Thursday, December 16, 2010

My role model in life

Everyone of us has a role model in life.A person whom we respect ,admire ,look up to and aspire to be like.It could be someone in the family who has impressed us since childhood. Or it could be a famous personality whose thoughts and actions influenced us. Whatever the case, such a role model plays a vital role in forming our beliefs and shaping our future.

My role model is none other that tennis star Roger Federer.Federer is a record 16-time Grand slam champion.He was world no. 1 for a record 237 consecutive weeks.He is considered by experts,fans and critics all over the world as the greatest  tennis player the world has ever seen.

Well, great players have been there in every sport.Pele in football, Bradman in cricket and Tiger woods in golf, just to name a few. Then what is it that makes Roger Federer so special ?To find the answer, one just needs to follow his career path, and his life so far.

There are certain qualities in this man, that makes him stand apart from the crowd.First and foremost ,it is his achievements in the game of tennis. No single player in  world tennis has ever dominated the game in the manner Federer did, in the period from around 2003 to 2009.He went on from winning one Grand Slam to another,and lapping up all the major world titles in between.In this age of fierce competition and cutting edge technology,to stay no. 1 and dominate the game for so long is simply unimaginable. But Federer did that, thus showcasing the qualities of greatness and superiority over one's competition.

More than his victories, it is the manner in which he dominates the game and just rolls over his opposition that inspires me.At one point of time, all the other top players in the world, just gave up competing for the top spot.They hailed 'King Roger' as the greatest and were content on fighting for the second spot.Federer has inspired me to take on new challenges, to push the envelope,to try my best and be a leader in whatever I do.

Finally, I also admire his humility and politeness, and the way he accepts defeat gracefully and respects his opponents.I have learnt from him to keep cool in victory and defeat, to take setbacks in my stride,to try to remain the best and at the same time give respect to your  opponents.To remain humble in victory , and graceful in defeat is a trait  have fully imbibed in my life.

I feel lucky to be living  in the same generation as this great man so that I can observe him achieving one milestone to another, and try to emulate the same in my own life.

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