“Owen Lloyd had just completed the race of his life,” writes Greg Rosenstein in The Athletic.
“The NC State senior hit the wall first… during the final of the 1,650-yard freestyle at the ACC Championship. Unsurprisingly, he was overcome with joy. Lloyd ripped off his goggles and cap and immediately turned to his right to celebrate with teammate Ross Dant, who was in the lane beside him and had finished in second place seconds later. This was the culmination of Lloyd’s college career. His 14:37.04 time meant a conference title, an automatic bid to the NCAA Championships and a one-two finish with one of his closest friends. Then it all came crashing down.”
Owen learned he was disqualified. Why? An NCAA rule reads, “A swimmer who changes lanes during a heat shall be disqualified.”
No one was happy with this outcome, including the swimmer who had come in second, but now won the race, or the crowd watching the event. But other swimmers were still competing when Owen crossed into another swimmer’s lane. Owen said he knew the rule, but his emotions had gotten away from him.
The consequences may not be as dire as in Owen’s situation, but this story reminded me of the benefit of metaphorically or literally acknowledging and staying in our lane as we navigate the tasks, challenges, and opportunities before us.
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