Just to mention[COMPLETED]

Karoly Takacs

Karoly Takacs, a sergeant in the Hungarian army, was a member of his nation's world championship pistol shooting team. By 1938, this 28 years old right-handed pistol shooter had bagged major national and international rapid-fire pistol shooting championships. His next target was 1940 Olympics, scheduled to be held in Tokyo. Experts around the globe had expectations of his success at 1940 Tokyo Olympics.

In 1938, however, a grenade exploded in his right hand during an army training session. He spent a month in hospital but the accident left his right hand without its use. At that point, most people would have quit but not Takacs. Instead of feeling helpless for losing the right hand, he decided to focus on what he did have – a left hand, and incredible mental toughness and determination.

Takacs did the unthinkable; he picked himself up, dusted himself off, and decided to teach himself to shoot left-handed.

In the spring of 1939, he showed up at the Hungarian National Pistol Shooting Championship. Other shooters approached Takacs to give him their condolences and to congratulate him on having the strength to come watch them shoot. They were surprised when he said, "I didn't come to watch, I came to compete." They were even more surprised when Takács won!

The 1940 and 1944 Olympics were canceled because of World War II. It looked like Takacs' Olympic dream would never have a chance to realize itself. But Takacs kept training and in 1948 he qualified for the London Olympics. At the age of 38, Takacs set the world and the Olympic record with 580 points to win the gold medal at the 1948 Olympics in London. Four years later, he won a second gold medal with 579 points at the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki. Takács became the first shooter to win two Olympic gold medals in the 25 meters rapid fire pistol event. Karoly Takacs – a man with the mental toughness and determination.