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"lighten and uplift
them, so that they may soar on the wings of the Divine verses"
-Baha'u'llah
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Running the
race of his life
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PARIS,
France, 8 August 2003 (BWNS) --
Champion runner David Krummenacker will be
praying for his competitors at the world
championships this month.
"Before
races I pray everyone in the race runs well and
that we all keep our health," says Mr.
Krummenacker, who is from the United States and
is a member of the Baha'i Faith.
"I
never pray for victory, only for strength and
for my health to remain strong," says Mr.
Krummenacker, 28, who anchored a world record
quartet in the 4x800 meter relay in 2000.
Ranked
number one in the United States in the 800-meter
and 1500-meter races, he has a good chance of
success at the 9th International Association of
Athletics Federations World Championships to be
held in Stade de France, Paris, beginning on 23
August 2003. |
David Krummenacker wins the 800-meter indoor
title, beating world record holder Wilson
Kipketer in March 2003. (Photo: Mark Shearman)
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Last March,
at the world indoor championships in Birmingham,
England, he surged past world record holder Wilson
Kipketer of Denmark to win the 800-meter race in a
personal best of one minute 45.69 seconds.
Mr.
Krummenacker has achieved some of his goals, such as
being national champion, but he still has others. One is
success in the Olympic Games to be held in Athens next
year.
"I
believe consistency, hard work, good coaching, proper
diet, rest, and the grace of God, Who instills my health
and internal strength, will aid me to achieve what I
have set out to."
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In
defining the relationship between spirituality and
sports, Mr. Krummenacker says that spirituality
permeates every human activity.
"It
is the essence of our existence and athletics is
no exception.
"When
it is not present, differences arise. Frequently
we hear stories in the media of athletes having
problems with their teammates, their coaches,
their competitors, their wives and girlfriends.
These turmoils are oftentimes a result of the lack
of spirituality. I think when spirituality is
present, conflicts cease." |
David Krummenacker at the US championships,
2003. |
Running, he
says, has taught him life lessons, and he meditates on
his goals as he goes on long training runs.
"As a
result, I often envision things that I've set out to
accomplish. For me, visualizing something before it
happens helps it to materialize.
"Running
has taught me over the years that life is very much what
you will of it. I've had some years where I wasn't
successful in running and was sad and frustrated because
of it. I learned somewhere along the way that your
treasure is where your heart and soul are."
He does not
just pray and expect to win. In fact, he says he
prepares tirelessly for competitions throughout the
season.
"I
believe when training is good and the grace of God has
enabled me to stay healthy and strong, it's only left
for me to believe in my ability and go for it. There is
no room for doubt."
David Krummenacker with his mother, Marylou
and girlfriend, Karima White. |
Mr.
Krummenacker says he is "very grateful for
having had the guidance of Baha'ullah from day
one." He was brought up in the Baha'i Faith
by his mother, Marylou, who lives in Las Cruces,
New Mexico. She has a "Baha'i women's
network", linked globally by the Internet,
whose members pray for him to run his best.
Running
is a full time job, he says. "A lot of my
friends think, 'Oh, you just go for an hour run,
then you sit around the rest of the day.'
"In
contrast, between traveling to training sites,
warming up, stretching, track workouts, weight
training, morning runs, cool-downs, and ice
whirlpools (injury prevention) I have very few
moments in a day. There has to be a little time
for fun, so I'm careful not to overdo it." |
His other
interests include surfing, playing chess, music and
reading. He trains in Tucson Arizona with coach Luiz de
Oliviera, spends time in Atlanta, and uses a training
base near Stuttgart, Germany, during competitions in
Europe.
Mr.
Krummenacker, who holds a degree in management from
Georgia Tech, says that after he retired in
"another six years or so", he would like to
devote his energies to children.
"I am
very interested in restructuring -- or creating if need
be -- after-school programs for underprivileged
children. The programs would provide kids with tutoring,
counseling and coaching for various sports."
(Tom
Mennillo of "The American Baha'i" contributed
to this report).
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| Published in Bahá'í
World News Service |
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