In 1994, I was lucky enough to be asked to play for the London Allstars in a roller hockey tournament in Florida. I was beyond excited to get the opportunity to travel to the US and play with some of my heroes, and I couldn’t wait to show off my skills on the rink. Little did I know, however, that my dream trip would quickly turn into a nightmare.
You see, in America, they play roller hockey a little differently than we do in Europe. They’re all about those fancy inline skates while we were still rocking the old-fashioned quad skates. And let me tell you, it showed. We were slow and clunky, while the American teams were fast and fluid.
We made it to the semi-finals but ultimately lost to Palm Beach. It was a tough pill to swallow, especially since we knew that our outdated skates were part of the problem. Determined to compete at the highest level, my teammates and I decided to make the switch to inline skates. It was a difficult and embarrassing process – we looked like complete fools, sliding all over the place and unable to stop.
The rest of the hockey community thought we were crazy for making the switch, and even some of our own teammates bailed on us.
But we were determined to succeed. Despite the setbacks and conflicts we faced, we managed to turn things around and dominate for three years in the UK and Europe. We won three major international tournaments, beating the Dusseldorf Rams, who were considered the best Skater Hockey team in the world at the time.
All thanks to a little bit of change and a whole lot of determination.
This experience taught me that greatness is often achieved through perseverance, hard work, and the willingness to embrace change. It’s not easy, but with determination and a clear vision, anything is possible. So don’t be afraid to take on challenges and make difficult decisions – sometimes, it’s precisely what you need to achieve greatness.
What will you change to ensure you achieve your mission in life?
Let me know, I’d love to hear from you andrew@andrewsillitoe.com
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