I’ve been off running for almost 3 weeks, waiting for an appointment to have my shin checked out by a professional. I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about running, reading blogs and visiting my favourite places online. Today I was going to publish a post on motivation after all, this blog came to fruition to inspire and motivate. But instead I thought I’d share some of the most motivational and inspiring stories about running that I know.
Facing Adversity
Never measure the height of a mountain until you have reached the top. Then you will see how low it was.
- Dag Hammarskjold
Janet Oberholtzer
Depression loses its power when fresh vision pierces the darkness.
- Peter Sinclair
Janet Oberholtzer - An Inspiration
Janet Oberholtzer is one tough cookie! A strong woman with an even stronger will to overcome the challenges set before her. A devastating motor vehicle accident left Janet literally fighting for life and limb.
The story of her rise from depression and physical disability to emotional recovery and physical healing to reclaim her running and her life will touch you profoundly.
Team Hoyt – Dick And Rick Hoyt
Adversity causes some men to break, others to break records.
- William A. Ward
Imagine a society that refuses to accept your child because of his disability. Imagine fighting for his right to be accepted into a main stream school.
“Go, Bruins!” those were the first words that Rick Hoyt uttered using his interactive computer in 1972 and from that moment Rick’s parent knew that loved sport.
Rick and Dick Hoyt - Facing Adversity Together
Rick Hoyt has Cerebral Palsy and is also diagnosed as a spastic quadriplegic. But that has never stopped Team Hoyt! Rick and his dad Dick went from completing a 5 mile charity race in 1977 to completing their 1000th race at the 2009 Boston Marathon.
Imagine this father and son team competing together is triathlons and marathons… {watch this video clip}
Through their determination they set up the Hoyt Foundation in 1989 and have trail blazed the way forward for the inclusion of young disabled people into sport.
Tom White
A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.
- Sir Winston Churchill
Two years ago Tom made the decision to have his leg amputated so that he could continue with his running. Check out this video clip, this guy is just amazing, his positive outlook and his openness is infectious!
Here is an article from Runner’s World about Tom’s story.
I wanted to share these links and stories because when I’m in a slump and straining to find motivation checking out these clips and blogs and seeing how these amazing human beings live their lives to the fullest despite the obstacles set before them is what gives me a kick in the butt to haul my ass when I need it!
Hopefully the inspiration these stories bring will give you a kick in the butt when you need it too. I’m pretty sure these are not the only stories of ordinary people doing inspirational stuff with their lives, if you know of any more inspirational stories please share them in the comments below.
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Article by Gabi
I'm Gabi, the writer for and owner of Top Running Tips. I hope you enjoyed this article! Either way, I'd love to hear from you so please consider leaving a comment. Want to know more about me, why I’m so passionate about running and what it can do for you? Just pop over to the About page to find out…
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I really enjoyed reading the blogs. It is very motivating and I hope will motivate a lot of people to run more or start running for the fun of it.
Hi Olie,
I’m pleased that you found these stories motivational, they show the amazing ability that we humans have to rise above our life challenges and surpass even our own expectations.
Thank you for visiting and for sharing your thoughts!
Good luck with your running
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