Paul Briggs on Franki Giorgi's win at Toughman :
A very potent lesson was learnt at the Queensland Toughman Show. It was an incredible lesson in patience, in possessing the ability to sit, wait, and watch for the opportunity to respond rather than react.
Once Franki Giorgi lost his first fight, and we headed back to the dressing room, I told Franki to keep his head in fight mode because this wasn't over.
"What do you mean?" Franki said "It's done, I lost".
After winning two consecutive 'Cairns Toughman' contests in the mid '90s I had the knowledge of how these things turn and my point in this post is this:
When you react to life you simply miss the opportunity because your blinded by your story of it not being fair.
Whether I thought Franki won or lost his first fight was irrelevant. What was relevant was that we remained there so that we could respond to the opening once it presented itself.
For an hour and a half I kept Franki from dressing and leaving and I told him "We must wait and be ready to respond because guys will pull out injured all over the place".
So how hard was it for Franki to contain his emotions from losing a fight he thought he'd win and stay 'on' with no guarantee there would even be another chance? As hard as the fights themselves and yet when the promoter walked out and said half joking half serious
"Would Franki fight the heavyweights?"
I looked at Franki and smiled as he yelled
"F&@k yes let's do it"
And the rest is history.
Potent lesson - Never walk away, as uncomfortable as things get, sit, wait, watch and as it turns 'the way' will always present itself at which point you seize the opportunity.
