Quick Reads: Reset Your Goals

The essence of this book could have been inspired by a poem by Rudyard Kipling. It is rather summed up far more succinctly in just eight words by Tokyo Gold Medal Olympian Lynn Davies: ‘If it’s to be, it’s up to me.’



The Olympic hero from Nantymoel is one of nine Welsh sporting greats who have contributed to this delightful little volume. This latest offering from Quick Reads is the reaction of these Welsh sporting greats to personal success and disappointment. They have been drawn together by Jos Andrews, freelance writer, producer and project consultant. She is no stranger to the Quick Read series, a project aimed at reviving the pleasure of light reading.



For Quick Reads, think also Easy Reads. In just under 90 pages, the sportsmen and women involved convey their messages and recall their experiences simply but effectively. Athlete Colin Jackson emphasises the importance of believing in what you do. For athlete and bobsleigh competitor Mica Moore, one should want to succeed as badly as you want to breathe. Cricketer Simon Jones recalls his dad’s advice: ‘You’ll have bad days … just remember to think of the good days.’ Then there is soccer player Laura McAllister: ‘If you win, and you have done so honestly and fairly, it feels great!’



Footballer Matthew Jones reveals how he overcame the trauma of suffering a life-changing injury. Rugby player Josh Navidi recalls the advice of his great hero, Jonah Lomu: ‘If you win, you celebrate as a team. If you lose, you pick yourself up as a team too.’ Sledge-hockey player Nathan Stephens stresses the importance of listening to those you trust. Anna Hursey, table-tennis player who first represented Wales as a ten-year-old, stresses the importance of training, even when you don’t feel like it.



In her foreword, Andrews refers to those who have achieved great things, only to have them snatched away. This book, she says, is as much about talented individuals coming to terms with disappointment as coping with success. In other words, success and disappointment are but two sides of the same coin.



The central message is summed up in the blurb on the back cover: ‘Don’t worry about failures – worry about the chances you miss when you don’t even try.’ The common message being: ‘I might get knocked down but I get up again. Setbacks are challenges, but they don’t defeat me.’



Pearls of wisdom, and all for a pound! ~Lyn Ebenezer @ www.gwales.com