Last year, Pakistan celebrated a historic moment as Arshad Nadeem, from a small village near Khanewal, stunned the world with a record breaking throw.

For a country like Pakistan, where the majority of the population is under 30 and faces numerous challenges, such victories are not to be taken lightly. Arshad ignited a lasting wave of inspiration among the youth, offering them a new hero to look up to and motivating them to ensure that the nation does not have to wait another 40 years for the next Olympic gold. Arshad’s victory is not just a matter of national pride but a testament to the power of perseverance, resilience, and the relentless pursuit of excellence.

But let’s pause and consider—what exactly were we celebrating? Was it merely the act of throwing a javelin 92.97 meters, or was there something more profound at play? The real celebration lied not in the distance the javelin traveled, but in the years of hard work, grit, and resilience that led Arshad to this moment. Under the guidance of his coach, Salman Iqbal Butt, Arshad developed the discipline, focus, and mental toughness necessary to compete at the highest level. This journey is a powerful example of how experiential learning—the process of learning through doing and immersion—cultivates the very characteristics that made his victory possible.

Understanding the importance of experiential learning is crucial to grasping how Arshad’s perseverance and success were forged. Experiential learning is not attained as much through books as it is through the guidance of mentors. Mentorship is the key to unlocking the path of learning by doing. A mentor doesn’t just impart knowledge—they immerse you in the experience itself. They push you to act, to apply, to fail, and to learn from those failures. Arshad Nadeem’s coach, Salman Iqbal Butt, played a pivotal role in guiding him to victory. Butt didn’t just teach Nadeem the technical aspects of javelin throwing; he helped him internalize the discipline, focus, and mental strength needed to compete at the highest level. Through the love and respect Nadeem developed for his coach, his ego diminished, making room for the lessons to take root deeply within him. This love, born from passion and humility, transformed the arduous journey of mastery into one filled with joy and fulfillment. Mentors like Butt help you navigate the complexities of experiential learning by guiding you through practical application, ensuring that your learning is not just theoretical but deeply rooted in reality.

While mentorship is a vital part of the journey, certain fields by their very nature force you into the realm of experiential learning. Athletes and artists are prime examples of this. These are areas where experience and practice are integral to success—where knowing is not enough; doing is everything. Consider a musician who has studied every raga and scale. No amount of theoretical knowledge can replace the understanding that comes from performing, from experiencing the music in the moment. Similarly, an athlete might know all the techniques and strategies of their sport, but mastery comes only through the countless hours spent honing their skills on the field. These fields are designed to engage the body and mind in a way that transforms knowledge into deep, instinctual understanding. The best performers, whether on stage or in the field, reach a point where their actions are no longer consciously directed—their subconscious mind, trained through years of experience, takes over. A skilled driver, for example, can maintain control of the vehicle even while their thoughts are elsewhere, their subconscious managing the intricate dance of muscles and reflexes. This is the power of experiential learning: it becomes a part of who you are, guiding you even when you’re not actively thinking about it.

Art and sports not only teach us the power of experience, but they also show us how to immerse ourselves in our pursuits. Through poetry, for example, we transcend the rigid structures of grammar, allowing our imagination to explore new meanings. When we free ourselves from conventional boundaries, we discover that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. In the same way, when we engage our bodies and minds in an art form or a sport, we experience the profound synergy that comes from fully immersing ourselves in the activity. Every part of your body, when engaged, forms a relationship with you. The benefits of experiential learning are not confined to sports, arts, or spiritual pursuits. Once you adopt the mindset of learning through doing, this approach can be applied to any field, whether it’s engineering, business, or entrepreneurship. The discipline, focus, and resilience you develop through experiential learning in one area will carry over into others. Imagine an engineer who has not only studied the principles of design but has also built and tested prototypes with their own hands. This engineer understands the nuances and challenges of the work far better than one who has only read about it.

Similarly, a business leader who has navigated the ups and downs of launching a startup will have a more profound understanding of what it takes to succeed than someone who has only studied business theory. By engaging deeply with our experiences and pursuing mastery in our chosen fields, we develop the ability to apply these lessons across different domains, enhancing our overall capacity for success and fulfillment.

Knowing this reality—understanding that true knowledge comes not from words but from experience—forces you to act. It exposes the hidden constraints within you, such as procrastination or laziness, that often prevent you from realizing your true potential. When you embrace the philosophy of doing, you confront these weaknesses head-on. You can no longer sit back and passively consume ideas; instead, you are compelled to engage, to struggle, to grow. This active engagement is what leads to true understanding and mastery, unveiling the full spectrum of your capabilities and freeing you to become your true self. And so, let us celebrate Arshad Nadeem’s victory once again; the journey, the struggle, and the doing. Let us reflect on his story and discover our path to similar glory by engaging more in sports, arts, and making our involvement in our profession more immersive. In this way, we too can play our part in raising the flag of Pakistan on the global stage.