Growing up as a competitive athlete, first as a sprinter and later in bodybuilding, I have frequently been accused of using steroids or being a dope. Apart from taking such accusations as a compliment I somehow understand where such accusations are coming from considering we live in a world of greed, ill values and bad examples, with sport falling victim to the likes of Lance Armstrong, Marion Jones and many other disgraced athletes; obsessive liars who turned from heroes to villains, ultimately getting what they deserve.
I consider sport as the best school of life as it made me who I am. I love sport for what it gave me and I would not do anything to alter its true nature. Furthermore, my motivation is not becoming an enhanced monster or freak but it is experiencing where my natural abilities can take me as I grow older while inspiring others with the same mindset through my journey. Thus, if I had to dope or enhance with steroids, this lifelong mission of mine would instantly become void and null.
As for those of you with a different mindset, the ones who do not see a problem with doping or those who do not sufficiently think beyond the act of taking steroids, particularly if you compete in sports, I believe you will do yourself some justice if you read through the following 12 reasons why you should not dope:
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When you dope you destroy the true value, the beauty and the love of sport; that same genuine love which lit up your heart as a kid.
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When you dope you become a cheat. You cheat your fellow competitors but you also cheat yourself. Ah yes, and your conscience will never forget.
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When you dope you lose the inner pride and privilege in being able to say ‘Yes, I am clean. What you see is all me”.
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When you dope you find yourself denying it out of fear of losing respect and credibility.
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When you dope to compete, you risk getting caught and being banned from competing again (and returning your title if you are lucky enough to ‘win’ something).
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When you dope you risk losing your reputation; a reputation which takes years to build, seconds to break and forever to repair.
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When you dope you reach artificial addictive highs. This can easily lead to dead-ends with no turning back.
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When you dope you will eventually face the consequences of side effects, both physical and psychological.
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When you dope you will waste heaps of precious hard-earned money.
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When you dope and get to realise that a natty is ahead of you, well.. I guess it stings.
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When you dope you get to surrender the ‘uniqueness’ in you only to become one of the many.
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When you dope you go down the path of constantly chasing false expectations, losing peace of mind.
When you dope you live a lie. Doping? No Thanks!
To fitness with love,
Andrew
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