The state championships were held over the weekend and whilst much of the results were expected, there were isolated cases where the outside chance prevailed.

The mutant gene drives the evolution process in our world. It introduces something different to the status quo and eventually it re-shapes the form of our existence. The iPhone is also an outside chance story. Once, dials and push buttons ruled the phone world and phones were used to talk into. Then came the iPhone. It appeared as a minicomputer that responded to the touch of the finger tips. It took pictures, played music, downloaded emails, introduced the word “app” to the world, had a pretty screen and above all, became a fashion accessory. And it even made phone calls!

This just proves that in this life, anything is possible – even though we learn to calculate and rely on the probable. Punters wager on the outside chance, while the mainstream works the odds. If the favourite wins – it is just “another brick in the wall”. But if an outside chance wins, it is time to begin the celebrations and inspire the reporters to recount the incredible.

But in a world of dominance by the mainstream, we are hooked by the promise of certainty. We have a majority who hang onto jobs because it produces a certain predictable pay check. The employers are in the minority because they savour the outside chance of business success.

It is risky sticking our necks out and that is why we stay in the pack.

Last Sunday, I had a strong performance in the road race. But I was still a victim of the ‘safety in the pack’ mentality. With 500 metre to go at the finish we were all bunched up and I was on second wheel. I could have taken the outside chance of starting my uphill sprint then. It would have meant sticking my neck out and probably fading just before the finish line – and it was this probability that made me hold off until it was too late. With 200 to go, I was swamped by 22 other sprinters.

It was just another lesson of failing to take the outside chance.

Anything is possible, and heaven on earth does exist. It just takes an outside chance to find it.