As a young man, I was in youth track and cross-country and was able to rank nationally, and post 4-consecutive years with no loss and all first place, and I was lucky to find something I was good at early on in my life. I did not realize it back then when people use to come up and want to meet me and tell me how much they enjoyed watching me run and win. Today, I do understand, as it is an innate sense we have to watch others, especially underdogs, overcome and win. Perhaps why the Rocky series movies were so popular and why people like movies like the Karate Kid.
Recently, I watched a very inspirational YouTube video about a young athlete. A 7th grader cross-country runner who beat all the high girls at the State Championships, her name is Grace Ping. You might want to watch the following videos yourself:
1). "Grace Ping [GP], 7th grader, takes down the ENTIRE 2015 Roy Griak high school field" on the FloTrack Channel.
2). "GP Not Allowed to Race NXN" on the MileSplit Channel
3). "GP After Racing Pro 3K At UW Indoor" on the MileSplit Channel
4). "GP Story" by Sean Tehan Channel
5). "GP – Athlete Of The Week" Chris Barriere Channel
One commenter wrote: "why am I watching this video, I'm not even in track let alone athletic."
My reply was simple: "Because you love an individual with that level of spirit and will to win. We all do."
You see, it makes us feel alive, it makes us smile and see someone go beyond, go the distance, defy the odds and win. Americans will always hold such values ​​and hold a special place in our hearts for those who remind us what we are capable of. It turns out the super cross-country runner Grace is not just an anomaly – she is also a cross country skier – and those long skiing training endeavors helped her develop strong cardio, will, determination, high pain threshold, and legs of steal, even for a 13 year old.
It is amazing what the human body is capable of, and yes, she obviously has good genetics for running, but it's more than that, it's her intense training, training that is transferable from skiing to running. Interestingly enough most skills are transferable, especially the human trait of perseverance. She's got that, and well, so do you. She's found her "inner winner" and maybe it is time that you found yours too. Please consider all this and think on it.