DON'T STOP BELIEVING...EVER

I believe in pushing yourself.  I believe that if you don't try... someone else will take your place.  That leaves you wondering why you didn't go for it in the first place.  It's a struggle... and fighting to be the best, or making it to the next level is probably the hardest thing anyone can ever do.  The victory is sweet though, and once you achieve it, you don't ever want to give that up...ever!

There are several athletes in my life that have always inspired me.  I fondly speak of Jorge Posada.  A guy with the guts to accomplish anything he wanted to on the field, but was told throughout his young career that he just didn't have the talent, and so he decided that "Can't" wasn't in his vocabulary. After his career was over, he had 5 championships and is forever loved by Yankee fans everywhere.

Enter 2 people that I want to talk about this morning. Enjoy this, while your having your coffee. Be inspired.

One is a guy named Steve Delabar, a pitcher for the Toronto Blue Jays.  The other is a runner and athlete named Kimberly Roots.  2 people, 2 totally separate stories... but both truly inspiring because they never gave up.

Steve Delabar wanted to be a major league pitcher and tried hard until one day, his arm literally popped.  His story is complete below in a Real Sports story I watched.  Anyway, once the arm popped, at that point he knew he pushed himself too much and was hurt, possibly for good.  He went back to his home state of Kentucky.  He became a substitute teacher and helped coach high school baseball.  During his coaching, he started to realize that through a program created by former Texas Rangers coach Tom House, he was building arms strength.  One day he tested himself... and suddenly something happened... he was inspired again.  He believed he could do it again...and so he did.


Steve Delabar came all the way back and pitches for the Toronto Blue Jays. He was scouted when the Jays got wind of his comeback, and he went up the ranks quickly this time, because now, he had the strength, the stuff and the will... he COULD do it.

(Photo Credit: Red Five Productions)
The other story is about a woman named Kimberly Roots... a runner, an athlete and a friend with more will and desire to climb any mountain that gets in her way.  She's determined... she's a believer.  My close friends and I know just how determined she is, but I guess one day she even surprised herself.  Kim Roots recently competed in her first half-Ironman distance marathon.  She wrote this about the achievement: " I did something that a few years ago seemed impossible: I swam 1.2 miles, biked 56 miles and ran 13.1 miles to complete my first half-Ironman distance triathlon."

(Photo Credit: Red Five Productions)
Some may think this is small potatoes... You know what? You try it.  This is something Kimberly Roots was unsure she would be able to do... but one thing crept in... she believed that with support, training and drive... she could and she would.  Guess what? She did. After swimming over 1 mile, biking 56 miles and running over 13... victory.  No one can take that away from her... no one.

So what's the lesson today?  You want to accomplish something? Go get it.  You believe that you can climb the mountain of life? You climb it.  No one will do it for you.  It's a life lesson... push yourself to the next level if you believe... and once you get there... don't stop believing.

Shoutout to Steve Delabar and Kimberly Roots... You've inspired me today. Keep going...

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