via Fox News Latino
The Olympian wasn’t particularly athletic. He wasn’t in his teens or twenties. He wasn’t a medal winner, either.
Rubén González, a 49-year old man born in Argentina and raised in the U.S., whose most recent participation in the Olympics was last year, inspires audiences around the world with an unusual story of success. I met him at the Heartland Latino Leadership Conference in Omaha, Nebraska, a few weeks ago. I was stunned to hear the implausibility of his success and even more the counterintuitive path he took to achieve his dream.
From the time he was 10 years old, Rubén wanted to compete in the Olympics; but he did nothing about his dream for many years. As a soccer player, several coaches had told him that he was too slow on the field and as a result he spent most of the games on the bench. He wasn’t really good at any sport, and at 21 he realized he was running out of time to make his Olympic dream come true.
The way he eventually found his sport speaks volumes about his very uncharacteristic approach to success, one from which a lot can be learned.
Aware that he wasn’t particularly strong or athletic, Rubén looked for a sport that required skill and tenacity, a personal trait that had served him well in the past. You see, among his friends, Rubén was known as a bulldog because, once he grabbed onto something, he never let go. In other words, he never, ever quit.
About Being Latino Contributors