Beth Leasure Ó  2009      All rights reserved .

GOAL-BASED PROJECTS
Example:  Becky Conzelman

Example Goal:  Support Becky Conzelman spiritually/emotionally toward her dream to race track in the Olympics

Fitness:   World Class

Becky had enormous talent and fine coaching in place already. Her dreams for Olympic glory were based on real talent and a brutal ability to focus on what’s true and what’s not. She had excellent coaches: Bob Schuler helped her transform from a beginner to a Friday night contender as an Endurance track athlete; and Jame Carney took her to national level prominence capable of competing on the world level in sprint events. As Bek’s friend, I watched this amazed, impressed, and a little envious at times. I rode hard with her when given the opportunity, and watched her racing prowess soar!

Facts:
Bek won an Olympic Qualifying race for the Manchester World Cup and was on track with her goals to make the Olympic team but wasn’t chosen for the Manchester team, thus blocking her from any chance to secure a spot for the Olympic Team.

It wasn’t too much of a stretch to believe that Bek could win national championships, Olympic qualifiers and compete for America. But getting there even when you believe it is still an emotional roller coaster as circumstances along the way bring high loops and nose dives. Building a champion emotionally requires innate good stuff, but advisory support can buffet that character through all its transitions. Throughout, we stood by Bek – believing in her and cheering her at key training periods or key events. We paced her uphill in Colorado and watched the timepiece in Texas. We laughed and cried and prayed her through and she met her goal.

So when she wasn’t chosen to go to Sydney for the 2004 Olympics, we were just as disappointed and frustrated. We supported Bek as she refocused her goal from Olympics to Worlds and then were race-side in Los Angeles when she represented the U.S. We cried and tried to make sense of a bad start during her premier moment; and we helped her seek answers to the hard and deep questions.

Faith:   Higher Purposes

Bek’s seeming defeat in not realizing her Olympic dream and less-than-expected time and result at World’s would’ve devastated some athletes. In fact, we were deeply saddened with this outcome. We took heart that Bek’s time-frame for cycling at this level was only 5 years and that after World’s she was off to parenthood with proud husband Jim. Meantime, Bek made her mark in Lehigh Valley through Fellowship of Christian Athletes by establishing an area-wide ministry to young athletes following a creed to aim high.

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