A story of self-resilience and mentally overcoming internal battles and struggles.
The film ‘Race’ (2016) narrates the moving story of Jesse Owens, the 22-year-old, black American track and field athlete who won 4 gold medals at the Berlin Olympics in 1936. Hitler wanted the Olympics to evidence his ideology of the apparent superiority of the ‘Aryan race’. But Jesse Owen’s success as a black athlete exposed the falsity of Hitler’s propaganda on a global stage. Owens once subjected to hostility by the German crowds, quickly came to be admired and celebrated by them. Owens’ success was due to his clear focus on his goals, a strong work ethos, detachment from noise, and the ability to rise above systemic racism. He refused to see himself through the myopic eyes of those who would limit him due to his race. Instead, he focused on what he could do as an individual to realise his potential, stating: “We all have dreams. But…to make dreams come into reality, it takes…determination, dedication, self-discipline, and effort.”
In his life before the Olympics, Jesse Owens also faced many challenges. Born in Alabama in 1913 he was the youngest of 10 children. Jesse Owens’s grandfather had been a slave, and his father was a tenant farmer. At this time, it was mandated that black people must have separate housing, schools, health care, public transport, and restaurants from white people. This system was called Segregation and was legally enforced to keep American Americans in a vulnerable position where they would be available for low paid work, and susceptible to exploitation, even after slavery was abolished. Daily, Owens and his family were reminded of the systemic racism and poverty. When Owens was just 5 years of age, his mother had no option but to use a kitchen knife to remove a tumour from his chest because they had no money to afford a doctor. A sickly child, he struggled with chronic bronchitis and pneumonia. As an older child, Owens would pick 100 pounds of cotton a day to help his family financially. Running gave Owens solace, independence, and self-reliance. Thus, he claimed: “I always loved running...it was something you could do by yourself, and under your own power. You could go in any direction, fast or slow as you wanted, fighting the wind if you felt like it, seeking out new sights just on the strength of your feet and the courage of your lungs.” This empowering attitude drove him forward to strive for, and take joy in, his growth as a runner despite health difficulties, poverty and having to do paid work to help support his family.
When Owens was 9 years old, his family moved away from the rural South to Cleveland in the Northeast, a place considered to be more liberal, although blacks were still subjugated by Segregation. Owens’s talent as a track and field athlete was recognised by his PE school coach Charles Riley. Understanding that Owen had to do paid work after school, Riley gave Owens extra practice sessions before school. Defying Segregation, Riley invited Jessie to his home for meals treating him as a father might a son. As a coach, Riley helped Owens to refine his running technique encouraging a fluid style, and an upright posture- in a departure from what was considered a good running style at the time. Riley required Owens to practise long distance races to enhance his performance. Not only did Riley influence Owens’ on the track but his attitude by telling him that: “The only victory that counts is one you have over yourself.” Whilst at Junior High school, Owens set an all-time new record for the 100 yards dash in 11 seconds and held records also for the long jump and high jump too. Then at High School, Owens equalled the world record for the 100-yard dash of 9.4 seconds. Owens’ great talent and Riley’s coaching helped cement Owens’ success. Riley was able to create a secure base for Owens by understanding his unique circumstances, seeing and believing in his potential, and knowing how to develop him as an athlete, and as a human being.
However, Owens was never free of societal prejudice. Later as a student at Ohio State University, Owens did not get a scholarship- although white athletes who had comparable skills and talents did. Given this difficult financial situation, he had to work at a petrol station and as an elevator operator at night, as well as train as an athlete. Larry Synder his new coach encouraged Owens to work on his starting position when running- crouching down when racing. Synder also guided Owens to block out the crowd and maintain a focus on the race, no matter what. In the film, ‘Race’ Synder uses his own money to travel with Owens on a ship to Berlin, showing his devotion and care for him. Neither man allowed setbacks to deter them from executing their purpose and goals.
Even after the Olympics, and winning 4 gold medals for his country, Jesse Owens struggled with racism and Segregation. For example, when attending an evening at New York’s Waldorf’s Astoria hotel, in which he was the guest of honour, he had to enter via the back way rather than use the front entrance for hotel guests. Moreover, Owens was never invited to the White House to acknowledge his success, nor was he congratulated by Roosevelt. Another more significant challenge he faced was financial, he needed to support his family but struggled to find work. As a result, he would racehorses for money and worked as a school caretaker, a lift operator and at a petrol station. Later in the 1950s, he started a PR business, and engaged in voluntary work to help youngsters, became a paid public speaker, and eventually an advocate for equality. In his ability to adapt and to be resilient, Owens showed that he was not just an Olympic athlete on the field, but also of the mind. He used his will power and work ethos to transcend the most difficult obstacles and achieved a personal, long-lasting victory. Whereas many would have given up, his determination and sense of self-efficacy propelled him forward to reinvent himself and to find different pathways forward, even when this took a long time. Adversity enabled him to show his true character, and tests secured his personal growth and transformation. Owens emphasised that: “The battles that count aren’t the ones for gold medals. The struggles within yourself – the invisible, inevitable battles inside all of us – that’s where it’s at.”
Bibliography
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https://sports.jrank.org/pages/3576/Owens-Jesse-Related-Biography-Coach-Charles-Riley.html [Accessed on 15/09/24]
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