Iraq War, Cerebral palsy, & Me

Sorry... missed posting blogs for awhile... busy working on our BIG Fitness & Nutrition Boot Camp coming up in June! Anyway...

Ever like me, and some days you don't feel like going to the gym or working out? Hey, it happens.

Now most days I'm pretty fired up, but I'll admit, there are a few mornings, when my alarm goes off at 5am ... I grumble around, mumbling to myself about not wanting to hit the weights.

It could have been I had a late night working. Or I slept horribly. Or, I'm just flat out too exhausted. Regardless, I'm missing the spark to workout.

Then it clicks. An image comes over me, like an epiphany of sorts. I think to my two friends -- Evan and Tom.

First, Evan. Recently, while at war in Iraq, he was leading a convoy of Hummers (pre-armor doored) and he ran over a land mine. In a flash, he lost both his legs and part of his right hand and lost his vision in one eye. Talk about devastation.

Well, I am happy to say that less than ten months later, and after 27 surgeries, Evan is back on his new "feet", and living life to its fullest. He just got married. And, because of his love for the gym, and staying physically fit, he's back hitting the weights and running track for cardio. Check out the picture here of Evan running track in his hometown of Boulder, Colorado.

Next is Tom. Tom was born with a developmental disability called cerebral palsy.

Tom works out at the same gym I often do. 24 Hour Fitness, in Lakewood. He's there, bright and early, just like I am at 6:00am sharp. I swear, the guy never misses a day!

He even let's me know when he didn't see me, and asks why I wasn't there. In truth, there's absolutely no way I can let him down, and tell him well ... "I didn't feel like it"... I mean, Tom, who doesn't even acknowledge his disability, despite the fact that it literally takes him 10 minutes just to get from his parked car -- and no, as you might have guessed, he doesn't take up a handicap spot either -- to the front door of the gym. Ten minutes. Then, Tom proceeds to work out, with weights. His body barely able to move, but still he slowly works through each lift, meticulously working the muscles and bodypart carefully.

One day I asked Tom, just as a matter of interest, why he works out so religiously everyday. His answer: "because I can!"

Take Away Message: Ever have a day when life's normal aches and pains are bothering you and you feel like complaining? Ever face a challenge you think might not be possible to overcome? Ever feeling like not going to workout. The above stories of inspiration and their imagery should help you through this temporary "mental roadblock." They have for me.

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