What a hero should be is etched deep into our consciousness when we are young and impressionable. The difference between the truly great and the simply very good is miniscule, but is yet always picked up by our sponge like adolescent grey cells.
The way a man walks, talks, his poise and his demeanor push him into the elite echelons of great men with almost God like qualities who, in our eyes, are capable of steadying any ship in any storm. It is our heroes who inspire us, who are the fuel to our dreams & the wings to our hopes. The great deeds of our heroes instill in us an unshakable self belief which allows us to push above our weight and achieve more than what was thought possible.
When the redoubtable Rahul Dravid stood up to and flayed the most hated sports outfit of my childhood, the fearsome Australian cricket team, in an intensely fought Test series in 2003-04, I gaped in awe. Through sheer grit and determination he denied the Aussie bowlers the joy of getting him out, all the while piling on the runs like an unstoppable juggernaut. At Adelaide, a truly special display saw him score a magnificent double century and secure for India what was thought impossible – a Test win on Australian soil. D(r)avid had slain Goliath!
A few years later, in 2007, Kimi Raikkonen joined Ferrari as the successor to the most successful F1 driver of all time – Michael Schumacher. In one of the most intensely fought and intriguing championships I’ve seen, Kimi made the F1 title his own on the last lap of the last race by a single point. Consistently putting in raw displays of speed and showcasing unparalleled car control, he raced the Prancing Horse to what till today is their last world title.
These two men were the icons of my childhood. As the years rolled on, I cheered for every boundary Dravid scored, every record he made his own and every match he won for India. He showed me what could be achieved with single minded unwavering focus.
Kimi Raikkonen showed you don’t have to be a conformist to succeed. He refused to be moulded into someone he wasn’t for the supposed “greater good” and exhibited an increasingly rare trait in F1 drivers – a sense of humour. Famously, when he was leading the Abu Dhabi GP in 2012 and the team were on the radio telling him to manage his tires and to watch out for the driver behind him, Kimi retorted in his inimitable style “Leave me alone – I know what I’m doing”.
To give you a measure of his popularity, that one line sold millions in F1 merchandise. Kimi went on to win the race ofcourse. All good things have to come to an end and Rahul Dravid eventually hung up his boots after slamming over 24,000 international runs. His exit from the international arena was much like the man himself – graceful and dignified.
It was then that I realized how the hands of the clock had moved and how even I had grown up. The following year I started my first job! After a lacklustre last couple of years, doubts were raised over Kimi’s future. His critics had their daggers out, proclaiming vehemently that he was past his prime, almost a “has been”. Every time he lit up the race track with a phenomenal overtake, I beamed in an unabashed wave of emotion. “Show them what you’ve got” the awe struck boy in me yelled out.
Like millions of fans around the world, I too breathed a sigh of relief when Kimi signed the 2016 contract with Ferrari. My childhood hero will line up on the grid again next year and I believe he’ll storm to many more race victories. He’ll roll back the years and I’ll be a boy jumping up and down on my sofa in front of the TV again.
When our heroes begin to ride off into the sunset, it is our duty to remember them at their prime and thank them for all that they’ve taught us. As Kimi would say “Let’s leave them alone.. they know what they’re doing.”
PS – So who’s your childhood hero? Do let me know!
The way a man walks, talks, his poise and his demeanor push him into the elite echelons of great men with almost God like qualities who, in our eyes, are capable of steadying any ship in any storm. It is our heroes who inspire us, who are the fuel to our dreams & the wings to our hopes. The great deeds of our heroes instill in us an unshakable self belief which allows us to push above our weight and achieve more than what was thought possible.
When the redoubtable Rahul Dravid stood up to and flayed the most hated sports outfit of my childhood, the fearsome Australian cricket team, in an intensely fought Test series in 2003-04, I gaped in awe. Through sheer grit and determination he denied the Aussie bowlers the joy of getting him out, all the while piling on the runs like an unstoppable juggernaut. At Adelaide, a truly special display saw him score a magnificent double century and secure for India what was thought impossible – a Test win on Australian soil. D(r)avid had slain Goliath!
A few years later, in 2007, Kimi Raikkonen joined Ferrari as the successor to the most successful F1 driver of all time – Michael Schumacher. In one of the most intensely fought and intriguing championships I’ve seen, Kimi made the F1 title his own on the last lap of the last race by a single point. Consistently putting in raw displays of speed and showcasing unparalleled car control, he raced the Prancing Horse to what till today is their last world title.
These two men were the icons of my childhood. As the years rolled on, I cheered for every boundary Dravid scored, every record he made his own and every match he won for India. He showed me what could be achieved with single minded unwavering focus.
Kimi Raikkonen showed you don’t have to be a conformist to succeed. He refused to be moulded into someone he wasn’t for the supposed “greater good” and exhibited an increasingly rare trait in F1 drivers – a sense of humour. Famously, when he was leading the Abu Dhabi GP in 2012 and the team were on the radio telling him to manage his tires and to watch out for the driver behind him, Kimi retorted in his inimitable style “Leave me alone – I know what I’m doing”.
To give you a measure of his popularity, that one line sold millions in F1 merchandise. Kimi went on to win the race ofcourse. All good things have to come to an end and Rahul Dravid eventually hung up his boots after slamming over 24,000 international runs. His exit from the international arena was much like the man himself – graceful and dignified.
It was then that I realized how the hands of the clock had moved and how even I had grown up. The following year I started my first job! After a lacklustre last couple of years, doubts were raised over Kimi’s future. His critics had their daggers out, proclaiming vehemently that he was past his prime, almost a “has been”. Every time he lit up the race track with a phenomenal overtake, I beamed in an unabashed wave of emotion. “Show them what you’ve got” the awe struck boy in me yelled out.
Like millions of fans around the world, I too breathed a sigh of relief when Kimi signed the 2016 contract with Ferrari. My childhood hero will line up on the grid again next year and I believe he’ll storm to many more race victories. He’ll roll back the years and I’ll be a boy jumping up and down on my sofa in front of the TV again.
When our heroes begin to ride off into the sunset, it is our duty to remember them at their prime and thank them for all that they’ve taught us. As Kimi would say “Let’s leave them alone.. they know what they’re doing.”
PS – So who’s your childhood hero? Do let me know!
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