For those of you who are interested in sports, great stories, comebacks, “I told you so’s,” or redemption, the story of Tiger Woods is pretty epic one. Tiger Woods was at one point the most dominant athlete in the world at his sport. In 1997, he won his first Masters and embraced his father, Earl, embarking on a journey that lead him to fourteen major victories before his 33rd birthday. He was the first African-American (and half-Asian) to win a major.
Then, he made a series of terrible decisions, many unforgiveable – being repeatedly unfaithful to his wife likely the worst of them. He suffered tremendous back pain and trauma, undergoing three surgeries which resulted in addiction to painkillers. He made the immature choice to drink and drive and was arrested by the police for doing so.
After ten years ‘in the wild,’ Tiger Woods has returned to the highest level of competitive sport. It’s fun to witness, but more importantly, it’s moving to remember his journey.
I don’t want to sweep the nasty stuff under the rug: He’s made the most bullheaded decisions imaginable. Will some people ever forgive him? Unlikely. Will the public forgive him? Time heals wounds, so time will tell.
To me, the transformation he’s put himself through in the last ten years and still coming out on top like this is impressive. In his original apology to his wife Elin, on national television, I remember Woods saying, “My real apology to her will not come in the form of words. It will come from my behavior in time.”
Ten years on, Woods’s determination, resiliency, and focus on turning his family life, his health, and his professional life around is astounding.
There’s still many chapters to be written in Tiger’s story, but this one may be named Redemption.