Growing up, I was short and skinny, and pretty much a nerd. I was more than a mathlete than an athlete, that's for sure. However, I did love to play sports. I wasn't necessarily great at them, but I still loved to play. Here's how great I was: Once in high school, I went to play basketball in the neighborhood, as I did often after school. There were 11 of us, and when teams were picked, I was the only one not to get picked. But here's the catch. Who was the last person picked on a team? Well, he was actually a great athlete. But, he had a broken leg at the time. A BROKEN LEG. That was definitely kick to the ol' ego.
When I did actually get to play anything, be it football, basketball, or whatever, I would give it my all. I wasn't the fastest or the most athletic, but nobody worked harder than me out there. I would often dive for loose balls and scrape myself up. People would comment that I wasn't getting paid, so why was I doing that? I didn't get it. How could you not give it your all?
That's why I fell in love with obstacle course racing (OCR). You really find out who you are on those courses. They really kick your butt. You have to dig deep and push yourself to be successful in these races, and I love it. Best of all, I have met others who share the need to get outside of your comfort zone and see where it takes you. What an incredible group of positive, supportive people!
We are all on a journey, just at different places. My journey in OCR is nowhere near the finish line, as long as I can help it. But I am going to keep moving forward, working hard, and getting better. After all, I am an athlete.
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