In October, West Indian cricket legend and former team captain, Brian Charles Lara spoke to the UWI graduating class of 2011. Born in 1969, the tenth of eleven children, Lara grew up in the close-knit Cantaro community of Santa Cruz. A graduate of Fatima College, his talent was obvious from a young age, as was his commitment to the game, yet years later, after being celebrated worldwide, he once commented that “I doubt whether I will ever call myself great”. He holds several world records including the highest individual score in both first class cricket (501 not out for Warwickshire against Durham in 1994) and Test Cricket (400 not out for the West Indies against England in 2004). He is the only batsman to have ever scored a hundred, a double century, a triple century, a quadruple century and a quintuple century in first class games over the course of a senior career. UWI STAN is pleased to feature this address presented at The UWI Sport and Physical Education Centre, St Augustine Campus.
It is with great humility that I accept this degree from such a prestigious institute. I am truly lost for words to describe the sentiments that I am feeling today. Today is a momentous day in the lives of the entire Lara family and I’m proud to be here at this ceremony with my siblings, close friends and of course my daughter Sydney. Words have also defeated my desire to express the immense gratitude that I wish to extend to The University of the West Indies as well as to those who have inspired and believed in me along the way. In short, this HONOU R will be treated with the respect and grace it deserves. I came through a side door, not the normal channels. I truly wish [I] could’ve shared in [this] with my parents Bunty and Pearl.
Today, however, is a landmark in life; not just for me, but also for the members of the graduating class of 2011, to whom I wish to acknowledge and pay special tribute. Look around you right now, this room is filled with a beautiful blend of people who come from diverse walks of life, who may share different experiences, and who may hold different beliefs; but what unites us here tonight is our common drive to make a positive contribution to the world – whether it is through sport, academics or even at a professional level. We ultimately want to know that whatever we undertake to do in our life today attains a benchmark worthy of merit for those who are to follow suit tomorrow.
The fundamental question therefore arises: how are we to make this positive contribution together?
While I am just a handful of years older than most of you here [laughs], there are a few life lessons which I have picked up along the way and which I hold close to my heart. I consider these lessons to be “life’s survival tool kit” and I would be obliged to share these with you today.
Lesson number one: Set high standards for yourself and do not at any point underestimate what you are capable of achieving. It is only through identifying a goal that you can begin to take careful and pragmatic steps to get there.
Lesson number two: Be disciplined and work hard. There is no short cut to achievement. One must make an honest and conscious effort to consistently give of one’s best. If this approach becomes a habit, you will undoubtedly succeed. One of my mentors in life, my beloved father, always shared an old but golden anecdote with me while growing up. He always told me that “there is no substitute for hard work”. He lived his life that way, worked as a labourer in his formative years at an agriculture station to later become and retired as the manager of that same station. Every time I slipped-up he was there to ensure I put in the hard work.
Lesson number three: Always have confidence in yourself. No one has ever attained success without falling down. I can certainly attest to this. There are going to be times where you will encounter difficulties and yes, stumble along the way. It is important to have faith in your abilities and to persist despite any mitigating circumstance. I remember the day I broke the test batting record the second time and the events preceding that innings. No one here can tell me what took place before that innings. I can give you facts- we already played three test matches and lost all three, I batted six times. Well, can anyone tell me the number of runs I had? I guess not. A hundred runs in six innings, averaging just over 16. Barbados was the venue for the third test and I remember being hit all about my body in scoring 33 and 30 in both innings, but it was the’longest I spent at the crease in the series. I was growing in confidence and never doubted my ability; I knew something special was around the corner. I always look back and smile; the record books would show that I scored 500 runs in that series, but it would leave out the little fact that 400 of those came in one match.
Lesson number four: Be competitive but never compromise your morals. I encourage you to compete against yourself in a healthy manner. There will always be those who may try to appease you with the idea that you can take ‘shortcuts’ in life. But you must always remain steadfast in your ways and ensure that you are always scrupulous so as to avoid embarking upon an unhealthy path. Always remember that the end never justifies the means. The valour of success will always be more meaningful if you have conducted yourself with unwavering dignity and integrity.
Lesson five: Maintain a positive attitude and always surround yourself with those who share similar goals and values as you. We are inevitably a product of our environment, and when we immerse ourselves around those that work hard and
“One of my mentors in life, my beloved father, always shared an old but golden anecdote with me while growing up. He always told me that ‘there is no substitute for hard work’.” Play fairly, such a valuable ethic shall be imbibed in us.
Finally, the last and perhaps the most important lesson: Always remain humble. When you do reach your goal, and I have no doubt that this will occur, don’t ever let success change the person who you truly are.
I know that you are all about to take this crucial step in beginning a new chapter in your lives. It is now up to you to build upon the solid foundation that has been formed for you during your tenure at this respected institution. In going forward, I encourage each of you to always keep close at hand and never abandon your survival tool kit; for it will keep you grounded and help you to make your landmark in life and to make a contribution to the world, something that is worthy of merit. Congratulations graduants. You have inspired me in ways that I cannot describe, and I am eternally grateful to each of you tonight. Good luck and God Bless always. Thank you. ?
Brian Charles Lara
Reprinted from STAN (August-December 2011)
