Townsman, 1992-01, Page 10sport where politics can play such a
Targe part in the outcome. You don't
just put the puck in the net more than
the other team in this sport and win. It
is more complicated than that. Eisler
isn't sure you can teach competitive-
ness, but he feels in his case it was
instilled.
"I think I'm probably as competitive
a person as I've ever met or ever run
into," he says. "I don't do anything in
life where I don't sort of compete for
personal satisfaction, whether it is
against myself or others. Whenever I
say I'm going to do something — it's
everything I've got that day, or what-
ever. I think skating with Mr. Leitch
for those 15 years sort of bred com-
petitiveness because I was never con-
sidered to be best on the ice, or the
person with the most talent, but I've
made up for it with my competitive
nature and determination.
"There have been sometimes that I
felt I was robbed (try the '84
Olympics) or that the judging was
completely unfair but you learn that
you are not skating for the people who
are judging you. They just happen to
be up there determining your placing.
If you want to skate because you love
the sport and because you're good and
because you're going to be proud of
how you skated — well that's why you
should skate. But if you are always
going to be worried about your plac-
ing — you know, 'I skated and if I
don't come first then I want to quit' —
well then you should quit! Because it
is a politically judged event, like gym-
nastics and diving ... you have to be
able to justify and look for rewards in
places other than judges' marks and
that comes from self satisfaction, self
pride and just pure enjoyment, also,
setting your goals for yourself and not
for your coach or your parents and
especially not for the judges. On any
given day nine different judges up
there can see it nine different ways.
It's a little bit biased because one
judge is maybe always going to pull
for this country or that., especially if it
is very close. Sometimes you hope
you get a good draw of judges."
Lloyd's mother Bev says "Mum is
the word" in this snack bracket and
particularly at high level figure skat-
ing competitions. You have to remain
8 TOWNSMAN/JANUARY-FEBRUARY 1992
in control and keep your mouth shut
no matter what you might feel inside.
There are a lot of wonderful people in
the sport who have become almost
"family" but then there are a few who
can be so classy "it is worse than a
dog show", she says. The Eislers let
off steam in the kitchen of their mod-
est home. "The walls should be blue
by now", she adds.
Herbie does not belabor the point
but says it is simple — there is no way
in the world he could be where he is
today without the tremendous sacri-
fices his parents have made for him
with effort, time and money. They
have spent hundreds of thousands of
dollars, and even moved to Hamilton
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