Page 102 - Trump Never Give Up: How I Turned My Biggest Challenges into Success

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A S IX -Y EAR P ROJECT IN S IX M ONTHS

rink required 22 miles of pipes. It also required two 35,000-
pound refrigeration units. I had publicly promised to complete
all the work within six months! I wondered if I had backed
myself into a potentially humiliating corner. If I failed, it would
be in all the papers, and my reputation would definitely suffer. I
had some challenges ahead of me, that’s for sure. The doubts
went away as long as I kept the image of a beautiful and finished
rink in my mind. I knew I could get it done, but I wasn’t kidding
myself that it would be a piece of cake.
The physical conditions at the rink weren’t the biggest prob-
lem. There was such a lack of direction that the restoration pro-
cess looked like a bumper car amusement ride that just went
round and round in circles. There was no leadership. That’s
when I made the decision to take charge and check on this proj-
ect every single day. I wanted to know what was going on, who
was doing what, and I personally oversaw the progress. For
example, because I knew nothing about building rinks, I set out
to find the best skating-rink builder I could. I spoke to experts
and decided on a brine system for refrigerating the ice. It’s more
costly but very durable. I approached every aspect of rebuilding
the rink as a personal undertaking.
Therinkwasfinishedonemonthaheadoftime—andunder
budget. It was well worth the effort. The gala opening celebra-
tion for the rink was a great occasion, and we had skaters
Peggy Fleming, Dorothy Hamill, Scott Hamilton, and others
to help celebrate this great day for New York City. We finally
hadaworkingrinkandabeautifulplaceforNewYorkersto
play. All profits went to charity and the Parks Department.
Everyone won.
Was this process easy? No, it was painstaking. Was it worth
it? You better believe it. When you come to New York City, don’t
miss it. Skating under the trees in Central Park and looking out
on the magnificent skyline is an event you will never forget.

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