Smoking was his downfall.

To be good, if not excellent, every individual must be disciplined. Disregard of the factors which determine success in his/her particular field can lead to failure.

I had a gymnast who was initially determined to achieve success. He was always one of the first to be ready for practices. He did very well in competitions winning the individual championship as well as medals in every gymnastic event.

He was selected to be a member of the Kedah state team. He won some medals. For his effort, the state presented him with ‘The most promising gymnast’ of the state medal in recognition of his efforts.

Unfortunately, this recognition was the beginning of his downfall. His friends could have praised him too much. It went to his head. He could have thought he was already sufficiently good to ignore rules, regulations and discipline.

He had a group of friends who made him a hero, a demigod, and he was soon no longer able to see his path to success clearly. Nay, he had lost sight of it.

His group was made up of heavy smokers. He joined them although this coach had told all gymnasts in the team that stamina was important and keeping their airways free of smoke, besides the practice, was of utmost importance where stamina is concerned. Nevertheless,he became addicted to cigarettes.

Although, he did return for training, he did very little; putting in the least effort. Maybe, he thought he was too good for this coach. Then after a certain period of time, he was weaker and unable to complete a routine in floor exercises with sufficient stamina to end it well. He was weak and was not stable; he stumbled as he landed on his feet at the end of each routine.

Eventually, this coach had to give him a warning on his addiction to cigarettes. Then, at the state meet, he failed to get a place in the state team. Other gymnasts have improved while he had deteriorated. He had forgotten what i had taught him; that talent alone does not take a person to the very top. What is required to achieve the best results is lots of training using the right methods. This weakness happened to a gymnast who had shown promise in achieving better results just a year ago!

In every endeavour, no matter what field we are in, discipline and knowledge are important. Knowledge tells us how to achieve a certain level, a particular result. Discipline gets us back on track when distractions appear. Discipline ensures we continue with our goal despite having obstacles appear in our path. Success cannot evade a talented one who carries on despite encountering any kind of river, having to get over or around all sorts of walls, facing rain or shine, or any other obstacles.

Knowledge and practice together with talent make the difference between being average and being excellent.