The Cost of Victory: Why Champions Keep Moving Forward: Rule #5
The arena is never empty. The crowd never quiets. Whether I am alone in my room or standing at the precipice of a challenge, I hear them—those voices, spectral and unrelenting. Some belong to those I have known: mentors, friends, skeptics, family. Others are strangers whose words have carved themselves into the marrow of my self-perception, echoing in the chamber of my mind.
They whisper caution. They roar doubt. They ask, again and again, Are you sure?
I have been tempted to answer them. To sink under their unrelenting inquisition. To let their words take root and fester. No, I am not sure. You’re right—I can’t do this. Who am I to try and raise my station?
But to do so would be to concede—to admit that I am diametrically opposed to who God has called me to be. To abandon my purpose. To step out of the ring and let the voices win.
And that is not what champions do.
Rule No. 5: CHAMPIONS KEEP MOVING FORWARD
“Champions get hit over and over and over. Champions decide how much to take before moving forward.”
If you’ve followed along thus far, you’ll recall the simple framework we’ve used:
Look up the word and define it.
Read it repeatedly until it sinks in.
Process it with clarity and intention.
Let’s apply it now—to Champion.
Defining a Champion
The dictionary defines the word champion (noun):
A person who has defeated or surpassed all rivals in a competition.
One who fights for a cause, defends a belief, or stands firm in adversity.
The world glorifies the first definition—the victor, the one standing on the podium, the one draped in gold. We see it in contemporary conversations about the “GOATs.” How many times was he champion?
But the second is where the heart of a true champion lies. A champion is not just someone who wins but someone who withstands. They are forged in struggle, defined not by their trophies but by their tenacity and courage in the face of overwhelming adversity.
The life of a champion—any champion—is not measured in the ease of the journey but in the weight of the blows taken and the willingness to rise after each one. A champion is not anointed by victory but by the refusal to be undone by defeat.
And yet, there are moments when even the strongest contender hesitates. When exhaustion wraps itself around the soul. When doubt sinks its claws in. When the blows feel heavier than before, and the ground looks far more inviting than the fight.
What is it that keeps the great ones moving forward?
Faith and the Architecture of Resilience
Perhaps it is faith—not the hollow kind, not faith as an abstract platitude, but faith as the architecture of resilience. A belief in something greater, something unseen, something deeply embedded in the fabric of the self.
For me, it is the wisdom that does not belong to me but to the One who formed me. A wisdom that has whispered through the chaos, through the bruises and the failures, through the moments I have questioned my own strength and self-worth.
'Faith as Resilience’
Photo by DeJonte July
But faith alone does not move mountains. It is action—deliberate, decisive, and sometimes desperate—that turns faith into momentum. Again and again, I have had to remind myself: I hold the remote. I am the one pressing play on the story of my life, even as my thumb hovers over rewind, tempted by the comfort of familiarity, by the old scripts of insecurity that would have me believe I am not enough.
And I have learned: champions do not always move forward in grand, sweeping strides. Sometimes, moving forward is a single step, a whispered prayer, a stubborn refusal to stay down.
At 29, now 48 hours into this new chapter, I am wrestling with the same questions that have haunted me in years past. But there is a difference now—a quiet knowing, a steadiness in my bones that was not there before.
I have been hit before, and I will be hit again. But I will decide how much to take before moving forward.
And I will move forward.
Because that is what champions do.
Moving Forward with Intention: Biblical Principles for Champions
How do we apply this? How do we take hits, absorb the weight of life, and still press forward?
1. Accept the Struggle as Part of the Journey: Pain is not proof of failure; it is proof that you are in the fight. Struggle is not a detour—it is part of the road itself. “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world, you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” — (John 16:33). Champions embrace the weight of their challenges, knowing that trials refine, not break them.
2. Fix Your Eyes on What Lies Ahead: Champions do not dwell in the past. They extract the lessons, leave the burdens behind, and press forward. “But one thing I do: forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” — (Philippians 3:13-14). The past may inform you, but it does not define you. Keep your gaze fixed on what’s ahead.
3. Take One Step at a Time: The path to victory is not always visible in its entirety, but champions trust the next step. “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” — (Psalm 119:105). Progress is found in faithfulness to the present moment, one step, one decision at a time.
4. Surround Yourself with Those Who Strengthen You: No champion fights alone. Community is essential—mentors, friends, and supporters who uplift and encourage.“Therefore, encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” — (1 Thessalonians 5:11). Strength is not just personal resilience but the ability to lean on others when needed.5. Know That Your Strength Comes from God: A champion’s power does not come from their own reserves but from an infinite source. “But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” — (Isaiah 40:31). Endurance is not about willpower alone—it is about trusting in the One who renews strength.
By embracing these principles, champions do not just endure—they thrive. Moving forward is not just a choice; it is a calling.
The Champion’s Invitation
Moving forward is not an easy road. It requires endurance, faith, and the unwavering belief that what lies ahead is worth the fight.
All Hallows circa 2021
Assistant Coach: Varsity Soccer
But in the end, we will not be measured by how many times we fell. We will be measured by how many times we got back up.
One day, when the final bell tolls and the last battle is fought, may we stand before our Creator and hear these words:
"Well done, thou good and faithful servant."
So we press on. We rise again.
Because that is what Champions do.
