INSPIRATION & MOTIVATION...WHAT DRIVES YOU

 The spirit of competition, elbow to elbow in a WOD, the fear of losing or failure, letting someone or everyone down...that has been my motivation for a long time. Recently I realized that not only was I putting a time limit on my progress into qualifying for the Games, but I was losing the luster that I once had for all out competition and fun.
 I have been plagued with injury after injury for about 18 months off and on, and have been feeling sorry for myself a lot along the way. I have been really focusing on taking care of myself and keeping healthy, trying not to re-injure or cause any other injuries to my body. The other day I went through a grueling WOD that involved a bunch of HEAVY lunges, which left me somewhat crippled with soreness the next day. As I was laying in the floor on the foam roller, in quite a lot of pain rolling out the knots in my ass, a man walked through the door and changed my outlook on a lot of things. Keeping an anonymous profile, I will call this guy Bob. I will start by saying that this man has had a positive influence in my life and on me ever since I met him and his wife. Though they are not related to me at all, they are a big part of my very small family, and they both train with me at the box I co-own.
  I have known the couple for over 6 years now, and started our relationship through business. In that time, my friendship with the wife became solid and un-wavered. She helped me in business decisions, morals, and gave me advice in some of my personal life as well.Bob worked on the East coast, doing stuff with computers that I don't even know where to begin to start to try and explain. He came home ever so often, visiting and making sure everything was okay, and then going back to work for months. Then it happened...RETIREMENT! He had worked all his life for this day, and it came! He moved back home with his wife, and life was good. Then one day he went for a physical, as directed by his wife, and revealed a monster. Bob was told that he was in Stage 4 Colon Cancer...devastating. Of course naturally, I would assume that one would lose hope, give up and just quit enjoying life, and worry constantly...but not Bob.Bob made a decision that day that he was going to give this thing one hell of a fight. Months of chemotherapy and being sick and weak all the time, and you ask him how he feels...the answer is always the same "I feel great!"
 Getting back to the original story, we come to present tense. I am reflecting back to last week, when this man walked into my box, and while I was complaining about being so sore, he walks up to me asks if I would mind if he just rowed that day. With me laying in the floor, facing the entrance as he walked in, all I seen was a silhouette, but knew who it was. As I rolled off of the roller, got to my feet, and my eyes adjusted, I realized that Bob had a little backpack with him. Upon further inspection and information, I realized that Bob had finished his chemotherapy treatment the day before, and was carrying his pump that continues to pump the medicine through his body for 36  hours I think. So here is this man that I have the up most respect for, asking  me if he can just row for a little bit that day because he was a little tired from his treatment.Now I ask myself, what is my inspiration and motivation...is it feeling sorry for this guy...HELL no, he would hate to think that I am...it is the will and drive of this man to not be defeated, to strive to maintain optimal health to his ability, and to not relent on his endeavors.Bob has what a lot of people want, but never claim, and that is a will to pursue his goals and achieve them. He has a heart of a champion, and that is my motivation and drive to keep up my relentless pursuit of my goals, so whether it is a 550# deadlift, a 300# clean & jerk, to make it to the Games, or to just be the best person I can be, Bob will be a huge motivator and inspiration to me.