Muhammad Zahid

Semester 7 – BS Computer Sciences

Are you fed up with not getting the results you want from life? Do you want to know what it feels like to taste success in every area of your life? If you do, then it’s time to take a stand, start believing in yourself, and think like a winner, act as if you’ve won. You’ve probably never heard of him. However, in Hungary, he’s a national hero where everybody knows his name and his incredible story. After reading his story, you’ll never forget him.

Karoly Takacs (1910-1976) of the Hungarian Army was a world-class pistol shooter of his country. He had won all national championships in his country. Every person was certain that Karoly will be the winner of the gold medal of the 1940 Olympics. He had struggled over many years for this. He had a single focus and his aim in his life was to become the best shooter in the world.

In 1938 when he was in an armed training camp, there rose an accident. A hand-credit had blasted in the hand with which he aimed to win the gold medal. He had lost his best shooting hand. He lost all his aim and focus in life. He had two ways. The first one was to weep all his life for his lost aim and hide in some dark place. The second one was to remain stuck to his goal. So, he chose to focus on not what he had lost but what he still had. And what he had? His non-dominant left hand, a hand with which he could not even write. One month continued with his treatment. After the treatment of one month, he started his training for his aim. In 1939 after one year of his training he comes back. There was a national championship in Hungry. There were a lot of pistol shooters. All the best pistol shooter players go to Karoly, congratulate him, and said: "This is a zest, this is sportsman respect that you have come to here after all of that". Not a single person suspected that he was training with his left hand. Karoly Tackacs answered that "I didn't come to here for building your courage, but I'm here to compete with you".

When the competition started, all the people who were there were competing with their best hand and he was competing with his 'Only hand'. Only hand! But who won? The man with only hand (Karoly) had won the competition. But he had not stopped there, his goal was clear to make his 'Only hand' the best shooter hand in the world. He had all of his focus at the 1940 Summer Olympics. When the Olympic of 1940 was near to start, they were canceled due to the 2nd World War (1939-1945). Now, he had all focus on the 1944 Summer Olympic. But these Olympic of 1944 had also canceled due to continuing of World War (1939-1945). Despite that, he had not lost his courage and had all focused on the 1948 Olympics.

In 1938, he was 28 years old and in 1948 he became 38 years old. It became difficult to compete with younger players. But the word ‘difficult' didn’t exist in his dictionary of self-belief. There were many best shooters from all over the world in the 1948 Olympics. All the top shooters were competing with their best hand but he was competing with his non-dominant hand. Valiente was the reigning world champion, who approached him before the event and asked him (as a joke) what he was doing there (having heard about his accident). He replied that he was there to learn, setting a world record with his 'only hand'.

And who won the 1948 Olympic gold medal?

The man with the only hand.

Valiente later congratulated Karoly saying "you have learned enough". But he did not stop there. He participated in the Olympic of 1952 and also competed for the favorites again.

Now, who won the gold medal of the 1952 Summer Olympic?

The man with the only hand.

After the match, Valiente congratulated him again and said: "You have learned more than enough now it's time to teach me".

Karoly had changed the history of the Olympics.

In this particular event, not a single person won two consecutive golds but Karoly.

If you go to any looser, he will always have a list of excuses that I failed due to this reason or I did not achieve success due to that reason. After all, he has a list of reasons for his failure.

On the other hand, if you go to the winner he will have thousands of reasons opposing him but his faith in one single reason resulted in his success. Winners always search for a solution. Losers always search for an escape. You need an immense amount of courage to stay at the course and struggle even when you are almost ready to give up on life, so take courage and don’t let go till you win. Next time you get knocked down, decide you will act like a winner. Decide to act like Karoly Takacs.

Get up quickly, take action, and astound the world!