There are some words in the English language that can mean so much. It amazes me how a few sounds put together can convey emotion, or hold an extravagant amount of meaning. Dedication is one of these words. It holds a different meaning to each person who hears it. With these traits accompanying a word, it is difficult to place a simple definition upon a word. Dedication is defined in many English dictionaries, and is known by many people across the world. I am going to delve into the meaning of dedication. I am going to discover everything that it holds behind it. Dedication will be picked apart and defined.
Dedication is defined by the Merriam Webster dictionary as "a devoting or setting aside for a particular purpose." (Merriam Webster) This definition explains how dedication can be related to devotion. When one dedicates their self to a cause or event, they are putting time towards it. They are taking time away from a previous event, and putting it towards another. .
Lou Rosselli, a US Olympian in 1998, explains how to achieve one's goals in one of the toughest sports out there, wrestling. I also wrestled in high school and I understand what it takes to become a successful wrestler. Lou breaks his thoughts down into five categories: use a training log, have a plan, be dedicated, stay motivated, and be positive to others. He explains how turning dreams into reality entails training during off-season, as well as during the season. He defines dedication as "realizing how hard a particular goal is to achieve or before they see the light at the end of the tunnel. Continue to find ways to succeed instead of reason to fail. It's when your losing that you must be more dedicated to what you are doing. Learn to train harder and smarter."( Roselli, Lou).
Lou is a perfect example of what dedication is. Olympic athletes are the finest athletes in the world. Lou began wrestling as a young boy, and eventually achieved titles such as a 1996 US Olympic Team Member, a 2x US National Champion, a University Nationals Champion, a Sunkist International Open Champion, a 2x NCAA All-American and finally an assistant coach at Edinboro University.