In 1938, 28 yrs old Karoly Takacs of the Hungarian Army, was the top 25 meter rapid fire pistol shooter in the world. He won most of the major national and international championships. He was expected to win the gold in the 1940 Olympic games. Those expectations vanished one terrible day just months before the Olympics. A hand grenade exploded in Károly’s right hand, his shooting hand at an Army training session. That hand grenade ended up destroying his shooting hand and his Olympic dream.
After spending a month in hospital, he decided not to feel pity for himself for the rest of his life. He held on to his Olympic dream. He had the will, he had the attitude, he had the determination to succeed, and he figured he had a healthy, fully functional hand. He decided to practice shooting from his left hand. Despite the fact that he was not left handed, he focused on his goal and practised. To achieve anything worthy in life one needs attitude and will. Skills and techniques can learned, can be taught, but not will. He chose not dwell in the world of facts, he chose to explore the world of possibilities. He was determined to make his left hand the best shooting hand in the world.
For months Takacs practised by himself. No one knew what he was doing. Maybe he didn't want to subject himself to people who most certainly would have discouraged him from his rekindled dream. In the spring of 1939 he showed up at the Hungarian National Pistol Shooting Championship. Other shooters approached Takacs to give him their condolences and to congratulate him on having the strength to come watch them shoot. They were surprised when he said, “I didn't come to watch, I came to compete.” They were even more surprised when Takacs won!
The 1940 and 1944 Olympics were cancelled because of World War II. But Takacs kept training and in 1948 he qualified for the London Olympics. At the age of 38, Takacs won the Gold Medal by beating the then reigning world champion and setting a new world record. Four years later, Takacs won the Gold Medal again at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics.
“Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall “
