Some people really know how to take it to the edge, and then keep on going.
It always makes me wonder; How do they THINK about themselves, and about life? What’s their mindset?
Take this incredible 8 year boy, Nate Viands, who ran a 3:32 marathon, which is an exceptional feat for any kid to do.
On top of this, Nate was diagnosed with leukemia right before he turned 4, and at some points he was so weak he couldn’t even walk up stairs.
Certainly not the foundations you’d expect from any child prodigy runner.
Amazingly, Nate ended up running this 3:32 marathon just a year after he’d finished his chemo– remarkable and a truly inspiring result.
Then there’s ultra-runner, Sophie Power, who caused quite a stir in 2018 when she ran a 105 mile (170 kms) race, even though she was still breastfeeding her 3 month old baby at the time.
This incredible photo shattering social norms is by Alexis Berg. Permission to use the photo was given by the legend herself, Sophie Power.
Sophies’s interview with Runner’s World explains;
Cormac usually feeds every three hours and it took me 16 hours to get to Courmayeur, where he could first meet me, so I was hand-expressing everywhere I could. I was possibly the only runner at aid stations who was also supplying food.’ Her husband would then take the milk back to feed Cormac.
Talk about taking all social expectations, all limiting beliefs and fixed mindsets about how and what a new mother should be doing, and totally annihilating them into complete and utter smithereens.
Naturally, I totally love Sophie. What a woman.
Turns out, Sophie isn’t the only breastfeeding ultra runner. There’s also ultra-queen Jasmin Paris, who won the Montane Spine– a gruesome 268 mile race (431 kms!!! WHAT?!) in brutal, freezing weather conditions.
Jasmin came first place overall, beating all the men as well as the women, and set a course record. Oh yeah, and she was still breastfeeding too.
MIND (and stereotypes) BLOWN.
Nate, Sophie, Jasmin– you’re all undeniably INCREDIBLE.
Of course, you and I don’t need to be like Nate in the wake of his cancer, or like exceptional ultra-runners Sophie Power and Jasmin Paris, to be incredible too.
But I do think it begs an important question– how do you test yourself?
WHY EVEN TEST YOURSELF?
If you don’t ever test yourself, how can you know what you’re made of?
How do you know the depth of your capabilities, if you never dare to ask yourself– what else could I do?
When we’re faced with challenges and tests, we’re given an absolute gift; the opportunity to create ourselves.
If all we ever do is run away from being challenged, unfortunately we become very good at it. We become conditioned to avoiding difficulties, avoiding the truth, and avoiding effort and action in all areas of our life.
Physically. Mentally. Emotionally. Spiritually. We become unrealised potential.
So if you’re looking to grow and evolve, then every test and challenge in our lives is nothing but a blessing– the opportunity and miraculous gift of being able to create yourself.
Here’s to you creating your best self.
To consciously becoming a person that you deeply accept, listen to, appreciate, admire, respect, love– or whatever your heart desires.