The car flings in the air, turns a couple of times and crashes in the side rails.
With great difficulty the team is able to pull out Jann (the driver).
Luckily there are only a few bruises.
During his recovery period, he comes to know a spectator got killed as the car crashed into the side rails.
He is devastated and feels responsible for the spectator’s death.
He vows to never get behind the wheel of a racing car again.
I am talking about a real story depicted in the movie Gran Turismo (based on a real story).
The turning point is when his mentor Jack Salter takes him for a ride post his recovery.
Salter was a terrific driver in his hey days but had given up the sport when he saw a driver being killed on the race track of an event in which he was participating.
Salter says he gave up.
He quit.
He felt bad to this day not because he gave up car racing but because he lost the chance to find out how good he could have been.
He’s had to live with that regret his whole life.
The next 2 sentences are the cornerstone of the movie
Salter says to Jann –
“I think you could be the best.
That crash is not going to define who you are..
But how you respond it.”
All of us need a Jack Salter, someone who can push us to work to our potential.
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As a corporate motivational speaker in Delhi, I share such stories in my keynote talks and workshops to highlight important aspects. The above story can be used to highlight the role of a mentor.
