karoly takacs

A MAN WITH ONLY ONE HAND

We have heard many different stories of the people achieving their aims in life, getting high salaries, having cars, and a lot more, but have ever bothered to think or to check that what they have done in their lives is just to get their dreams? Let's talk about a person who got everything after losing almost everything.

There was in Hungary, Karoly Takacs, one of the best pistol shooters of the country. He had won every national shooting championship during his career and was focus to win the Olympics in 1940.

As he was a sergeant in the Hungarian army, while he was training in a camp, a faulty grenade exploded in his right hand. He was right-hand, so his dream vanished with that explosion.

He only had two options: to give up his dream and curse his fate for the whole of his life or to stand-up once again for his dream and get what he planned. So, leaving the pain behind, he stood up for his dream again but this time with his left. At that time, he wasn't even able to write with his left hand but he didn't give up. He received treatment for his right hand for one month and right then he began training for his left hand. People cursed him, de-motivated him and even underestimated him. But leaving everything on his back, he kept moving.

Right after one year he again participated in the national shooting championship. Seeing him there, the other participants praised him for coming to watch them, but he replied: "I am not here to spectate but to compete with you all." All of other were shooting with their best hand, but Karoly was participating with his only hand. And you know what Man With Only One Hand won.

After that, he was focusing on 1940 Olympics, but they got canceled due to the World War. Then he focused on the 1944 Olympics, but they also got canceled. Then he focused on the 1948 Olympics. In 1938, his age was 28 years, but in 1948 his age was 38 years. We all know that it is too difficult to compete with young players, as they are more sharp and agile.

The Olympics started. There were best pistol shooters of the world who were competing with their best hand, but Karoly was competing with his only hand, and guess what... The Man With The Only Hand Won. He got what he aimed for.

So the journey doesn't end where you lose your resource, it ends where you give up, where you think that you can't do it, it ends where you defeat yourself by your hand.