Worst moment of my career
But only my career, so it's a big moment but not the biggest
Norway’s Atle Lie McGrath was leading the men’s slalom after the first run at the Winter Olympics this week. In a sport where hundredths of a second can decide everything, he had given himself a real shot at gold.
Then, a small misjudgment. He straddled a gate. Just like that, it was over.
McGrath threw his poles, lay back in the snow with his hands over his head, and then walked off the course and into the woods instead of stopping to talk.
People noticed. Some even went looking for him.
Fox News went with this headline: “Norwegian skier has epic meltdown after costly error with Olympic gold in sight.”
But there was more going on than a single mistake on a single run.
McGrath’s grandfather had died on the day of the opening ceremony, and he’d had been carrying that with him all week. He’d talked about wanting to honor him, about how much he meant to him.
And he spoke candidly before the race about how the loss had changed the way he usually handled disappointment.
“I’m normally very good when it comes to perspective on things. If I don’t ski well in a race, I can at least tell myself that I’m healthy and my family’s healthy and the people I love are here.
So that’s nice, but that’s not been the case. I’ve lost someone I love so much and that makes it really hard.”
When the media finally tracked him down afterward and asked about the mistake he made on the course, he described the moment as “a mix of shock and just everything in between. It’s like a surreal feeling. I haven’t really experienced anything like it before.”
Then came the line that stuck with me:
“It’s not the worst moment of my life, but today is the worst moment of my career.”
Maybe it was the walk in the woods; maybe he just really is good at keeping things in perspective.
But I like the fact that in the moment, McGath was a pure overthinker—careful to make sure that anyone watching understood that while he was passionate about his sport and very disappointed, he also understood there are other, bigger things in the world.
Superlatives always seem to get us in trouble.
“The biggest snowstorm ever!” (Except… what about the one in 1983?)
“The most tumultuous times in history!” (Tell that to 1942.)
“My favorite day of all time!” (Until next month, when something better happens and now what?)
If you want language that holds up, my advice to make it honest and bounded.
“In my lifetime.”
“In living memory.”
“The worst moment of my career, not the worst moment of my life.”
Still big, painful, and real, just not inflated into something that instantly begs for a challenge.
McGrath also explained why he walked into the woods in the first place:
“I just needed to get away from everything. I thought I would get some peace and quiet … I just needed some time for myself.
...
I’ve spent my time in the woods, now I’m going to spend time with the people I love, and that’s all I need.”
In the span of an hour, this man went from almost winning an Olympic gold medal to being alone in the trees, trying to make sense of a mistake that ended it.
And even then, he kept the moment in proportion.
That’s the most amazing thing I’ver ever ...
Gotcha! Thanks for reading.
You’re part of one the best audiences I’ve ever personally written for in living memory on a Wednesday in February this year.
It’s funny how my mind works without realizing it sometimes. But I realized after writing this that yesterday I sent a newsletter about George Foreman calling Muhammad Ali literally, “the greatest;” today, I’m opining on the value of avoiding superlatives.
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The Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, a protege of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and two-time presidential candidate who led the Civil Rights Movement for decades after the revered leader’s assassination, died Tuesday. He was 84. (AP)
Late-night host Stephen Colbert has accused CBS of refusing to broadcast his interview with a Democratic politician over fears of retaliation by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). (”[B]ecause my network clearly doesn’t want us to talk about this, let’s talk about this.”) CBS denies that it “prohibited” the interview from being aired, saying it gave only “legal guidance.” (BBC)
America is drowning in student loan debt. This is also true on Capitol Hill, where 59 members of Congress together owe millions of dollars — likely more student loan debt than any previous Congress, according to a NOTUS analysis of financial disclosures. Based on what information is available, the total student debt held by lawmakers is at least $3.4 million, and at most $8.3 million. (NOTUS)
A Pennsylvania man who spent 43 years in prison before his murder conviction was overturned — only to be taken straight into immigration custody — was denied bail Tuesday while he fights deportation. Subramanyam Vedam, 64, will remain in custody while he appeals a 1999 deportation order. In August, a Pennsylvania judge threw out Vedam’s murder conviction in the 1980 death of a college friend, based on ballistics evidence that prosecutors hadn’t disclosed during his two trials. (Yahoo News)
Meta, the tech giant which also owns Facebook, was granted a patent in December for an AI system that can simulate a user’s activity. The patent gives two examples of when this could be useful: “When the user takes a long break or if the user is deceased.” Thus, immortal accounts could be able to respond to content posted by still-living users. However, Meta said the fact that the company got a patent does not mean it will actually do anyting with the technology. (Metro UK)
Former U.S. President Barack Obama said he did not see evidence that aliens “have made contact with us,” after sending social media abuzz by saying he believes aliens are real on a podcast over the weekend. On Sunday, the former president released a statement on Instagram: “Statistically, the universe is so vast that the odds are good there’s life out there. But the distances between solar systems are so great that the chances we’ve been visited by aliens is low, and I saw no evidence during my presidency that extraterrestrials have made contact with us. Really!” (AP)
Thanks for reading. Photo by Caleb Woods on Unsplash. See you in the comments.
As I sit in a hospital room listening to my husband trying to breathe, it could be one of my worst times. Or one of my better times, for if he is still breathing, he is still with us. Everything seems the worst or the best when you are in the midst but only time can confirm that.
I spilled my coffee this morning all down the front of my light pink shirt and black jeans. Think I got most of it out of my shirt, and on the black pants, it doesn't show. Crappy way to start the day, yes. But if the stain still shows, I will go down to the gift store and get a new shirt. Win-win? All how you look at it.
Good morning Bill, this piece is so beautifully, empathetically written. I watched as Atle had his "meltdown," and my heart broke for him. It was very kind of you to bring focus to the fact that these super athletes are still human and we must give them that grace. I know the main point of the article was about the realistic use of superlatives, but the human emotion aspect was also shown through. Have a wonderful day!