Eric The Eel – Sydney Olympics 2000!

A Dose of Inspiration to Get Your Day Moving…

By Jatinder Singh, Associate Partner & Mentorship Coach, Lighthouse International

In 2016 4 years of hard work will culminate with thousands of competitors descending on Rio, Brazil. Over a two week period, some of the biggest names in sport, will compete in hundreds of events televised to billions of people.

While the likes of Usain Bolt and Mo Farah will be in the limelight, it’s good to take a moment to remember those that have been part of the Olympic story because of their dedication to pushing themselves, even if they haven’t always won! For example, can you remember Eric Moussambani, otherwise known as “Eric The Eel.”?

Mr Moussambani gained entry to the Olympics without meeting the minimum qualification requirements because the Olympic Committee wanted to encourage participation in the sport for countries with lacked full training facilities. Because the other two swimmers in his heat made false starts and were thus disqualified, he won the heat unopposed! It was a classic Olympics moment. While he may not have been a great swimmer, he had a massive heart and sheer determination helped him to complete his swim!

Here’s the video to enjoy the moment again: