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.