Character Is Permanent (& an Olympic postscript)

Before you read any further, I need you to watch the above video if you haven’t already. 
 
 Most all of my writing is underpinned by “Say-Do” — changing the words we say into actions we do. So when a real life example comes along, it’s cool to say, “What he said.” 
 
 I met Joe Clarke on Twitter several years ago when he was a young, up-and-coming kayaker in the British system. We then connected in person Wisconsin four years ago at the Jr./U-23 Canoe Slalom World Championships.
 
 Whether in virtual or in real-time, it is easy to see Joe is a high quality person on and off the water. He is positive and happily balanced with a healthy dose of respect and vulnerability. Joe embraces the part of the Olympic pursuit that is much bigger than he is. Joe is the kind of athlete that past competitors, like me, hope will ascend into the leadership of the sport.
 
 So on the cusp of winning his first World Cup race last year in Prague, a gigantic accomplishment that stands out even more just one year before the Olympic Games in Brazil, something goes terribly wrong for Joe. His barrier to stepping up onto the top step of the podium is the post-race weight check of his kayak.

After clearing the minimum weight limit, with 160 grams to spare, just after his race run, one final weight check of the boat several minutes later comes in 20 grams under weight. That’s about the weight of a couple of nickels. Not good.
 
 This is not an ordinary moment. The response Joe chooses is extraordinary. 
 
 How would you respond? When you look inside of yourself, would you find this level of accountability? This level of responsibility? This level of grace? And still congratulate the three athletes who would stand on the podium in your place?
 
 This isn’t about “doing the right thing when nobody is looking.” Joe does the right when the world is watching.
 
 In a world where we need more “Say-Do,” bookmark Joe Clarke.
 
 The fall is temporary. Character is permanent.

Postscript:

I wrote this post in June, 2015, just after the World Cup event in Prague. This week at the Olympic Games in Rio, Joe Clarke flew down the whitewater course in the Men’s Kayak Final, faster than any of his competitors, to give Great Britain its first ever Olympic Gold Medal in this category. Congratulations, Joe!