It is difficult to define adversity because it affects individuals on a much different level based on the events they are forced to face. Tiger Woods is an example of an individual who faced adversity and fought to find his success in life. Entering a predominantly white world and creating a name based on skills and talent is not an easy feat to accomplish. There is no arguing that Tiger has had his fair share of opposition, however he faced the adversity first hand and found the success in golf world. Anyone who experiences adversity is placed into a “survival mode” mind set and this is what in the end, allows them to be better off than those who have never experienced such criticism as when presented with an opportunity to go against all odds, the ones who have gone through the adversity prevail as they have within them, further motivation and higher stakes.
Tiger Woods started golfing at a very young age. He learned early on that his presence in this athletic field was not readily accepted. Tiger Woods fought to break the barriers which dictated that blacks did not fit in the white golf world. “Tiger Woods, like Jackie Robinson, didn’t engage in the discourse of victimhood, they didn’t ask for affirmative action” (Strege, 65). He worked hard and excelled with what he loved, golf despite those who were less than welcoming. He also gave back to others, implementing the care and share ideals implemented by his parents. “I love doing clinics. I love helping them out. I think that’s the biggest impact I’ve made so far. It doesn’t matter whether they’re white, black, brown or green. All that matters is I touch kids the way I can through these clinics and that they benefit from them” (Strege, 44). His purpose was to aid others who may face the same adversity that he faced in his professional career.
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The racial taxonomy which Tiger Woods faced in the United States which promotes the apparent conflict between “[t]hose advocating … [for official recognition of multiracialism on the Census who] are largely multiracial persons, parents in interracial unions who advocate on behalf of their mixed-race children, and multiracial advocacy organizations” whereas “[t]hose opposed to such changes are largely representatives of traditional civil rights groups” (Kenneth, 84). In the United States, it is unbelievable that such racial barriers still exist, however Tiger Woods faced them head on and overcame the skepticism he faced in the golfing world.
His success spoke for his talent and ability athletically and professionally. “He won the U.S. Masters at Augusta in 1997 with a record score at age 21, making him the youngest man and the first African American to earn the title. Woods won another 13 majors and was named the PGA Player of the Year 10 times over the next 12 years, but he struggled to regain his top form after personal problems surfaced in 2009” (Tiger, np). A lot of critics believed Woods would not achieve his previous stature within the sport. “There were a lot of people who said I could never win again, and two years later, I’ve got eight wins on Tour,” Woods said. “It just makes it all the more rewarding” (Cohen, np). The success he obtained was through hard work and dedication despite the adversity the outside world was plaguing him with.
Tiger Woods had back surgery which is current challenging his entry back into the golf world as the dominant player he once was. He worked his butt off to get back on top of his game. “That’s the easiest way to kind of describe it. I worked hard. People would never understand how much work I put into it to come back and do this again. It was sun up to sun down. Whenever I had time, free time, the kids were asleep I’d still be doing it. … It was a lot of work” (Siebold, np). Tiger Woods says he is far from finished in his golfing career. Tiger Wood went from being a black man trying to fit in the golf world, to a distinguished athlete who has set a new precedence in his athletic field. He faced an extreme amount of adversity with the idea of joining a market which did not have many African American young participants and found success. It was not easy, but Tiger Woods decided it was worth the effort.
Anyone who experiences adversity is placed into a “survival mode” mind set and this is what in the end, allows them to be better off than those who have never experienced such criticism as when presented with an opportunity to go against all odds, the ones who have gone through the adversity prevail as they have within them, further motivation and higher stakes. Tiger Woods entered the golf market being the youngest and one of the few African Americans. Despite the opposition, he played hard and allowed his talent to create a name for himself. He worked hard and trained even harder which is directly attributed to his success. Tiger took the opportunity, despite the odds, and prevailed as not only a young contender, but also as an advocate to break the racial barriers in the golfing world. Tiger Woods is a great example of adversity and how one’s determination can change the odds which are stacked against them.
- Cohen, Patrick. How Tiger Woods Copes with Adversity. 8 Oct. 2013. Web. 5 Jun 2015.
- Kenneth E. Payson, Check One Box: Reconsidering Directive No. 15 and the Classification of Mixed-Race People, 84 CAL. L. REv. 1233, 1235-36 (1996).
- Seibold, Steve. 5 Reasons Tiger Woods Can Win the 2015 Masters. 7 Apr. 2015. Web. 5 Jun. 2015.
- Strege, John. Tiger: A biography of Tiger Woods. 1997. Print.
- Tiger Woods Biography. 2015. Web. 5 Jun. 2015.
