OLYMPIAN

i have taken the lumpen clay i was given
and moulded it into elegant form
my muscles are well toned
my physique is lean and hungry
i work hard to maintain a healthy mind and body
i eat only plant based foods
fruit and vegetables
nuts and pulses
wild herbs and berries
i decline to eat the flesh eggs or milk of animals
i rise at dawn to limber and stretch
i exercise for three hours a day
i cultivate an alert and controlled mental state
as my muscles and sinews strain for the starting gun
i focus only on victory
i filter out the merest inkling of defeat or negativity
i run through the whole race
over and over again in my mind
meticulously rehearsing each stage
the sprint to the first bend
the turn into the straight
the final bend
the gradual acceleration into the home straight
i run my own race
i do not let others put me off my stride
i visualise myself stepping onto the podium
arms raised aloft
as the gold medal is placed around my neck
i sit atop a mountain in thesaly
my motto: citius altius fortius
faster higher stronger