Terri's Tuesday Tip of the Week - October 17, 2023

 Courage is the most important of all the virtues because without courage, you can't practice any other virtue consistently. - Maya Angelou

I never thought of stopping. – John Stephen Akhwari

John Stephen Akhwari…a name most readers have not heard of; however, he is a man that we all should remember and challenge ourselves to be like. Akhwari ran the marathon in the 1968 Olympics for Tanzania. He did not win a medal, but taught the world a great lesson.  

John Stephen Akhwari never expected to win the marathon, but his dreams were devastated when the high altitude affected him, and cramps slowed him down. Additionally, while jockeying for a position, Akhwari toppled to the ground and slit and dislocated his knee. When he fell, his shoulder hit the pavement causing another injury. The spectators thought he would withdraw from the marathon, but instead he received medical attention and returned to the race.

With a few thousand spectators in the stands, Akhwari finally crossed the finish line limping, in last place with the bandage from his leg flying in the wind. By the time he finished, all of the medals had been awarded. Akhwari was asked why he continued after so many setbacks while running, his response was “My country did not send me 5,000 miles to start the race,” he said. “They sent me 5,000 miles to finish the race.”

In 1970, Akhwari competed again and finished fifth in the marathon at the Commonwealth Games and also competed in the 10,000m. Making it to the Olympics showed that Akhwari was a great runner, but his passion and determination to finish the race even when he had to overcome so much adversity showed his character.

As we move closer to the end of the year, Akhwari is a great reminder of how we need to “stick with it” as we push toward the end of the year.

ACTION: What lessons did you learn from Akhwari’s story?

Resources

•       https://olympics.com/ioc/news/-i-never-thought-of-stopping-marathon-man-akhwari-on-his-epic-effort-at-the-68-games/

•       https://olympics.com/en/news/marathon-man-akhwari-demonstrates-superhuman-spirit

•       https://www.lyrahealth.com/resources/guide/managers-guide-to-preventing-employee-burnout/?utm_source=bing&utm_medium=paidsearch&utm_campaign=pa-2022-q3-search-bing-managers-guide-preventing-burnout-2022&utm_content=preventing-burnout-managers-guide-2022&utm_term=reduce%20burnout&campaignid=424270955&adgroupid=1364495321297599&adid=&msclkid=69dde5d482651c5fe1c580f79f8ffd2e

•       https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/how-to-be-yourself/202105/7-ways-to-recover-from-burnout

•       https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/burnout

•       https://thestrive.co/quotes-about-focus/

•       Foy, Terri Savelle.(Executive Producer). (2023). Live Your Dreams [TV Series]. Victory Television.

•       https://wisdomquotes.com/goals-quotes/#:~:text=Review%20your%20goals%20twice%20every%20day%20in%20order,and%20you%E2%80%99ll%20be%20more%20motivated%20on%20tough%20days

•       https://www.success.com/18-motivational-quotes-about-successful-goal-setting/

•       https://www.govictory.com/episode/live-your-dreams/

•       https://www.christywright.com/e/BAh7BjoWZW1haWxfZGVsaXZlcnlfaWRsKwhzE%2FyRAgA=--d3f4c547c69fe49039fbb4f14ebed8ebab970779?cid=3fdceb97-8044-4840-b7ad-edbd62ddd668&skip_click_tracking=true