Champion Of The World

A Chipmunk woke up this morning, nervous. It was a regular day, the leaves were beginning to fall and that meant it would soon be cold. It was time to gather and stockpile some nuts for the upcoming winter season.

Typically during this time, the animals hold a festive competition to see who can hold the most nuts in their cheeks at one time. The winner gets all the nuts left unused in the competition (the used nuts went home with the contestants that used them, gratis, of course).

For many years a Chipmunk named Chillicothe, Chili for short, had been the run-away winner of this contest. She had large cheeks and often trained beginning in spring to make them bigger and stretchier for more nut storage capacity. It was a point of pride for the Chipmunk that she had won the competition going on 5 years in a row now. An achievement made all the more special given Chili’s announcement that she would retire after this her 6th and final competition.

Chili wanted, of course, to go out on a high note. Win the competition one last time and then leave it to the up-and-coming youngsters to take it from there. The youngsters had been steadily getting better and better and closer and closer to beating her in the competition for years.

Chillicothe felt nervous this year. At some point in your competitive life, you no longer get better with age. At best you remain at your high level for a period of time before a steady decline begins, but you can never be certain of where you are until you truly test yourself with competition. Chili had real fear that this would be the year her decline would start to show. This might be the year that she loses and never wins again.

On the day of the competition Chillicothe got up early. She went through her usual pre-game rituals (mouth stretches, mostly) and then she made her way to the arena.

Up on stage and awaiting the starter’s pistol, Chillicothe hesitated. The nuts before her, waiting to be stuffed into her cheeks, looked bigger this year. More intimidating. She looked around and watched as the other contestants were furiously stuffing nuts into their mouths without hesitation and with perfect technique.

The starter’s pistol must have already sounded…

Chillicothe was late. She had only one option left. She began defending her title.

Nut by nut Chili began her 6th and final competition. Slowly, steadily, and with great technique, she kept adding to her total.

5 nuts... Now 10 nuts... 20...

Chillicothe looked around to see how everyone else was faring.

She had never done that before.

She had never been concerned with how her competition was doing, her singular focus was always on her own best results. But this year she wasn't trying to be the best she could be, she was simply trying to be the best.

25 nuts... 30...

Others were starting to tap out, 30 was usually where the significant drop-offs began. 30 was achievable by those who did minimal training. The bigger numbers, the world records, the winners, were only starting to separate themselves from the pack.

35... 37...

Chillicothe had won with 37 nuts her first year, then, in order, she won with 42, 43, 47, 52, 56. This year during her practice she was never able to crack 56. Which she knew, was the number the youngsters had their eyes on.

45... 48...

There were fewer competitors now, only 4 remained included Chillicothe. They had all managed to make it to this level. Beyond 50 is where willpower, determination, and pure desire take over. This was where the real test began, this was the moment Chillicothe most feared.

51...52...

One of the competitors dropped out at 52, 3 remained.

53... 54...

Another dropped out at 54... Only two competitors remained. Chillicothe and the young whipper-snapper, Snapper, a bear

Chillicothe looked at her remaining competitor. She recognized in them the same drive, the same passion she once had for this sport. The type of passion and the type of drive she hoped was still sufficient to propel her to one last victory before she shuffled off and waited to be reclaimed by the earth.

55...

The two competitors had made it to this level. Chillicothe was feeling immense pressure. She needed to tap out here. There was no more room in her cheeks for another nut. It was simply too much, it was foolish to continue.

56...

The challenger added another nut, Chillicothe did not. She looked down at the remaining nuts in front of her, this was it, this was the last moment. The culminating moment of truth. Where was she in her life? Had the decline begun or was there more in the tank? Now was the time to find out.

57...

The challenger continued, a new competition record had been set. Chillicothe was proud of the challenger. She knew what that felt like. She remembered what it was like to be that determined. Chillicothe began to despair. She began to doubt.

Chillicothe managed to add one more... 56...

Suddenly, the sound of nuts tumbling echoed in the arena. The challenger had raised their hands. A new world record had been set. The presumptive winner was celebrating.

Chillicothe looked down at her pile of nuts. She could feel the tension in her cheeks stretched to their highest possible limits. They felt as if they could give at any point and the nuts would come tumbling out of her mouth.

But Chillicothe knew one thing her challenger must not have learned yet, it ain't over, till it's over. The nuts hadn't tumbled out of Chillicothe's mouth yet. They were on their way to, it could happen at any moment, but they hadn't tumbled out yet. There was still time, there may only be seconds, but seconds are still seconds.

She didn't have time to pussyfoot around, she had one shot at this. She had no choice, she had to use a technique that had never been tried before, two at once, close your mouth for them to officially count, then let all the nuts go, once and for all. It was all she had left in her tank. All she had left before her competitive time was over...

Chillicothe reached down and grabbed two nuts. It was foolish, it was brave, it was both. Either everything would fall out or she would be remembered forever. There had to be room, there simply had to, the logic of how was not relevant. The only thing that mattered was the fact, that Chillicothe knew deep in her soul, there had to be room...

The audience went silent. Two nuts, to set a new world record and to win. It had never even been attempted before. Anticipation was building... Silence...

57...

58...

The sound of nuts tumbling out of her mouth couldn't be heard. The crowd was too busy celebrating the winner, and still champion of the world...