The Solelim Cup

Fire – Bravery

Jackie Robinson, Mordecai Anielewicz, Aaron Ralston

The first team in the Solelim Cup is hotter than hot, and has the power to consume everything around it. The ancient Greeks say that Fire was stolen from the Gods and given to man by the great Prometheus. Fire has always been an important part of all cultures and religions and was vital to the development of civilization.

            Fire has provided a means for communication, and an ability to signal warning. Furthermore, just as darkness is a symbol for evil and emptiness, the ability of fire to illuminate its surroundings is a symbol for passion and bravery. Fire, and the bravery that it represents, allows people to better themselves. Just as Prometheus took a risk to better humankind when he stole fire from the Gods, so too does risk taking and bravery allow human society to progress. It is the bravery within each and every one of us that allows us to achieve greatness.

Three Champions of Fire:

Jackie Robinson:

The first player to break the colour barrier in Major League Baseball, Jackie Robinson was much more than just an athlete. Robinson was a leader and symbol for the Black Civil Rights movement in the United States. On and off the field he received death threats and racial slurs, yet his bravery and the fire that burned within, allowed him to continue playing and end up in the hall of fame.

Mordecai Anielewicz:

The leader of the Warsaw ghetto uprising, Mordecai Anielewicz is a prime example of bravery. During the Holocaust Anielewicz lead an uprising against the powerful Nazi forces. With little supplies and ammunition, the Warsaw ghetto uprising was aimed at regaining the humanity and dignity of the Jewish people in Warsaw. It did much more than that, as it lasted for many weeks and sent shockwaves throughout Germany and Nazi occupied Europe.

Aaron Ralston:

Aaron Ralston was a normal man with a passion for adventure, who was thrust into a dire situation. Ralston was hiking in Blue John Canyon when he fell and had his arm stuck beneath a bolder. Ralston acted with the utmost bravery when he decided that in order to save his life, he would have to cut off his own arm. Ralston still lives today and is immortalized in the film 127 hours.

Water – Wisdom

Ghandi, Albert Einstein, Aristotle

The next team in the Solelim Cup represents a different type of power. Throughout the generations the wise have always risen to the top. Just as water is a necessity in all forms of life, so too is wisdom necessary for mankind. Our home planet and the human body are both comprised of at least 75% of water, and this only scratches the surface of water’s depth.

It is water, and nothing else, that provides shelter, safety and comfort from the blistering heat. Yet, water can also wreak havoc through tsunamis, flooding and other disasters. Water can be both fierce and graceful, and here in lies its innate power. Wise people understand the importance and power of water. Wisdom was the driving force behind the enlightenment, and continues to progress society forward today.

Three Champions of Water:

Gandhi:

The epitome of wisdom, Mahatma Gandhi led India to independence and inspired movements for non-violence, civil rights and freedom across the world. Gandhi was a man of the people and a pacifist, and through his incredible wisdom he was able to improve the lives of millions.

Albert Einstein:

A Jewish theoretical physicist, Einstein represents both the positive and destructive power that wisdom can have. Einstein is the father of modern physics and his theory of relativity led to both great discoveries for mankind but also to the destruction and havoc of the atomic bomb. Einstein provides a cautionary tale for what can happen when one man’s wisdom is in the wrong man’s hands.

Aristotle:

One of the most important figures in western philosophy, Aristotle is a true champion of wisdom. Also an ethicist, a mathematician, and a scientist, his works had a profound effect on the medieval period, the renaissance and still have a notable impact today. Wisdom, such as Aristotle’s, lives on forever.

Air – Strength

Achilles, King David, Terry Fox

            Since the beginning of time, strength has marked distinction between men. Air, like strength, can use brute force to alter its surroundings. Darwin wrote about the survival of the fittest, and strength is a core component of this concept. Air, a representation of strength, is often seen as a universal power or substance. Stemming from the Latin word spirare, the importance of air can be seen in words of fundamental importance such as aspire, inspire, and spirit. It is said that air is our life spirit, and that our soul passes through the gateway of air to the world to come.

Without air, and oxygen, man cannot survive. It is air, therefore that acts as the difference between life and death. Strength, like air, is a great power and those who have it should be feared.

Three Champions of Air:

Achilles:

A hero of the Trojan War, Achilles was arguably the greatest warrior of all time.  He was ruthless on the battlefield, and feared by common men and kings. The son of a god, Achilles epitomizes the power of brute strength.

King David:

The greatest military king in Jewish history, King David illustrates that strength is not simply a matter of size and that even the small can achieve greatness. The famous story of David vs. Goliath launched David to unparalleled heights. As a king he gained many lands, and was such a relentless conqueror that God himself would not allow David to build his temple.

Terry Fox:

A beacon of strength and determination Terry Fox was a victim of cancer. Yet, he did not give in to the terrible disease and even after losing a leg embarked on a journey that will forever be a part of the Canadian identity. With one leg amputated, Fox embarked on the run of hope – a run across Canada to raise money and awareness for Cancer. When his cancer spread, Fox had to end his journey at 143 days. Yet his strength never died, and Fox is a hero to Canadians everywhere and a symbol of mental strength.

Earth – Loyalty

Hannah Senesh, Mario Lemieux, Winston Churchill

            Last but certainly not least is the element beneath our very feat. Earth is a constant in life that can always be relied upon and represents the quality of loyalty. No matter how much the earth may shift, it always regains its form and characterizes sustainability and stability. Between people and in politics it is loyalty that provides the basis and trust for a relationship to flourish. Be it patriotism, sticking up for a friend, or standing beside a people through thick and thin loyalty is the building block of everything that grows between people. Just as earth is the building block of everything that grows on our planet.

            The earth is the one element that has witnessed all of history. From the earliest cavemen, to the ancient Greeks, to the enlightenment to modern times and everything in between the earth has been the single constant. Without earth there is no grounds for humanity, and without loyalty there is no grounds for human contact.

Three Champions of Earth:

Winston Churchill:

Regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the 20^th century Sir Winston Churchill led Britain during the Second World War. Eventually defeating Hitler and Nazism, Churchill had to stand strong and never waiver in his leadership as prime minister of England. He overcame great criticism and stood loyal to his country, his people and his ideology. Churchill is a symbol of loyalty in the darkest of times.

Mario Lemieux:

One of the greatest hockey players of all time, Lemieux is no stranger to adversity and temptation. As a member of the Pittsburg Penguins, Lemieux was forced into early retirement after being diagnosed with cancer. A strong individual, Lemieux overcame the terrible disease and would only return as a member of the Penguins. Throughout his career he could have received more money to play elsewhere but he decided his loyalty remained with the Penguins organization and their great fans. Lemiuex is an example of loyalty in modern times in the sporting world where it seems money, and not loyalty takes precedence.

Hannah Senesh:

Senesh was one of 37 Jews living in Palestine to serve as a member of the British army during World War two. A paratrooper, Senesh epitomized loyalty. She was captured near the Hungarian border by the Nazi troops. After being transferred to a Budapest prison, Hannah was repeatedly interrogated and cruelly tortured, but she refused to reveal any of her comrades’ names and refused to provide the much needed transmitter code. Even when her mother was arrested, and the Nazis threatened to kill her mother, Senesh stood strong behind her ideals and loyally to the British army and the Israeli cause. Senesh was eventually murdered by a firing squad, but never provided the information the Nazis need.