I recently received an email from Kevin Rempel and was captivated by his story.  Still in his 20′s, Kevin has endured his share of ups and downs but he continues to keep moving forward regardless of the obstacles that stand in his way.

Kevin’s story highlights the importance of a positive attitude.  It also unfortunately shows the consequences of a negative mindset, as seen with his father.

If you have ever questioned the significance of your own attitude, take a moment to watch the video below.

Fore more information about Kevin and his progress, please refer to his website at the following link:

http://kevinrempel.com/fr_about.cfm

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Every thought is a seed.  If you plant crab apples, don’t count on harvesting Golden Delicious. – Bill Meyer

Ali McWeeny was featured on this blog once before.  The original link can be found here.  Her story is so incredible however that she is more than worthy of another entry.  Below is a new video that was recently sent to me.  Much more of her training can be seen within.

Be prepared to discard any excuse that you’ve used before…

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Keep your excuses to yourself – nobody cares. – Dave Tate

The scenes within this video come from Hollywood productions, but the compilation still gets the blood flowing (nice editing too).

Enjoy…

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There isn’t a person anywhere who isn’t capable of doing more than he thinks he can. – Henry Ford

Happy New Year to everyone. Don’t sit back and await what the new year will bring. Get up, get busy, and make it happen yourself.

To kick the year off, boxing fans will enjoy the two most recent videos created by Gorilla Productions.  Each includes action packed highlights from 2011.

Bring on 2012!

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Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year find you a better man. – Benjamin Franklin

Update – This entry was originally posted in March 2011 but has been updated with a new video

Below is a powerful story about a man (Brock Mealer) who was involved in a tragic accident that left him with a 1 percent chance to ever walk again.   Words cannot do justice to the story, so all that I can do is encourage you to take a few moments to watch.

It certainly puts our own bumps and bruises into perspective.

A related video can also be seen here:

Brock Mealer

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I have woven a parachute out of everything broken. – William Stafford

One of the most exciting periods in the history of boxing took place throughout the 1980′s with four legendary fighters.  During this time, there were epic battles involving Roberto Duran, Marvelous Marvin Hagler, Thomas Hearns, and Sugar Ray Leonard.  These combatants provided boxing fans with controversy, action, shocking finishes, and epic battles.

Below is a feature video dedicated to this renowned foursome.  The video includes over an hour of exciting footage.

If you are a boxing fan, prepare yourself to be glued to the screen…

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Sports do not build character. They reveal it. – John Wooden

Below is a brief ESPN video which highlights the determination of a cross country team that set out to win one more championship for ALS-stricken coach Jim Tracy.  You will be hard pressed to find a better example of determination as you watch high school junior Holland Reynolds literally crawl to the finish line to secure the championship.

As her display illustrates, true determination allows us to overcome obstacles that we would have never imagined.

A related story can also be found in a recent Runner’s World article.

The Inspiration: Jim Tracy

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The spirit, the will to win, and the will to excel are the things that endure. These qualities are so much more important than the events that occur. – Vince Lombardi

I’d like to start by wishing everyone a happy and safe holiday season.

More importantly though, I’d like to share an article that I recently read.  And while the timing for such a piece may seem off, life is often unpredictable and unfair.  I actually consider the holiday season to be the ideal time for this entry.

The article below was written by a palliative care worker that interacted closely with countless patients who were approaching their final days of life.  Within the short piece, the author shares five of the most common regrets that were expressed by her patients.

The Top 5 Regrets In Life

I first read the article early last week.  As I approached the 4th regret listed within, I made a mental note to give my best friend since elementary school a call to wish him and his family a Merry Christmas.  While we’ve been best friends for well over 20 years, it had been too long since we last spoke.

Upon finishing the article, my gut reaction was to pick up the phone that moment, but I decided to wait until this week as there was still plenty of time before Christmas. Unfortunately, less than a week later, I received the tragic news that my best friend had died in a car accident.  He died on Tuesday.

I’m now kicking myself as I wish I had taken five minutes out of my day to give my friend one last call.

In summary, I don’t mean to put a damper on the holiday season.  I do however think it is a good time to be reminded that life is precious and tomorrow isn’t guaranteed.  Each day is a gift. Embrace your friends and family during this holiday season and take the time to reconnect with those that you haven’t seen in a while.

RIP Charles

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Life is like a coin. You can spend it any way you wish, but you only spend it once. – Lillian Dickson

George Hood isn’t the typical 54 year old man.  He is everything but ordinary.  He once jumped rope for over 13 hours (setting a world record).  Another time he rode a stationary bike for over 222 hours.  At the time, that too was a world record and his efforts raised over $25,000 for a memorial fund for an American soldier who was killed in Afghanistan.

Most recently, George Hood shattered yet another Guinness World Record.  This time he held the abdominal plank position for 1 hour, 20 minutes and 5.01 seconds.

The video below highlights his extraordinary accomplishment.

A related article can also be found here:

Busting World Records

As you’ll see within the video, George Hood did not stroll through the challenge.  He had to battle through each minute.  In his own words,

The spasms were taking over, and I couldn’t control the shaking.  I couldn’t spit, and I burped up some acid and knew I was getting thirsty and dehydrated.

As for the purpose of this entry, I’m certainly not suggesting that we all train to the point of extreme exhaustion and dehydration.  You can however learn some valuable lessons from George Hood.  First, he clearly believes in himself and is able to fight through what others would consider impossible and unbearable fatigue.  There is almost always more gas in the tank than you realize.

He also didn’t need a miracle core training infomercial product to break the record.  What he needed was mental toughness and a relentless desire to succeed.  Those attributes alone will often outweigh the significance of everything else.

If you are a competitive athlete, the time will come when you must push through your comfort zone and thrive in an uncomfortable environment.  If you are not mentally prepared, it won’t matter how well conditioned your body is.  Either suck it up or pack your bags and go home.

George Hood clearly knows how to suck it up and blast through his comfort zone.  We can all benefit and learn from his example of relentless perseverance and mental toughness.

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Endurance is patience concentrated. – Thomas Carlyle

I mentioned Ray Lewis on this blog a few months ago (previous entry here).  Below is yet another video of Ray.  This time he speaks on the importance of effort.  The entire clip will take less than a minute of your time. Fortunately, the brevity does not minimize the significance of the message.

Ray Lewis is without question one of the most passionate and tenacious players that the NFL has ever seen.  He works as hard as anyone on the field.

All aspiring athletes can benefit from his emphasis on individual effort.  Don’t be a victim of paralysis by analysis.  When in doubt, outwork the competition.  Wake up and do it again.  Continue on such a path and you will surely pass many who are in front of you now.

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Much good work is lost for the lack of a little more. – Edward H. Harriman