Josh Bowen: Never Give In — Story of an Olympian

Sports teaches us about ourselves. Who we are, who we want to become. They also teach us about drive, the inner fire that tell you to keep going when it hurts or not to quit when you want to.

The above video is a true story, an inspirational story if you will. A story, on some level, we all can relate too; the fight to not quit when things get tough and the inner fire to keep going when you don’t want to. Derek Redmond was an Olympian, a world class athlete who was competing for his country. There could be no bigger honor than that, to be on the largest stage in sport.

The unfortunate part is the way the story seems to end. Derek, in a position to take home an Olympic medal, pulls his hamstring in the semi-finals of the 400 meters at the 1992 Barcelona Olympiad.

To work your entire life to get one opportunity and your body just says “No.” What happens from there is the definition of courage and a “never give up” attitude. Derek knew in his heart and mind he had lost but he would not quit, he would finish. He picks his broken body up and carries it, with the help of his father, to the finish line. Take a second and reflect, have you ever quit something? Have you given up on your fitness goals and past achievements because you don’t believe you can do it anymore?

Use this as an example that life will always build walls you must break down and obstacles that you must climb. It are these missions that truly define us as human beings and we must remember that nothing and I mean nothing is impossible.

Just never quit. Never quit on yourself and never quit on your dream. The time is now.