Following my last entry, I received several emails about Ironman Marc Herremans.  With my limited knowledge of the sport, I had never heard of him.  It didn’t take me long to realize that there was something special about him however.

Back in 2001, Marc Herremans finished 6th in the Ironman World Championship in Hawaii.  Finishing 6th in such a highly regarded race is clearly an amazing accomplishment.  Yet despite his strong performance, Marc wanted more. He had only started training for triathlons in 1998. Therefore, it was reasonable to believe that he would crack the top three in 2002, with the possibility of eventually winning the race.

Unfortunately, Marc’s dreams took a drastic turn for the worse after a terrible accident in 2002. After losing control of his bike, Marc was left paralyzed below his chest. Following such a tragic accident, it would have been reasonable for Marc to give up his hopes of winning the Ironman.

Fortunately, Marc has shown that he is everything but reasonable. Three months after his accident, Marc began training again, this time as a wheelchair competitor. Less than one year after being paralyzed in a near fatal accident, Marc Herremans competed again in the Ironman. He then competed each year afterward until he finally won the race in 2006.   He was the first wheelchair athlete to finish.

Marc continues to train with the hopes of eventually walking again.  If you are in need of inspiration, look no further than the video below:

Athletes such as Scott Rigsby and Marc Herremans have shown me that we all have much more potential than we will ever realize.  In Marc’s own words,

“I didn’t know I was this strong either, but I became aware of it after the accident.”

I’m blown away by his determination.  To see him get up and compete after dealing with such a tragedy is beyond amazing.

Marc speaks more about his life and his refusal to give up in the translated interview below:

Walk With Marc Herremans

It’s worth taking a few minutes out of your day to listen to him speak.

If you are in need of inspiration, look no further than Scott Rigsby.  He is a double leg amputee who finished the Ford Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii.

The video below tells the story…

Scott is a living example of the words below (per Orison Swett Marden),

“Success is the child of drudgery and perseverance. It cannot be coaxed or bribed; pay the price and it is yours.”

Rob Taylor is closing in on age 70.  He’s a great-grandfather and cancer survivor.  He overcame skin cancer in 1999 and then tonsil cancer in 2003.  Four years later, the tonsil cancer returned.  This time it was worse, as it had spread to the lymph nodes in his neck.  He struggled through chemotherapy and repeated radiation treatments.  He even lost his saliva gland.

Rob has certainly been through a lot.  He doesn’t sit around and mope about the circumstances however.  On the contrary, he remains as active and strong as most men half his age.  He isn’t a lifetime lifter though.  Rob didn’t begin powerlifting until he was 64 years old.

Yet, despite the late start, cancer didn’t stop him from getting back into the gym before his hair had time to grow back.  It also didn’t stop him from becoming a record breaking lifter for his age group.  He’s already pulled over 450 pounds and has his eyes set on 500.

Rob’s story is one of true inspiration.  He’s overcome repeated battles with cancer and continues to defy age.  He doesn’t sit around feeling sorry for himself.  He’s too busy taking care of his family and busting ass in the gym.  Hats off to him.  I wish him continued success and health.

Throughout this blog’s history, I’ve highlighted several age related stories.  These entries are often visual reminders of George Bernard Shaw’s priceless wisdom.

“We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.”

Many of the older athletes that I’ve featured have been training for longer than I’ve been alive.  These men and women are not growing old in the traditional sense.  They continue to thrive and often improve.  For example, Fred Peterson can be seen below pulling 640 pounds at 70 years old.

Fred can also be seen within this video pulling 680 pounds.  He speaks briefly at the 4:35 mark and then prepares for the lift at approximately 5:00 into the video.  While speaking, he mentions that he’s been lifting for 56 years.  It’s great to see someone remain passionate about training as they advance in age.

Below is yet another tremendous display of older strength.  Larry Wallen pulls 705 pounds at 60 years old.

Keep Living

I’m not posting these videos in hope that you sign your grandfather up for a powerlifting meet.  I’m posting these videos to remind you that life isn’t over until it is over.  You can remain passionate about training regardless of age.  These strength displays are incredibly inspirational to me.  I’m amazed at the strength of these men in their 60’s and 70’s. I can only hope that I’ll be as active as them when I approach their current age.

Larry Wallen and Fred Peterson are two clear examples that the body is much more capable than many realize.  It is amazing what can be accomplished with years of consistent and diligent work.  It is also worth mentioning that you can still do very well despite starting at an older age.

Either way, the possibility always exists for one to remain passionate.   The past is the past.  It’s over and we can’t change it.  You don’t need to be defined by what you did or didn’t do. If there is something that you want to do, get up and get busy.

In the words of Chuck Palahniuk,

“You have a choice. Live or die. Every breath is a choice. Every minute is a choice. To be or not to be.”

Below is a link to a recent Washington Post article about 11-year-old Dayton Webber. He may lack arms and legs, but he exhibits as much heart as anyone.

Amputee Dayton Webber, 11, excels at wrestling

At 11 months old, Dayton’s limbs were amputated because of a life-threatening bacterial infection. Dayton was not expected to live. Family gathered as he was administered his last rites. Fortunately, it’s been over ten years since his limbs were amputated and he’s still going strong.  He’s been an active wrestler for four years.  He also gets outside to play football, ice skate, ride go-karts, and more.  He is as active as any of his peers.

In Dayton’s own words,

“I just like to do sports. I feel like I can play sports and kind of show people what I can do — that I can do sports just as good as them. I feel like I can do anything if I just put my mind to it.”

He went on to say,

“Anything they say I can’t do, I try to show them I can do it.”

If Dayton can live with such determination despite his unfortunate circumstances, it is safe to say that we can all live with such conviction.  There are no excuses.

I honestly don’t know what I would do if one of my own children had to go through what Dayton has endured.  I never would have thought that an 11-year-old could be such an inspiration to me.  His story has certainly struck a chord.

We can all learn and benefit from the way Dayton lives his life.  I wish him the best of luck in his future endeavors.

Below is a video of a recent track and field record breaker.  Records are not new to Frank Levine though.  He currently holds two world records.  What makes his accomplishments so impressive isn’t his lightning speed however, but rather his age.  Frank is 95 years old and still going strong.

He recently broke the 5000 meter world record for his age group (95 to 99).  Imagine that there are men and women a third of his age who could not even run 5000 meters.   Meanwhile, Frank gets outside to run every other day.  He also performs pushups and even works out on a punching bag.

Frank did not begin competing as a runner until age 65.  He’s run 18 marathons in the time since.  Not too shabby for a senior citizen.   Meanwhile, I’ve had people in their 30’s email me about feeling over the hill.  Here is a man who started a new sport at 65.

In Frank’s own words,

“The easiest person to fool in the world, to mislead, is yourself because you can talk yourself into anything.”

Frank’s advice can be taken two ways.  You can talk yourself into sitting down and letting life pass you by or you can talk yourself into getting up and making things happen.  It’s never too late.

I’ll do my best to follow Frank’s lead.   He’s a true inspiration.