"Men of success meet with tragedy. It was the will of God that I won the Olympics, and it was the will of God that I met with my accident. I accept these victories as I accept this tragedy. I have to accept both circumstances as a fact of life and live happily."

If you are wondering who said the above statement, it is record breaking runner Abebe Bikila. Born in Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) in 1932, he was the son of a shepherd who was put in the 1960 Rome Olympics at the last minute. Adidas, olympic shoe sponsor
had few shoes left when Bikila went to try out shoes. He ended up
with a pair that didn't fit comfortably, so a
couple of hours before the race the decision was taken by Abebe to run
barefoot, the way he had originally trained for the race.

Abebe Bikila became a hero in Ethiopia by becoming the first African to win an Olympic gold medal. As you can see from his prior statement, he knew it was his destiny. Besides bringing home the gold in the 500 m, he also set a new record for finishing the marathon in 2:15:16.2. Based on reports, he did it effortlessly, sprinting toward the finish line. However, as with anyone, his life was full of traumatic experiences and one that actually ended his career.

In 1969, Bikila's city was full of unrest. As a result, after swerving to avoid hitting a group of protestors, he landed in a ditch and became trapped in his car. It was an event that would turn him into a quadriplegic. With help, he later would become a paraplegic. Yet, his running days were over. It was at this time he would release the aforementioned, famous statement.

Abebe Bikila's statement is one that shows us all that we must accept life as it is. So, if 2008 really wasn't your year, accept it and move on. Try to make 2009 a better one.