Once a week I will be sharing a story from my life. Please let me know what you think of this week’s story. I have shared these stories in sermons over the years. It is my hope to compile them into a book a year from now.
Ascend: INSPIRATION
“To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift.”
Steve Prefontaine
The greatest distance runner in U.S. history stopped breathing. He was 24 years old. It seemed impossible. Four hours earlier he had won a 5000m race against some of the best runners in the world. But at 12:30 a.m., the following morning, he suffocated under his butterscotch MG on Skyline Drive in Eugene, Oregon. The celebratory party following the race had compromised him, and now it cost him, his family, his friends, and his fans. He had set American records 16 times during his short life. He possessed charisma and a brash confidence that captivated people, filled stadiums, and inspired people then, and today.
He was from Coos Bay, Oregon, my hometown. Coos Bay is a beautiful, depressed community that once thrived on the wood and fishing industries. I know when I am home even with my eyes closed. The smell of wood chips on the bayfront, the nearby pulp mill, and the mudflats baking in the sun at low tide are all a dead giveaway. It has always possessed a hardworking blue-collar workforce that tends to produce strong, athletic stock. Thick fog, heavy winter rains, and incessant Northwest winds keep it uncomfortably cool year-round.
I was five years old, living along one of Steve’s favorite training routes when he died. I remember hearing about his death, but I was too young to have watched any of his races.
Two years later, at the age of seven, I began running distance races at All-Comers track meets at Marshfield High School. To train, I would get up before school with my parents to go “jogging” – something no other children did at that time, and few do today. After finding success there, we began making trips to Eugene, Oregon, where I would race in age group track meets on the legendary Hayward Field (considered to be the most prestigious track and field facility in the U.S.). I competed in AAU and Junior Olympic meets. At the age of 8, I ran 5:05 for 1500m (“the metric mile”), and began competing at a national level in age-group track, cross-country, and road racing.
Prefontaine’s legend and legacy provided me with tremendous inspiration as a young athlete. I ran on his tracks. I went to his schools (middle school, high school, and attending summer track camps at the University of Oregon). I got to know his coaches (some who coached me). I tried to emulate his work ethic and his fierce competitiveness.
With the success I had as a young boy, I believed that it was possible for me to become a world-class runner. A sub-four-minute miler. An Olympian. My parents and coaches shared that belief and supported me as I ran to catch that dream.
My determination was an obsession. I based my self worth, and personal value on my successes and failures.
Over time, I won several state championships in track and cross country. I would often be ranked nationally. I would compete in the Olympic Trials in the marathon in 1996 and 2000. I had a shoe sponsorship and enjoyed winning regional races. My travel expenses were covered when I traveled to major events.
But I didn’t run as “Pre” did. I trained as hard as I could for years, but we all have different capacities within our talents.
I know this for certain: I ran faster because of Pre’s inspiration. I aimed higher, and achieved more, because of his example. I believed I was capable of more, because of the high standard that he had set. We all either lift people up or hold people down.
What example are you setting for others? As a coach, a roommate, a father, a mother, a boss, a co-worker, as an athlete? It’s about attitude even more than it is about achievement. Your life is meant to be an inspiration.
When I started running after God instead of mere finish lines, my sources of inspiration shifted. Instead of Prefontaine, elite athletes, and my coaches, I found inspiration from my youth pastor, my mentors, and great men and women of God.
Jesus inspired others. He said, “Come follow me”, and people left their jobs to follow in his footsteps. (Matthew 4:19)
The Apostle Paul said, “Follow me as I follow Christ.” (1 Corinthians 11:1).
We influence. We inspire. We lead. Let’s run faster. Let’s train harder. Let’s believe that we are capable of more, with God’s help.
• Who inspires you and what difference has that inspiration made in your life?
• People tend to rise or fall to the level of their competition. What can you do to “level up” personally and professionally? What is holding you back?
