Sonny Leon, the jockey who rode Rich Striketo victory in The Kentucky Derby,
had an amazing and astonishing win.
As an 80-1 longshot, he upset the favorites
and shocked the racing world.
And he wasn’t even supposed to be in the race.
He found out the morning before that he would be racing
due to another horse being scratched.
Rich Strike was in 17th position in the final turn
and poured on the steam in the last 50 yards to become the greatest
odds upset winner since 1913.
What can we learn from Sonny’s victory?
- Be prepared
Even though they didn’t expect to race,
he and his team were prepared.
As the saying goes, “The more prepared you are, the luckier you get.” - Never give up on yourself
Even when the odds are stacked against you,
you never know what will happen.
That’s when belief in ourselves is crucial.
It is so easy to let that belief wane.
Voices in our head often cause us to lose confidence.
Others’ expectations also influence our outcome,
either positively or negatively.
Being prepared and trusting in yourself and your ability
can turn a longshot situation into a victory.
Beyonce said, “I don’t like to gamble, but if there’s one thing
I’m willing to bet on, it’s myself.”
Sonny Leon did just that.
He knew he could win the race in the last 50 yards, and he did.
And those who bet on him too were sure happy they did!
- What challenging situations do you have coming up?
- How prepared are you?
- What is your self-talk regarding the situation?
- What are you doing to increase your odds at winning?
- What’s the payoff?