Lex Gillette: Stay in your lane

Now, there are some basic rules in athletics. One of these rules is to stay in your lane. It sounds like an easy task, but there are some people who get flagged for lane violations. If you step outside of your lane, you are disqualified from the race.

For the past eight years, I have spent the majority of my life training and competing nationally and internationally in athletics.

My life seems to revolve around athletics. I run down runways and propel myself into large sand pits, and I sprint around 400 meter tracks. I have even managed to win a number of medals at the Paralympic Games and World Championships, but is this really what is most important?

Don't get me wrong, I love winning, but there is one thing that we all must realise before we can even attempt to capture that stellar performance, that glorious Paralympic medal or that illustrious career.

Looking at a track, one can see that it is oval-shaped, it's 400m in length, and there are lane lines.

Now, there are some basic rules in athletics. One of these rules is to stay in your lane. It sounds like an easy task, but there are some people who get flagged for lane violations. If you step outside of your lane, you are disqualified from the race.

What is interesting is how this concept applies to everyone, athlete or not. Imagine how a highway looks. It is made of asphalt, it is lengthy, and there are lane lines. Those who drive know they should stay in their lane.

As pedestrians, sidewalks are used to travel to and from different locations. Pedestrians should know to stay in their lane. If your parents ask you to do something then your job is to do it. If you don't, you just stepped out of your lane.

I could sit here and point out many examples, but the bottom line is stay in your lane.

Although we may not physically see the lane lines, there are always boundaries. A lot of the time, if we cross these boundaries, bad things happen. If you cross the lane line in athletics, you are disqualified. If you venture outside of your lane while driving, you put yourself at risk of getting injured in a car accident.

Guess what my parents used to tell me as a child?

"Don't walk in the street."

Sidewalks are made for pedestrians. Use them.

Have you ever ignored what your parents asked you to do? Yeah, I have too, and the consequences weren't very nice.

There's a saying that goes “You live and you learn."

Although we are told to do this, or do that, sometimes we just have to figure it out on our own. A lot of the time, we end up bringing our progress to a halt.

Let me let you in on a little secret.

Nothing feels worse than to be granted an opportunity and then have it taken away because of something you could have easily prevented.

That is the consequence for not following the rules.

Fortunately, if you just do what is recommended, you can successfully finish the race and achieve that stellar performance, that glorious Paralympic medal, and that illustrious career.

All you have to do is stay in your lane.

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Caption

USA's Lex Gillette competed in five events at the London 2012 Paralympic Games, including both the long jump and triple jump in the F11 class.