This Is MotoGP™: Talent, by Marc Marquez

They say that talent is something innate, that you either have it or you don’t. That talent is something that can’t be worked on. I disagree. It is true that one can’t choose to have a talent for something, but instead, you can put in maximum effort so that your abilities are the best they can be in your career. In my case, I have always been on a motorcycle and it’s something that I was good at. Some will say that it has been easy, but in no case has ever it been easy. It never is.

One may have a talent for something, but if one does not work, that talent is likely to be of little use. It's something that I experienced in my own flesh in 2011 with the injury. At some point, I thought that maybe I couldn’t do what I enjoy the most, and that is my passion, to drive and compete on a MotoGP™ bike. Luckily, I overcame the obstacle with a lot of effort and work.

So far, I have won seven World Championships, five in MotoGP™. Is it a question of talent? Partly yes, but a very important part is the work, effort and dedication throughout the year. This winter has been a new example of this: I am still recovering from the shoulder injury which I had operated in December. The result has been long weeks, even months of recovery that finally allows me to arrive in a good condition for the start of the Championship, although I’m not yet 100%. No motorcycles for two months, only gym and physio, and then little by little introducing different exercises to improve in all aspects of my fitness. Once again, talent without effort doesn’t allow you to achieve your goal.

So I would recommend, to anyone who believes they have a special talent, that they never stop working. In the world of sport, there are talented athletes who didn’t reach their goals, because they didn’t understand that without constant work there is no reward. The talent is to save a crash, control the braking, overtake on the last corner. But it is also work, struggle and dedication to reach and achieve your goal.