Karoly Takacs : The One Handed Olympic Gold Medalist

Today I am going to share with you one of the most motivational story I have ever read. I am pretty sure that the person whom I am going to write about is surely lesser known.

But in Hungary, He surely is known, every person there knows about him and his inspirational story.
So here you go.......

Karoly Takacs

WHO IS KAROLY TAKACS?

Karoly Takacs born in 1921, in Budapest, He joined the Hungarian army after completed his study. He is a sergeant in the military and also best pistol shooter. He always hoped to participate in the world level Olympics.

The Accident ...

He was expected to win the gold in the 1940 Olympic games scheduled for the Tokyo. Also, Members of Hungary’s national shooting team, He was seen as the favorite contestant from the country to hit the gold. Those expectations vanished one terrible day just months before the Olympics. While training with his army squad, a hand grenade exploded in Takacs’ right hand, and Takacs’ shooting hand was blown off. With his shooting hand wounded and affected, it was impossible for Takács to continue his shooting dream.

After accident ...

Takacs spent a month in the hospital depressed at both the loss of his hand and the end to his Olympic dream. At that point, most people would have quit. And they would have probably spent the rest of their life feeling sorry for themselves. Most people would have quit but not Takacs. Takacs was a winner. Winners know that they can’t let circumstances keep them down. They understand that life is hard and that they can’t let life beat them down. Winners know in their heart that quitting is not an option.

After his discharge from the hospital, Takács started practicing in secret. Naturally a right-handed shooter, Takács went on a mission to condition his left hand accordingly to shoot just like he did with his right one. It was no less than a Herculean task. It was not only about training one’s hand; it was training one’s mind, defying all odds and making a grand comeback.

Now Time to show his hard work ...

In the spring of 1939, He showed up at the Hungarian National Pistol Shooting Championship. Surprisingly enough, He appeared in the national shooting tournament the following year of his most disheartening accident.

Other shooters approached Takacs to give him their condolences and to congratulate him on having the strength to come watch them shoot. Much to their astonishment, Takács was to participate in the shooting tournament. No one other than Takács himself would have believed then that a man could shoot accurately with other than his shooting hand, let winning the event keep aside.

But, Takács’s determination to achieve his goal realized what people could not even think of. The audience witnessed a marvel as Takács won the national pistol shooting contest.

He also was a member of the Hungarian team that won the 1939 UIT World Shooting Championships in the event.

The 1940 and 1944 Olympics were canceled because of World War II. It looked like Takacs’ Olympic Dream would never have a chance to realize itself. But Takacs kept training and in 1944 he qualified for the London Olympics. At the age of 38, Takacs won the Gold Medal and set a new world record in pistol shooting. Four years later, Takacs won the Gold Medal again at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics. Takacs – a man with the mental toughness to bounce back from anything.

End Of The Story ...

This story of a man, who was once close to losing everything he dreamt of but never surrendered to the direst situations, is just epical.

Next time you get knocked down, DECIDE you will act like a winner. DECIDE to act like Takacs. Get up quickly, take action, and astound the world!