Cheaters Never Prosper?

I was reading the last chapter of Chris Macca McCormack’s book ‘I’m Here To Win’ where he discusses his experiences with cheats in professional triathlon and other sports. He describes his disappointment on how the best, natural athletes lose out financially and on recognition.

So, when a cheat is tested and not found ‘positive’ in the results, did they still cheat? This calls to mind the allegory of ‘If a tree falls in the forest and there is no one to see or hear it, did the tree fall?’ I have confirmed in races that I have participated that age-groupers and professionals have been seen drafting behind others - without the drafting officials' notice - and get away with it. Did cheating or some form of dishonest behavior occur?

Some of the major sports that are fraught with rampant doping or drug use is include competitive bodybuilding and cycling. One is a subjective sport, while the other is more objective in measure. In 1990-1993, I competed actively in bodybuilding earning one runner-up and three 3^rd place wins. I was never the largest guy (on-stage, as well as on the reserved national team) as I was a natural ectomorph, that is, I tend to be muscular on the skinny side.

After realizing – much to my chagrin and naivety – that many of my competitors were using anabolic steroids (muscle-enhancing pharmaceuticals) to gain an unfair advantage, I quit the sport entirely. Consider this: you either see used syringes in the locker-room, or a personal trainer administer an intravenous shot to a member - you got to see it to believe it! On hindsight, I think the sport is silly, and definitely questionable as a real sport when it is an open secret that the top guys were ‘on the juice’. The competitive amateurs (there were no professional bodybuilders) cleverly used ‘cycle’ and ‘stacking’ techniques to build unnaturally large volumes of muscles. The whole sport is a circus when drug use and the fear of getting caught surrounds athletes like a somnambulistic haze. At least the performers in the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) – formerly WWF – are entertaining us with their steroid-inflated bodies. Several big names wrestlers have died due to prolonged steroid-related complications. A few Hollywood action stars have used steroids as part of their onscreen preparation; one suffered a heart-attack (and survived, but not his scandal) and the other was charged for transport of banned pharmaceuticals.

I have met cheaters in gambling who resort to ‘invisible’ methods of deception to make financial gains. What they do is certainly wrong for they create an unfair advantage. When caught, historically, they suffered painful and even permanent consequences. You cannot fool the 'house' (casino) for the house usually wins. With sports cheats, I wonder if they can look at all their lacklustre trophies today and say, honestly, that they earned it? With magicians, at least, they have a disclaimer that states that they are ‘honest liars’ or ‘charming cheats’. Heard the saying before? Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Who does this apply to?

The issue becomes a concern when amateurs resort to chemical assistance to earn podium places. Even if they trained very hard, how would you distinguish between the success from your training and drug use? If going to the world championships in Kona, Hawaii is the epitome of athleticism then what does using drugs spell? Tactics? Strategies? Being smart?

There are other creative ways to earn advantages in racing: working on each of the disciplines, faster transitions, scientific training, selecting the races that suit your body and fitness, nutrition, rest, rehabilitation, using coaches, and investing in the hard work. Cheating is best left to cheats. They gain from somebody’s loss, and that is unfair to the athletes, officials, the supporters and the entire sport.

For updates, look at the man in the mirror.

Leadership Lessons: How do you uphold the value of integrity? What is it about your integrity that matters most? How do you deliver fully on integrity when corporate office demands your absolute obeisance and obedience? What do you do when your integrity is questioned? How do you build trust in your relationships?