Saturday, September 12, 2009
Hello Folks,
Two inspiring athletes come to mind when I think about overcoming great obstacles...
Christopher Reeves and Lance Armstrong both had insurmountable obstacles and managed to not only survive but thrive in their own way.
I can’t help but think of Christopher Reeves when I think of someone who really took the most difficult of circumstances in his life and made the best of it.
Christopher used his situation to make a difference in the world. Although, he spent his entire life, after the accident, in a wheelchair; he also spent the rest of his life educating, researching and inspiring the masses. With the support of his wife, who truly believed in him, and his friends and family, he was able to make peace with his situation. He used this difficult situation toward some positive outcome. He was truly a leader and someone who showed the world how to live life, despite its challenges, with dignity and style.
Christopher Reeves also wrote an inspiring book called Still Me, which is a warm account of his life before and after the injury. In it he says...
"When the first Superman movie came out, I (Reeves) was frequently asked, 'What is a hero?' I remember the glib response I repeated so many times. My answer was that a hero is someone who commits a courageous action without considering the consequences - a soldier who crawls out of a foxhole to drag his injured buddy to safety. And I also meant individuals who are slightly larger than life: Houdini, Lindbergh, John Wayne, JFK, and Joe DiMaggio. But now, my definition is completely different. I think a hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming circumstances...."
Christopher Reeves died early, but left an indelible mark on humanity and founded the Christopher And Dana Reeve Foundation.
Lance Armstrong raised the bar for all athletes, by not only winning 7 tour de france races, but by beating a disease that was at a stage that could have easily taken his life. He also started the Lance Armstrong Foundation and the Live Strong phenomena.
If children have the ability to ignore all odds and percentages, then maybe we can all learn from them. When you think about it, what other choice is there but to hope? We have two options, medically and emotionally: give up, or Fight Like Hell.
~Lance Armstrong
Exercise: run 30 minutes, turbulance training
Menu: Protein and veggies
Until next time…
Think, Believe, Act, Adjust, Never Give up
Dakota
Today’s Mantra: At first, dreams seem impossible, then improbable, and eventually inevitable.
Christopher Reeves
