Last time I promised you a great story about an amazing runner. I expanded this to include two other great sources of inspiration, because I love these stories and I think there is magic in threes. If you are hitting a bit of a lull from your January resolution, or just want some rainy day I-need-to-get-some-mojo, read on and be prepared to want to go out and whoop it up!
Warning:
All three will make you appreciate what you’ve got, proof that you can defy the odds, and are a guaranteed tug on your heart strings …
Meet Kayla Montgomery
Kayla is a really fast North Carolina high school cross country runner. That isn’t really all that makes her story compelling.
She was a soccer player, but one day after a soccer game she told her mom that her toes were tingling and she couldn’t feel her feet. Several doctor visits and MRIs later, the doctor called with the diagnosis: multiple sclerosis.
When told of the diagnosis, Kayla said, “I just cried. A lot. I didn’t let anyone in my room. I was mad. I was just mad. “
For 8 horrible months she lost all feeling in her legs, but eventually with medication, the feeling returned. She had to give up soccer, but was able to start running in it’s place. The MS didn’t go away, and interestingly enough her symptoms are triggered and exacerbated by heat. Translated: As her body heats up, the loss of feeling in her legs slowly spreads from her feet and higher until it reaches her hips. As a matter of fact, she can’t feel her legs at all while she runs, which means she doesn’t feel pain, but also means she can’t tell how fast she is running. It also means that she no ability to decelerate when she reaches the finish line. This is when her coach has to literally catch her as she finishes a race, and then get her cooled down as quickly as he can with ice and water so that she can walk again. The cool thing: the short term symptoms seem to have no long term effect.
Honestly, it is one thing to write about it, and quite another to listen to her coach and see her race, especially the final race of her high school career. Watch her 12-ish minute video here, as seen as a special on ESPN.
Next up: an unusual father and son triathlon team.
If you haven’t seen this one, just click on the link. This is a short 5 minute video…you might need to grab a tissue!
This is a fantastic story about the triathlete dad Dick Hoyt who bought a boat, adult stroller, and adult bike seat for his handicapped son Rick so the two could enter races together. Rick told his dad that he loved being on the bike because he felt like “he was flying”. In return, Rick helps his father to improve his health. Watch it!
Finally, you may not be a football fan
All the same, this really short 2.5 min video will get you so pumped up you won’t know what to do with yourself! The original blogger Nick Johnson of homesnacks.net on January 6, 2016, wrote:
“The Seahawks got off to a slow start, and lots of people overlooked them as a threat in the NFC this year. Now, they’re on a roll, and lots of people say they have a solid chance to barge their way to the Super Bowl once again. Let’s all get on the same page and watch this video, which is getting the entire city of Seattle to believe.
The video starts out with some inspiring quotes from motivational speaker Les Brown. Things like: Sometimes you’re up, and sometimes you’re down. And, during those down moments is when growth takes place. This isn’t just a great insight into life in the NFL, this is life itself. It seems like every year, a wild card team makes a solid run in the playoffs. This year, it’s going to be the Hawks.”
We know how the Seahawks story turns out for the Super Bowl. Ignore the football part of it, and focus on the superimposed audio and words of Les Brown. The name of the video: “Greater is Coming”.
It is incredible.
http://www.homesnacks.net/this-will-make-you-believe-the-seahawks-will-win-it-all-this-year-124705/
Let us know in the comments below if you were inspired! Greater IS coming! 🙂
