you keeping your focus for the Olympics? Is there one competitor in your weight class that you dread? If you win a medal at the Olympics, would you retire? What else would you have to prove?" These are just some of the recurring questions I get in interviews. A gold medal will only come by the grace of God, insha Allah. It is easy to keep my focus, train hard and stay on top of the game plan. I don't dread any particular person in my weight class; I have been working hard to be good enough for any of them. And as far as doing it again and again. To do it once is great but to repeat is the ultimate showcase of domination.

I was going through the CBC web site and saw this online poll for which athlete could be a sure bet for a gold medal at the Sydney Olympics for Canada. People do not realize that a gold medal at the Olympics is something that only God can decide. In addition, there are a lot of factors that can affect a good performance: pre-event meal, luck of the draw, good warm up, (un) favorable calls of the referee, state of mind, and sheer luck on that day, among others. I must confess that the heat of the Olympics is getting to me big time. For the past three days, I have woken up with cold sweats from dreaming about the Olympics in the wee hours of the night. There is a nagging injury that has been more of a nuisance than anything else, but come the Olympics, it might have to take the back seat. From every indication, barring all the frustration with this injury, the spirit is willing and the body has no choice but to respond to the wishes of the spirit. Let the games begin! Keep sweating.

Daniel (Dynamite) Igali.