MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!

It is hard to put into words the depth on my emotions, thoughts and feeling after crossing the finish line of the Ironman on Saturday, September 17th, 2022.

It has been a grind like no other from August 20, 2020 to get to this point, when my wife, my boys and my family didn’t even know if I would make it out alive, and once alive, not knowing if this would physical and mentally even be possible.

When you die on the side of the road for 33-minutes and are blessed enough to come back from the dead… there is no roadmap, no playbook, no guidelines, of how all this is suppose to playout, and what you are suppose to do, to get back into this game we call Life. 

For those of you that know us and have followed our journey, you know what started all this on that hot August 2020 afternoon, and the amazing “Village” that God placed in my path over the next 40-days to get me back home.  Those amazing folks I will never ever be able to thank enough.  God bless you for being the amazing people you are. 

But what you haven’t seen is the love and support, and the responsibilities, and the struggles, that were placed on my wife, my boys and my family, to get me to where I was able to accomplish what I did that Saturday.

To my amazing wife, you have been through it all, from the first call from the EMTs, through the 33-day days and nights at the hospital, through all the rehab, the 11-months of wound care, and then all the thankless evening, and weekends of training to be able to cross the finish line.  The appropriate words have most of the time probably gone unspoken, and the sacrifices made have mostly gone unrecognized, and your amazing dedication to my cause under appreciated. I cannot ever thank you enough for all your tireless love, support and dedication to me, my life, to make it possible for me to be here today, and to be able to accomplish what I have.  If it had not been for your unwavering strength, I would not be where I have today.  You are my rock! Thank you from the bottom of my heart, I love you!

To my amazing boys, parents, and our immediate and extended family, your love, support, and kindness has been amazing and overwhelming.  I too, am humbled by all that you have done that allowed me to get to this point.  Please know that it has probably gone without being said enough, but your encouragement supported the mindset I needed to overcome the struggles, setbacks, challenges, and obstacles. Thank you for being you, I love you guys!

I don’t wish what happen to me on that August 2020 summer day on anyone… but I too know that we all have our life changing events and challenges… and it’s all about bringing the right effort and attitude for the desire, drive, and determination to make it happen.  It’s with God’s amazing blessing that I am here today to be able to push by body, mind, and soul to get across the finish line. 

Never underestimate your full potential or sell yourself short on what you are capable of.  The body will do what the mind will allow.  We just have to be brave enough to belief in it enough.  One of my favorite quotes is “I don’t need easy, just need possible”!  And this holds true for us all.  Make the best of your challenges by turning your obstacles in to opportunities.  It’s never going to be easy to get outside of your comfort zone, but that’s where all the magic in life happens.  We must be willing to risk going to far, to see really have far we can go.  And it’s not about falling down, or how many times we fall, but about continuing to get back up.

“These is always a light.  If only we’re brave enough to see it.  If only we’re brave enough to be it… The most difficult thing is the decision to act; the rest is merely tenacity!”

The tenacity to succeed lives deep down inside us all.  Embrace the journey… erase the can’t.  Find your IRONWILL to LIVE your best life!

Embrace the journey… erase the can’t.  Find your IRONWILL to LIVE your best life! .