Óscar Figueroa is a more recent example (compared to that of Lincoln and Hershey) of perseverance and success, in which his goal comes in the form of Olympic medals rather than business and politics. Óscar Figueroa was born in Zaragoza, Colombia on April 27th, 1987. Being born in a developing country comes with its own set of struggles and challenges that must be dealt with on a day to day basis, however the socio-economic issues he faced in his country paled in comparison to the challenge he set for himself: an Olympic gold medal.

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – AUGUST 08: Oscar Albeiro Figueroa Mosquera of Colombia reacts during the Men’s 62kg Group A weightlifting contest on Day 3 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Riocentro – Pavilion 2 on August 8, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images)

Óscar has spent the majority of his life dedicated to the sport of Olympic Weightlifting along with the help of his coaches, Jaiber Manjarres and Oswaldo Pinilla. Óscar Figueroa got his start in weightlifting as an 11 year old kid who would go on to become one of the most talented teenage lifters in all of Colombia. To date Óscar has had four Olympic appearances with his first at the ripe old age of twenty-one in the 2004 Athens Summer Olympics. 

Within Olympic Weightlifting there are two specific lifts, snatch and clean-and-jerk, in which each contestant gets three attempts per lift to lift the most amount possible. The weight of each of the best lifts (the best snatch and the best clean-and-jerk) would be added together to determine the total weight lifted, which would be counted as the contestant’s score. 

In the 2004 Summer Olympics, Óscar was new to the scene as a rookie and yet he was still able to make it to the final lifts that would decide the podium results. Unfortunately his young raw talent was not enough to secure a podium finish, much less the gold medal he had been chasing. He got 5th place in both of his lifts and 5th place overall. This was a stunning blow to his ego that would serve as a wake up call for him to understand what exactly he is asking of himself. 

Four years later, and with four more years of training under his belt, Óscar made his second olympic appearance at the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics. This time he was ready. Having bulked up since last time, Óscar made a jump in strength and weight class meaning that he would be against bigger and stronger Olympians than last time. However, when things go wrong they always go horribly. Óscar failed to make all three of his snatch attempts and was promptly removed from competition with no rank or medal. 

Having the cause of the problem being a spinal hernia from his intense training and preparation only goes to show how much he wanted that medal. That he had the motivation and drive to train to the extent of self deterioration. Over those four years of training he had shown an incomparable level of passion only seen in world renowned athletes, and little did he know that it would soon pay off.

Despite his apparent failure in Beijing, Óscar maintained a steady sight on his goal. Four more years of intense training later, Óscar Figueroa had his third consecutive Olympic appearance representing Colombia in the 2012 London Olympic Games. With the knowledge and experience of two previous Olympic competitions, Óscar was no longer an underdog as he was a shoo-in for the podium. This time his hardwork and dedication paid off. This time he would not be burdened by unfortunate injuries. This time his passion and perseverance would come to an apex, or rather just shy of it. He placed third in the snatch and first in the clean-and-jerk giving him a solid second place finish (This was actually because of a tie with 3rd place that was broken on the basis that even though they lifted the same weight, Óscar had a lighter body weight giving him the win). This was Óscar’s first ever Olympic medal after eighteen years of constant training and improvement. A huge accomplishment to be sure, however it was just shy of his dream. The only possible next step would be a gold medal.

LONDON, ENGLAND – JULY 30: Un Guk Kim (C) of DPR Korea celebrates with the gold medal, Oscar Albeiro Figueroa Mosquera (L) of Colombia with the silver medal, and Irawan Eko Yuli (R) of Indonesia with the bronze medal on the podium after the Men’s 62kg Weightlifting on Day 3 of the London 2012 Olympic Games at ExCeL on July 30, 2012 in London, England. (Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)

With past failures and shortcomings behind him, Óscar continued to work and drive himself beyond his limits time and time again in order to turn his fantasy into reality. Finally in the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics, Óscar Figueroa had achieved his goal. He had won the gold medal in the 62 kg weight class for Olympic Weightlifting. Finally Óscar Figueroa got his gold medal after all these years. Finally Óscar Figueroa was at the apex of his craft. Finally Óscar Figueroa was able to reap the rewards of his dedication and passion that he had sown and nurtured for over twenty-two years. 

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – AUGUST 08: Gold medalist Oscar Albeiro Figueroa Mosquera of Colombia celebrates on the podium during the medal presentation for the Men’s 62kg Group A weightlifting contest on Day 3 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Riocentro – Pavilion 2 on August 8, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Bra (Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images)

When Óscar knew he had won, he broke down in tears and signaled his retirement from the sport with the removal of his shoes. When asked later about this he responded with “But I am full of emotion – it’s as though I was lifting for the whole country, and those tears were for all of Colombia. So maybe I will think about participating in Tokyo in 2020.” If there is anything to takeaway from Óscar’s story it’s that nothing of true self importance is given freely, you must take it with the force of passion and resolve. Only then will you find true success and fulfillment in your success.

Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln was a person of immaculate stature and success. He started as an Illinois lawyer who eventually became the sixteenth president of the United States and is one of the most known and heavily respected US presidents ever, sharing that crown with none other than George Washington. However, because of his status, his misfortunes and failures often get swept under the rug and as they are perceived as stains on his record rather than stepping stones towards his renowned accomplishments. It is only fair to the general public to wipe away that veil of apparent success and reveal the necessary setbacks of Lincoln’s life that made him so great in the first place.

Lincoln was born into desolate poverty on the frontier of Kentucky and after about a year and a half of inadequate schooling, he picked up the habit of self teaching by first teaching himself how to read with a little help from his illiterate birth mother who would go on to die while giving birth to Lincoln’s stillborn brother, Thomas. Since living in a log cabin his entire life did not particularly seem like the most enticing thing in the world, Abe then left to strike out on his own and go work for a general store after the family moved to a new homestead fearing another sickness outbreak. The business, and many other things in his life, did not turn out the way he intended. Within a few months, Abe was forced to sell his shares in the store as the business struggled and in March of 1832, Lincoln threw his hat into the ring of politics. 

At 23, Abe’s first political attempt was to run for state legislature in Illinois. He lost. He lost, but he was not defeated. However, soon after his loss in politics he lost his job and then tried to go to law school but he was promptly rejected. Then a year later, Abe borrowed a hefty sum of money to start his own business venture and by the end of the year he was bankrupt and spent the next seventeen years of his life paying it off. Despite setback after setback Lincoln remained steadfast in his passion for law and politics. In 1834, Lincoln then won his first political victory: a seat as a member of the Whig party in the state legislature. After his perseverance, Lincoln held a steady position in the political world, but he was not so lucky in his personal life with the death of his first love interest Ann Rutledge. 

After receiving his license to practice law in Illinois state courts in 1836, Lincoln wanted to progress his political career by running for Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives. He lost, again. This was an unfortunate setback that did not for a second stop Lincoln as it was simply a sign to another open door of opportunity. He then served as Floor leader of the Whig party that year and went on to practice law in the US Circuit Court. Then in 1840, Lincoln was reelected for the fourth time to the State Legislature and was given his first case to argue in the Illinois Supreme Court. A year later he established his own private law firm with his legal colleague, Stephen Logan, and then the following year he was admitted to practice law in the US District Courts. A huge accomplishment that many lawyers and politicians chase to no avail, but it was not without his dedication and perseverance to his craft to fan the flames that drove him to use and overcome his shortcomings in life. 

Full page banner celebrating Lincoln’s election from the Freeport Wide Awake newspaper

Abraham Lincoln would then go on to lose his bid for the United States Senate in 1854 and then again in 1858, while also losing his nomination for vice president in 1856. For four years, Lincoln remained stagnant in the success of his political ambitions, but in 1860 Abraham Lincoln was the first republican to win the presidential election and he became the 16th President of the United States. As president, Lincoln would go on to become one of the most influential icons ever. Abraham Lincoln served during a time of moral, political and constitutional unrest and led the country through a civil war in which he was able to preserve the union of the states, abolish slavery with the emancipation proclamation, reconstituted the federal government after the war, and modernized the economy of the United States. It goes to show that with a little elbow grease, or a lot more than that in Lincoln’s case, will get you dirty with unsuccessful ventures, but it will more importantly it will give you the skills, experience, and drive necessary to accomplish what you set out to do.

Milton S. Hershey

Milton Hershey may not be someone you know about, but you probably find his last name quite familiar. That’s because in 1894, Milton S. Hershey founded The Hershey Chocolate Company whose main goal was the mass production of milk chocolate for the American public. Before Hershey, the once scarce luxury was only ever able to be purchased and consumed by those with extravagant wealth and by those in important positions of power. Hershey was able to engineer his own recipe and factory that would go on to mass produce the chocolate and severely drop the price of the once expensive luxury. In doing so, he made millions in profit by expanding the potential customer base with his affordable chocolate. However he wasn’t always such a great success, Milton Hershey started with little and experienced numerous hardships throughout his professional life that would challenge him to persevere and innovate his way to success.

In 1871, when Milton was just fourteen years old, he was fired from his first job working for a local printing press. Then when offered a chance back he declined, and instead took an apprenticeship to learn how to make candy under a confectioner living in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. After four years of training, Hershey moved to Philadelphia and, with money from his relatives, started his first candy making shop that ended in utter failure after five years of hard work. Hershey’s failure did not discourage him, but rather it pushed him harder to then move to Denver and pursue the perfection of his craft even more by taking a job for a candy company where he learned to improve his quality of chocolate. He then moved to Chicago to start yet another candy business that yet again ended in failure. With two failed businesses behind him, Milton persevered and continued to improve and perfect his craft. By 1883, he had moved to New York City and started working for Huyler and Company. Where Hershey was able to manufacture his own brand of confectioneries called Hershey’s Fine Candies. Within two years sugar prices skyrocketed and Hershey ended up losing his candy making machinery. He returned home bearing the weight of his now three failed enterprises.

Like any sane investor, his relatives refused to give him any more money after so many failed attempts, and yet Hershey didn’t let that stop him for a second. Hershey found an old employee of his from his days when he ran his little candy shop in Philadelphia and together they came up with the money to start another candy making business, The Lancaster Caramel Company. Utilizing his past experiences, Hershey knew what had and had not worked over the years and settled on a company that specialized in various types of caramels. Finally it worked. After years of trial by fire, Hershey finally found what worked and it worked well, really well. By 1893, the Lancaster Caramel Company had expanded to various locations with multiple factories that employed well over a thousand workers. This was his first big break. Hershey had managed to overcome years of failure and disappointment by focusing on his goal and understanding that his previous businesses were a painful necessity that would be the stepping stone to something much greater.

In 1894 the Hershey Chocolate Company was founded and started producing cocoa powder, baking chocolate and chocolate for his caramels. The Lancaster Caramel Company was doing very well, but Hershey wanted more and in 1900 he sold his caramel company for one million dollars in order to focus solely on his chocolate company. In that same year, Milton Hershey introduced to the world the now iconic Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Bar. It was mass produced and sold for pennies making it the most affordable chocolate on the market. Within 20 years of releasing the chocolate bar, The Hershey Chocolate Company raked in over 20 million dollars in sales and alongside the growth of the company came the growth of the town. Now the company is worth nearly ten billion dollars today making it one of the most successful american chocolate companies ever.

Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Bar

Despite Hershey’s previous failures he never gave up and tried to pursue anything different than what he had set his mind on. He never settled for any ordinary job because it was convenient to do so after his early business attempts. He persevered and did what he was passionate about and didn’t stop. He could have retired after becoming a successful caramel businessman, but Hershey’s passion was set on chocolate and he was willing to give up and sell his already successful business for a shot at what he wanted. Even after the success of the chocolate factory the Hershey Company continued to expand and involve themselves with so much more. Leading to the cultivation of a ten billion dollar company with over 16,000 full time employees. Hershey’s failures and the failures of many other people are similar setbacks that have the potential to put an end to passion and perseverance, however it is up to you to decide that. You haven’t really failed if you get back up after falling down, and that’s exactly what Milton Hershey did.