THERE, BUT FOR THE GRACE OF GOD, GO I....

The Sidney to Melbourne endurance race is 875 km and is considered to be one of the world’s most gruelling ultra-marathons.  Due to the demands of the race, world-class athletes (usually aged less than 30 years old) must undergo extreme training and are often backed by major sponsors like Nike.

Imagine the start line in 1983….. 

A field of aspiring athletes are warming up when a man, aged 61 years old, turns up wearing farmer’s overalls and work boots.  Initially everyone assumes he is just another spectator until he collects his race number and goes to take his place alongside the other athletes.  The organisers become anxious.  Should they allow him to run?  Eventually they come to the conclusion that it is not safe so they tell him that he is not allowed to take part.  The man immediately questions why he is not allowed to run and asks them to show him the rules which prohibit him from competing.  Unable to find any written rule about age or dress code that would preclude him from competing the organisers eventually concede and reluctantly agree that he can run.

Eagerly the crowd and media watch the race.  The whistle blows and the athletes are away.  It is not long before they are lost in the distance and the man is left well behind.  Some of the crowd even begin to snigger as the man cannot even run properly – he appears to “shuffle” – but most continue to cheer him on his way whilst fearing for his safety and welfare.

At the end of the first day, the athletes all break for a 6-hour sleep…except for the man who continues to shuffle his way through the night.  The following day he continues to jog, running on through the second night, as the athletes once again rest overnight.  Amazingly the man just keeps running, on and on without a break, slowly closing the gap between himself and the leading competitors. 

By the final night he is in the lead and on the fifth day crosses the finish line as the winner - to everyone’s surprise he has not only won the race at the age of 61 years old but has also set a new course record!  All of the six competitors who manage to complete the race that year break the previous record but this man succeeds in beating the previous course record by almost two days with a winning time of 5 days, 15 hours and 4 minutes!  No-one can deny this is a truly remarkable achievement.

Furthermore, when presented with the prize of $10,000 the man exclaims he had no idea there was a cash prize.  He states that his only aim had been to take part in the race and he has no need for the money – he then promptly shares it out amongst his fellow competitors who had completed the race.  This act of generosity is almost as remarkable as the feat of winning the event and he immediately secures a place in many Australian hearts.

The man’s name was Cliff Young.  Born in 1922, he had worked most of his life as a potato and sheep farmer, claiming that his ability to run for long periods had resulted from running continuously for two or three days at a time rounding up sheep.  During the race he had successfully motivated himself by imagining he was still trying to find a lost sheep whilst outrunning a storm.   Cliff Young made a significant impact that year and influenced the future of the event - competitors no longer rest during the night and now run continuously just like Cliff Young had done and many ultra-marathon runners have even adopted the “Young Shuffle” as it is considered more energy-efficient!

Cliff Young believed he could win because he never believed he couldn’t!

What an inspiration!

·         It is amazing what all of us can achieve when we say “I CAN” or “I WILL”, even when it looks like the odds are completely stacked against us!  Strength comes from within - we need to have a strong positive attitude and believe in ourselves.  Establish a goal, focus on it and believe we can achieve it

·         Hard work pays off – many of the things we appreciate the most can only be obtained after a significant investment of time and effort, but these same things also often give us the greatest fulfilment

·         Many people may appear to have been given a head start in life but these are not always the ones who achieve the most and cross the finish line first – often it is the one who works the hardest, wants it the most and enjoys what they do!

·         Taking part and trying is important – if we never try we will never know just how much we can achieve and we will never have an opportunity to show others our full potential

·         Never discriminate – always look for the value and skills in others.  Everyone has potential to achieve great things but may be prevented from doing so by other people’s misplaced opinions or judgements

·         Not everyone is motivated by money – indeed some of the greatest motivations in life bear no relation to financial gain at all

·         Be humble – take pride in success but never lose sight of humility.  Remember we all started somewhere and the greatest respect is given to those who share their success with those around them

·         Our actions may influence other people – the way we “shuffle” through life is important!

·         It’s never too late!

“There’s more in you than you think” – Kurt Hahn

“All glory comes from daring to begin” – William Shakespeare

“It’s never too late to be what you might have been” – George Eliot 

When the going gets tough, the tough get tougher

There, but for the grace of God, go I……

© CJC 2012