How Two Decisions Led Me to Olympic Glory - Steve Mesler

帶領我贏得奧運榮耀的兩個決定 - Steve Mesler

譯者: Jephian Lin 審譯者: Coco Shen

（音樂）

有天，我發現我自己站在山頂上，

One day, I found myself at the top of a mountain,

one descent to go, one last chance to fulfill a lifelong dream.

前方有一個斜坡， 那是我實現夢想的最後一個機會。

I wasn't even old enough to walk into a PG-13 movie alone

我心中夢想萌芽時， 我甚至還沒十三歲，

when my dream took roots.

Yet there I stood,

但今天我在這， 我的隊友就在我身旁，

my three teammates by my side,

facing the opportunity to make history.

面臨著創造歷史紀錄的機會。

My mind wandered, just for half a second,

我的心有半秒鐘 在四處游盪，

but that half-second was filled with a lifetime of memories,

這半秒充滿著一路走來的記憶、

and two decisions that brought me here to the top of the mountain.

還有帶我來到這裡的兩個決定。

I made the first decision after a very challenging period

第一個決定發生在我運動員生涯 一段難熬的時期之後，

in my career as an athlete --

就是我當田徑選手 重複受傷的那五年。

five years of recurring injuries as a track athlete.

Five years -- that's a long time to dedicate to anything.

無論為何， 五年的專注都是一筆很大的付出。

But as much as I loved track,

無論我多麼愛田徑， 受傷漸漸地消耗我的動力與夢想。

the injuries were slowly killing my drive and my dreams.

My injuries had me feeling like a failure

身上的傷讓曾經是田徑高手的我 感覺挫敗。

at a sport I was once great at.

The last of the series of injuries required major elbow surgery.

連環受傷的最後 是一次重大的手肘手術，

As I sat on my couch, days out of surgery,

術後數日，我坐在沙發上，

I thought of an old coach and mentor's words,

想起一位老教練、一位精神導師的話，

comparing me to a great bobsledder he once knew.

他拿我和一位最偉大的連橇選手作比較。

"Bobsled? No way!"

「連橇？別開玩笑了！」

But after year upon year of not reaching the goals

但是一年一年都沒有達到 我在田徑設下的目標，

I set for myself in track,

it was time for a change.

是時候作些改變了。

So I reached out to the US Olympic Committee,

所以我到美國奧運委員會詢問， 他們要我開始受訓。

and they told me to start training.

I was going to be a bobsledder!

太棒了！我就要成為一個連橇選手了。 我知道的不多，

I didn't know anything about it,

但這是我的第一個決定。

but the first decision had been made.

There I was, in what felt like a blink of an eye later,

而現在我在這， 就像是眨眼的瞬間而已，

about to push my four-man sled with my team

我準備要和隊友 推著四人雪橇

to the chance of Olympic gold, Olympic glory.

來挑戰奧運金牌 ──奧運的榮耀。

"Back set! Front set! Ready and --"

「後方預備！前方預備！ 預備……」

the driver yelled, and off we went.

裁判這麼喊著，然後我們出發了。

We dug as deep as we could,

我們隨著節奏用力地踩， 雪橇隨著我們的腳步加速，

and as the cadence of our steps increased and the sled accelerated,

we left everything we had on the track,

我們用盡全力，離開冰面

before leaving the ice and boarding our Night Train sled.

跳進我們的「夜間特快車」雪橇。

And a calm came over me.

我內心一陣平靜，

And once in the sled, as it was picking up speed,

一旦上了雪橇，它就會自己加速，

for just another millisecond,

在那千分之一秒， 我的思緒回到沙發上那天。

my mind went back to that day on the couch.

"How can I train for the bobsled team without getting hurt

「我要怎樣才能和雪橇團隊一起訓練 又不像之前一樣一直受傷呢？」

over and over again like before?"

I looked in the mirror and realized I still wanted to compete.

我看著鏡子 後意識到我還想比賽。

I still wanted to succeed.

我還想成功。

But I had to face the reality that my getting hurt

但我必須面對 我受傷並不是任何人的錯。

wasn't to be blamed elsewhere.

I realized that if I had a problem it was up to me to change it,

我的問題必須自己解決。

and that what I had been doing all this time

我必須面對

may not have been best for me.

我一直以來所做的 可能並不是最適合我的。

I had to confront my reality and make a change,

我必須面對現實並想辦法改變，

and that was the second decision.

這就是我的第二個決定。

The decision in my mind not to get hurt anymore had many layers,

這個不再受傷的決定 包含許多層面，

but it mostly had to do with taking responsibility

但主要是為自己人生的變數負責。

for all the variables in my life.

If I thought something I would do or something I felt

如果我一直想像我的所做所感會讓我受傷

would lead me to injury, then it most certainly would.

事情很有可能就會這樣發生。

I would have to have a fundamental shift in mindset.

我必須在本質上的轉換心態。

I learned to let go of the fears I had trained myself to have over the years

我學會解放好幾年來訓練出的恐懼

and decided to trust myself and my body

而單純地相信自己和自己的身體，

to push through situations I had thought insurmountable before.

好讓我突破之前無法突破的瓶頸。

What followed those five years of injuries

這五年負傷讓我得到的是

were nine years of not missing one race I entered

接下來在美國全國賽和奧運

所有比賽的全勤。

for the USA National and Olympic teams.

Because I made a decision, then another one,

因為我下定一個決心，和另一個決心

and held true to those two decisions,

然後堅持不懈，

I found myself back with my team approaching 90 miles per hour.

此刻我發現我們團隊的時速 達到九十英里。

And as we came around the last corners, I could hear the crowd cheering

而在我們進入最後一圈時， 我可以聽到群眾的「優」呼聲

牛鈴的響聲， 還有群眾傳來的吶喊，

and the cowbells blaring, and a hard "You!" coming from the masses

as we passed by at 95 miles an hour.

在我們時速達到了時九十五英里。

But someone wasn't yelling "You!" at us, they were yelling "USA!"

不過他們喊的不是「優」而是「USA」

We were moving so fast, we only heard the first piece of it.

高速裡我們只能聽見第一個音。

We then came around the last bend,

接著我們到了最後彎道，

and when we all looked up, the clock simply read "1."

我們抬頭看， 名次板上簡單地顯示了「1」。

We had done it; we were Olympic gold medalists.

我們成功了 ──我們是奧運金牌團隊。

We were the best in the world.

我們是全世界最棒的。

My hands went up immediately,

我一生的夢想終於成真， 我興奮地舉高雙手

as the moment I had been waiting for my entire life had finally come true.

當我們的連橇減緩停下

And as our sled slowly came to a stop

我看著群眾 想看看我父母、

and I looked into the crowd to see my mom, dad,

sister and family and friends crying for me,

我姊姊、親人、還有朋友們 是否為我而感動，

I knew my decisions had been worth the sacrifice, worth the fear.

我知道我的決定值得我犠牲一切、 值得我擔憂害怕。

Two decisions and those five minutes sitting on that couch

兩個決定、還有坐在沙發上的那五分鐘

began to change my life,

開始改變我的人生，

and sticking to them fulfilled my dreams.

堅持這兩個決定讓我夢想成真。

It was those decisions and standing by them

就是這兩個決定 還有對它們的堅持

that ultimately gave me the confidence to perform at the Olympic games.

最終給我參加奧運的信心。

What two decisions can you make and stick to

你會做哪兩個決定，並堅持不懈

that will change your life forever?

來徹底改變你的人生？

I challenge you to look at what you're doing in your life

我鼓勵你 重新檢視你現在的人生

and think of what you dream to do.

並思考你的夢想是什麼。