I love watching Olympic weightlifting. The art of lifting a heavy barbell over one’s head, for some reason, appeals to my inner sensibilities of elegant movement, precision, and strength. Not just physical strength. But mental strength … the strength of mind.
Olympic weightlifters are incredibly strong, in the physical sense. However, like any other type of Olympian, their physical strength is a mere reflection and manifestation of their mental strength. The story of Pyrros Dimas demonstrates how one’s strength of mind can make any dream a reality.
For those not familiar with Olympic weightlifting – athletes compete in two lifts, called the Snatch and the Clean and Jerk. The Snatch requires the athlete to lift the barbell from the ground, to overhead, in one movement. The Clean and Jerk requires the athlete to lift the barbell from the ground, to the athlete’s shoulders, to the overhead position, thereby requiring two movements. Athletes get three attempts at each lift, and their highest lift in each category comprises the athlete’s Total Score. The athlete with the highest Total Score wins the gold medal.
For those not familiar with Pyrros Dimas – he is the most decorated Olympic weightlifter in history. He won Olympic gold in 1992, 1996, and 2000, and secured an Olympic bronze in 2004. He was a Greek weightlifter and absolutely dominated his weight class throughout the years.
Why was he so dominant? One simple, yet profound answer: he was stronger, mentally, than his opponents. This strength of mind translated to his daily training, his daily focus, and his technical prowess in weightlifting.
In the 2000 Olympics, Pyrros was tested. Pushed to his mental limits. On his first Snatch attempt, he ran out of time (athletes must start the lift within a certain timeframe) and was unable to execute the lift. On his second Snatch attempt, he missed the lift. If he missed his third Snatch attempt, he would be unable to post a lift for the Snatch and would thereby be eliminated from the competition entirely. After two missed lifts, in the presence of a capacity audience, and with tremendous pressure and expectations, Pyrros approached the bar for his third lift. He needed this lift to remain in the competition.
And what did Pyrros do? He confidently gripped the bar, snapped it overhead, and hit the lift with precision. He looked to the crowd, nodded to the judges, and walked off stage with a good lift in the Snatch. The mental strength required to complete this feat, given the circumstance, is almost unfathomable. Pyrros overcame failed lifts, external pressures, and internal expectations to nail his do-or-die third attempt in the Snatch. His mental fortitude drove him to execute his third lift in the Snatch.
Although Pyrros underperformed his own expectations in the Snatch, he came back to Clean and Jerk more than any of his competitors, which placed him on top of the competition and provided him with his third Olympic gold medal. Instead of succumbing to the unfavorable results in the Snatch, Pyrros exerted all his energy into his Clean and Jerk attempts to secure first place. His continued mental fortitude, as demonstrated in his focus on the immediate lift at hand and disregard for past failure, allowed Pyrros to achieve his third Olympic gold. His strength, his technical prowess, his grit … they all derived from his incredible mental strength.
At this point in Pyrros’ career, he was battling against Father Time. He was approaching 30 by the 2000 Olympics, and many people expected Pyrros to capstone his career with his third Olympic gold. However, Pyrros pushed forward and competed in the 2004 Olympics – as a Greek weightlifter, Pyrros wanted to represent his home country, which hosted the 2004 Olympics.
Well past his prime, Pyrros was able to secure a bronze medal in the 2004 Olympics. He even placed himself in a position to outright win his weight class, but just missed out on executing his final lift. Still, given Pyrros’ age, injuries, and setbacks, he leveraged his mental fortitude to secure a fourth Olympic medal, something that no other weightlifter has been able to accomplish.
Be like Pyrros. Be mentally strong. Your mental strength hones your daily activities, discipline, and level of focus. Everything derives from your perception, which is an element of your mental strength. Whatever you face in life, face it with your mind and allow your body, heart, and soul to follow through. The mind is your most powerful weapon to annihilate any and all missions – whether your mission is to lift over 400 pounds or to sell software that assists small business owners with their backend processes.
Happy mental lifting 🙂
