27 April 2025 (Punjab Khbarnama Bureau): They say it’s lonely at the top. Tell that to an elite athlete and they wouldn’t trade that loneliness for anything. There is, however, a shelf life for most things, motivation included. For individuals accustomed to winning, finding the desire to keep doing it day after day, season after season, especially after achieving everything there is to, can be taxing.
In his autobiography A Shot at History: My Obsessive Journey to Olympic Gold, 2008 Beijing Games gold medallist Abhinav Bindra describes the void he felt soon after winning the 10m air rifle gold to become India’s first individual Olympic champion. All of 25 then, Bindra was already a world champion and a two-time Olympian. With the world at his feet, he had little drive to pick up his weapon again.
For Dalilah Muhammad, the 2016 Rio Olympics 400m hurdles champion, motivation came from humility. “There is the temptation to sit back and put your feet up, but somehow I kept finding the desire to keep going,” said the 35-year-old, who is in India for the World 10K Bengaluru.
Summary: Elite athletes like Abhinav Bindra and Dalilah Muhammad share how they stay motivated despite achieving greatness and facing burnout.