Successful people get asked all the time who is their biggest influence or who do they admire/aspire to be like and why? A few will answer with another well know athlete but I can almost guarantee every single one of them will also have someone closer to home that influenced their life way more than any successful athlete they could look up to ever could.
The definition of inspirational is said to be something or someone who is uplifting and motivates people to bring out the best in themselves. And inspirational is for one to lead as an example to encourage others to follow.
The question I am asking is… does the person you admire need to be a top athlete or can they be someone who has stumbled and fallen many times yet always manages to pick themselves up and carry on using their fall to help them grow. The person who inspires you may never be the top of their game or be “famous” in their chosen field but does that really matter?
In my eyes…. NO! a person who inspires me is someone who always works hard, be it in sport of just in life. They can fall a million times and have suffered through life but as long as they are doing the best they can and they achieve their goal be it a small competition or reaching top of the podium they have inspired me to want to be as dedicated and as disciplined as them.
I defiantly have a few very good friends that inspire me daily through their sheer hard work, determination and will to drive forward and never give up – although they may not know it. I really have to thank them as they keep me grounded everyday supporting me and helping me to remember I can achieve my dreams.
Alongside those who are around me every day I have to say the biggest influence in my life had to be my Grampy. I’m sorry to disappoint and not mention some famous CrossFitter but that’s just how it is.
Have you ever had that one person in your life that literally meant the world to you and you admired so much for everything they did. Their strength, their courage and their determination. Well yes my Grampy he was them all. I had a special bond with him and I can’t explain how but he was always there on the end of his phone checking on my training wanting to watch videos of what I was up to and so very proud of me when I won a competition.
I remember when I showed him my powerlifting trophies I won when I took the BPO 60kg World Records, he just burst into tears. My deepest regret was that he was never well enough to come in person and watch me compete, but it was ok we took my competing to him, all be it by phone or computer.
Grampy never had the chances like I have had to train and compete but I can guarantee if he had he would have been very successful and I always wished I could have taken him for one workout in CrossFit because I know in his brighter days he would of absolutely loved it.
My point being your biggest influence doesn’t need to be someone who has been incredibly successful but someone who you believe has affected your life in a way not many others can. They could be a family member, friend or even someone you know from the gym but they have supported you and encouraged you to work harder and believe in yourself. It is always good to have ‘famous’ athletes to look up to but I also believe having someone closer to home is also very important.
Whilst thinking who is your biggest influence have you ever considered that you may be an influence to someone else or even multiple people. Now there is a thought.
I will leave you with one last thought.
My Grampy was one of the strongest and most determined people I have ever met and through him I believe I had gained my strength, determination and drive to never give up because I have seen how you can use obstacles to make you stronger. My Grampy never feared a hard day’s work and was never one to complain even on his last few days whilst suffering never once did I hear him complain. A true hero in my eyes.
So who is yours?