Iron Man Inspiration - Raise The Ceiling On What You Can Achieve

The Florida Iron Man involves swimming 2.4 miles, biking 112 miles and running 26.2 miles. It is one of the toughest sporting competitions in the world.

Many people, including me, have trouble swimming half a mile let alone 2.4 miles. Cycling 112 miles might involve the equivalent of cycling flat out on an exercise bike for 6 hours. I have trouble even making a start on my exercise bike!

Running 26.2 miles is not easy as many young and healthy people find out when they have to stop or stagger to the end. Jane Tomlinson recently completed the Florida Iron Man, in 15 hours and 48 minutes.

Before the race, the announcer told the crowd: "Jane Tomlinson from Leeds, England is racing. She learned 4 years ago that she had only 7 months to live because of terminal cancer. She has been doing triathlons ever since."

Jane has a supportive husband called Mike and 3 lovely children, Suzanne, Rebecca and Steven. She has had cancer for 14 years. 4 years ago she was told she had 7 months to live. She has now lived 4 years since she was told she would die within 7 months.

Many people, who are on the receiving end of news that they have terminal cancer, just give up and wait to die or take drugs which will hasten their end. Jane, on the other hand, decided to live and coped with her illness by taking up various tough sporting challenges.

One of her daughters commented on a recent TV documentary that Jane was "never a sporty person before all this. She did gardening and walking and that's about it. I never saw her run or do anything athletic."

Jane wanted to leave her children a lasting memory of their mum achieving things: "I know having cancer is not a positive thing but I just wanted to find a way to live and remember that I am still alive and pleased to be here. I try to just enjoy what I've got in front of me."

Many sick people give up their roles as carers and wage earners. Jane has kept her roles as a mum and a wage earner. She looks after her three children and works as a radiographer. She started training to be a radiographer 14 years ago after her mastectomy. She needs some of the money to be able to travel to the sporting events she competes in.

What amazes me about her is how she manages to live such a full life and still attend at hospitals and clinics to receive the treatment she needs to keep going.

She does this by first creating her treatment schedule as the priority and then fitting in the rest of her life around this. Her life is so full that many people can't believe she is ill:

"Some people don't believe that I am actually poorly but I am. Occasionally you remember that things are pretty dire." Even walking can be painful because of the tumours in her bones.

Some criticise her being away travelling and competing instead of staying with her family. Her answer: " If I do these events, I will be fit enough to spend time with my family." Some of her family went with her to Florida.

Her doctor comments: "Jane is an example of what can be achieved through modern anti cancer treatment but the majority of my patients don't run marathons." That is an understatement.

Jane had several obstacles in her path before she actually arrived in Florida.Her hip was sore and stopped her training for the iron man. At times she was undecided as to whether to go or not :

"I don't think I should go but that does not mean I won't go". Her husband Mike did not want her to go: "She could be a paraplegic by the end of the race or even die."

In the end she decided to go and Mike supported her because: "She can't put it off till next year because there isn't a next year. It's now or never". Jane commented: "If I don't give myself an opportunity to try, it will always be unfinished business."

She packed her gear with the help of her friend, Ryan, who would be her companion throughout the Iron Man. She made sure she included her pain killers

She arrived in Florida and decided to attempt to start the race even though she was not fit. No terminally ill cancer patient has attempted an iron man before. She explained one reason for racing: "One of the reasons for doing this is to challenge people's perceptions of illness".

Mike had never been as scared as this before. "I wish to hell she wasn't doing this." He didn't tell her what he was thinking because she needed all his support in what might be her last great venture.

Mike remarked: "There aren't many boundaries left that you can bring down in the world. She has gone from being told she is going to die to doing an iron man. I would never have believed it"

Jane seemed to enjoy the swim and got through the cycle ride. In the marathon she was still running after 9 miles. "Absolutely incredible!" exclaimed Mike. "She is obviously not comfortable and is feeling pain in all the places she has got cancer."

Steven told his dad to calm down. He knew that his mum would be alright.Over 80 competitors had pulled out after 13 hours but Jane was still competing. Mike cried out: "She 's still running - bloody hell. You're going to do it! Go for it, love. We'll see you at the finish"

At the finish, Mike expressed his amazement again: "I never thought in a mllion years she would get to do this." Ryan, Jane's companion on the race, commented: "Jane just blew me away!"

Jane's comment not surprisingly was: "This is the final thing I am doing." By the end of the iron man race Jane had set an inspiring example for both the healthy and the sick. She and Mike had also raised 1 million pounds for cancer research.

All of us are terminal but not all of us have realised it yet. Life is too short to waste however long we may live on this planet. We all need to take swift action to do what is important to us while we still have the chance.

Jane's life is just one of those lives that can inspire us to achieve far more than we could dream possible and to make the most of whatever life we have left. We can all compete in our own iron man race.

About the author

John Watson is an award winning teacher and martial arts instructor. He has recently written two books about achieving your goals and dreams. They can both be found on his website http://www.motivationtoday.com along with a daily motivational message.

The title of the first book is "36 Laws To Ignite Your Inner Power And Realize Your Dreams Now! - Acronyms, Stories, And Pictures...Easy To Remember And Use Everyday To Grab Your Life And Soar With The Eagles"

The book can be found at this URL http://www.motivationtoday.com/36_laws.php

The book uses acronyms, stories and pictures to help readers remember 36 laws that can gradually transform your life if you apply them.

You are welcome to publish the article above in your ezine or on your website so long as you do not alter it and keep in the words about the author and the 36 Laws.

---

Facing the Enemies Within

We are not born with courage, but neither are we born with fear. Maybe some of our fears are brought on by your own experiences, by what... Read More

You Can Quickly And Easily Solve Your Problems

Today I just wanted to write you a quick note to encourage you. Why? Because even as you are doing your best to be motivated there will... Read More

Life Inspiration: 12 Tips for Successful Living

1. Constant affirmation without accountability is a sure-fire way to cripple a child. In other words, belief in yourself without responsibility leads to a sense of entitlement.2.... Read More

Adages for the New Age

The old familiar adages just don't do it for me any more. For instance, consider "the early bird gets the worm." In this age of freelancing, premature... Read More

Are You Afraid of Change?

Change, no matter how you cut it, can certainly be a daunting task. There are so many ways to change; your image, attitude, environment, perceptions, addictions, and... Read More

Quitting Before It Even Starts

Most people give up just when they're about to achieve success. They quit on the one yard line. They give up at the last minute of the... Read More

The Importance of Friendship

My students and clients have constantly heard me stress that our Martial Art is more than just a physical discipline; that it is a discipline that develops... Read More

Material Girl

Direct Answers - Column for the week of December 16, 2002I recently went on a date with this guy I met online. We had been emailing for... Read More

Circles On The Water ? The Impact You Make On People?s Lives

When you were a child, or maybe even when you were older, did you ever toss a pebble into the water and watch the ripples that emanated... Read More

Changing the World... One Book at a Time

Ever read a book that's changed your life? Most of the today's most beloved authors and spiritual teachers can recall a book that started them on the... Read More

Giving Life Meaning

Have you thought about what you want people to say about you after you're gone? Can you hear the voices saying, "He was a great man." Or... Read More

Life After Death: The Story of the Green Donkey

This is the true story of what Deepak Chopra would call a "Whopper". It is a story so touched with the hand of God it seems almost... Read More

One Night Stand

Direct Answers - Column for the week of February 24, 2003I met someone over the weekend who is very, very famous. I was volunteering at a sports... Read More

?Back to CYA on a Mission?

Six former wards came back to the California Youth Authority (CYA) earlier this month. This time they volunteered to return. They were on a mission to deliver... Read More

How to Get Over Emotional Misery

Whether it's a holiday, anniversary, birthday or a time in your life where the rug of life itself seems to have been ripped out from beneath your... Read More

Nine Lives

Direct Answers - Column for the week of September 2, 2002My husband of four years has been arrested for the fourth time for hurting me. This time... Read More

Three Bricklayers

The story of the three bricklayers has been around for many years. The reason it continues to be told is the messages that the story tells. The... Read More

Inspirations: Even More Things Ive Noticed Along the Way So Far

Some people live in and talk about the past so much it's as if they are "planning for the past."The "I'm an adult victim/survivor of (fill in... Read More

The Beauty of Life

"An unexamined life is not worth living."-- SocratesI have just finished reading a most astounding statement from A.H. Almaas's book Spacecruiser Inquiry. In this book, which discusses... Read More

Commitment To The Journey

I have been a business owner for about a minute. In fact, that would probably be quite generous if you compared me to the business moguls out... Read More

The Bright Side of Loneliness

Recently a romantic relationship came to an end and I found myself alone again. The minutes, the hours now felt empty. For three weeks I sat beside... Read More

The Power of Gratitude

When my older son was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, my first reaction was relief ? I finally knew the reason for his behavior. However, I... Read More

Moral Obligation & Responsibility

Chances are you have seen some type of disturbance in your lifetime. Whether it was a bully picking on someone or a piece of trash on the... Read More

The Angels on My Path

I'm leaving on a TV tour in a few weeks. I'm going to be on the road. This is my second one and I'll visit TV news... Read More

The Two Choices We Face

Each of us has two distinct choices to make about what we will do with our lives. The first choice we can make is to be less... Read More

In Search For Wealth

My eldest son phoned me the other night to let me know that he and his partner was going to have a baby. When I got the... Read More