WHO IS WILLIE SMIT? some reflection...
So 2016 has been a great year. New experiences as usual. Thanks to my Team-Mates, management and friends for making it a truly unforgettable year. As you turn into a professional athlete you lose 80% percent of your friends in this so called persuit of glory. You quickly learn that good friends aren't something you take for granted in this World.
None the less as the end of 2016 approached I felt it was time for Change. My performances have always been good. But I grew tired of good. From 2013-2016 I have really had some good results. Yes plagued with disease and injury. But things like that will never make me stop, just delay the inevitable.
I grew up with my mom until the age of 11-12years. Long story short she was an alcoholic. We never had money to pay rent. As I was playing around the house, as a child you soon loose track where your mom is. I would here a knock on the door. It was the tenant. He was looking for my mom. Anyway long story short she was hiding in the closet from him but soon passed out in the closet as she was drunk as usual. She would move from job to job on a regular basis but we all know where that money went. I never went to school. Only on Fridays to collect my pocket money (R15) my Gran left at the Principles offices as hope that I would go to school on a more regular basis. To skip a long story child services broke down our home door and put me in the custody of my Gran Parents eventually for a second time. I only had black friends as most moms wouldn't allow me to play with their sons. Quite frankly it didn't bother me at all. All they wanted to do the whole day anyway was play video games.
From spending so much time with my friends in the town ships I learned most things in life aged 8 most 16 year olds now a days still haven't learned. How to make "pap' on a fire, braai, kill and unfeather chickens and build wired cars. As an alternative I we would dress up badly and go push trolleys at the supermarkets for some extra cash. If food was scares we would walk to the nearest soup/food charity centers. Its basically places they give out food for free for poor children. You would sometimes walk 10km get a pie and nick nacks and by the time you get back home your hungry all over again.
The money I had was usually what I have stolen out of my moms wallet when she was passed out drunk. She would soon start hiding her extra cash around the house but I always found those hidden places. As I got mixed up with the wrong gangs I learned that I could start selling her jewelry for some easy bucks. For some reason I never dared take any of her rings. Living in those environments you soon learn not to carry any of your money in your pockets. You carry it in your socks or underwear. You'll be surprised how well everyone in the area knew each other. I would sometimes spot some trouble makers coming a mile away. So I already knew I was going to be scouted for some easy cash.
I ended up in loads of fights. You would be careful who you fight with. Those with older brothers you would usually apologise to immediately when an altercation of some sort happened. The older brother almost always comes looking for you. Thinking back the best parts where probably when I got knocked straight on the nose. Your vision would be blurry, lots of blood streaming out of your nose. It would look bad (which it isn't) and the fight would usually just stop there. Call yourself lucky when this happens. Other times I was bitten on my back or stabbed with glass which meant my mom would have to take me to hospital. But later that day I would be all smiles as she pitched up with sweets.
Oh yes. Whenever I felt like a slab I would walk into a supermarket and steel one. Tempo was always my favorite. Always put it in your under-wear incase you get searched. Once I got caught and they locked me up in one of their store rooms. My aunt had to pay R50 as a fine or something like that. Yes I seem like a terrible person but that day I was so ashamed of myself for some reason I spent the rest of the day in the bush wondering on my own. My aunt was always the backup plan. Whenever things went south I would go to her for help. For example when my Mom pitched up home drunk and the boyfriend would start beating her up I would run to my aunts house. One time I will never forget a knock on the door. It was one of her boyfriends. When I opened the door he was on his knees speaking weird languages, eyes all green. Yes I was scared shitless. No nine year old should ever experience that. It was probably one of the fastest times I posted running to my aunts house. If only I had Strava back then...
But before you think I was sad and depressed. I wasn't. But why? How could I not be unhappy. Well that's exactly the fucking point. I wasn't used to anything better. I was as happy as I ever could be. Well most of the times atleast. This probably doesn't even cover 5% of the things that happened back then. Maybe one day Ill be ready to share more but it probably wont be fair to some.
But wait what does this have to do with anything? Well to get back to my disease plagued career. Ever since I seriously started training hard I got sick quite easily. Living with my mom I followed a poor diet. When I eventually moved in with my Gran Parent I continuesly got sick after big sporting events. I cant remember that I once brushed teeth the first 10 years living with my Mom. And took baths very rarely. My Grandparents where left with the task of fixing a child which they did very well and Ill forever be grateful. I mean can you believe it. I learned something called respect and integrity.
Today I literally don't have one tooth in my mouth without a massive filling. Ten root canals, a few crown, plates in my jaw and chin with very little sensitivity. All the materials started poisoning my system and the abscesses in the root canals. I had the Ebstein-barr virus and broken hip which I was sure was the end of my cycling. Chronic Gastritis and the negative affects of the medication. Fungal Esophagitis a form of Candida with loads of complications. Because of all of this I was on so many antibiotics. And the number one thing that was supposed to keep my health up was deteriorating my body day by day. Causing huge imbalances. Anyway I've left all that behind now and my health seems to have stabilized the last 3 years.
This brings me to my New Coach. I met John Wakefield in mid 2016. I've always been following him on twitter reading all of the knowledge he shares. I've followed many intelligent people on social media but once you meet them in person they don't seem all that knowledgeable all a sudden. With John the complete opposite happened. And quite frankly after working with John for just a few month now its probably one of the best decisions I've ever made. Numbers don't Lie...
Enough said.
WHAT YOU DON'T SEE!
"V"
