A True Olympian

He started running because of what he refers to as either a “vision” or “maybe it was just an idea.” Either way, one day while making their way from their home into town, this eighth grader wondered what it would be like to run around the lake near their home. Ryan was already involved in baseball, basketball, and football…but running was never anything that really interested him. In fact, when forced to run the mile in middle school, he complained just as much as any other kid. But at this moment he was captivated with the thought of running around this lake.

He talked to his dad, who agreed to go with him and his father recounts that they only stopped once during the 15-mile run. He says Ryan was worn out at the end, but they both knew that this was not a one-off event. Ryan recalls, “At that point, the trajectory of my life completely changed. All of a sudden I stopped doing baseball, basketball, and football, and started running full time. And it was at that point that Jesus really became my best friend. That’s when our relationship took off…and it was a direct result of him bringing running into my life.”

The Ryan I am talking about is Ryan Hall. The winner of the Olympic Marathon Trials in New York last fall and one of the favored people to place high in the Olympic Marathon coming up shortly. This boy who started running “full-time” at 13-years of age has done remarkably well. In his first marathon in London in 2007 Ryan ran a 2:08:24…the fastest ever debut by an American runner. Later that year he won the Olympic Trials in grand fashion, greatly taming very tough competition on an equally tough course. In 2008 he returned to London to run a 2:06:17…the fastest time ever run by an American born citizen.

He began showing promise immediately and by the time he graduated high-school he had four individual state titles and ran a state-record time of 4:02 in the 1600 meters. He had recruiters circling and he chose to go to Stanford University. But from the moment he arrived at Stanford he was off his game. He was fighting an IT Band injury and he was struggling with school. He would wake up in the morning feeling a heavy burden and like “things are not what I had pictured.” He slept poorly, he ate poorly and he gained 10-pounds. He abandoned Stanford for a quarter and returned home.

As he returned home he thought things would get better with familiar surroundings and the help of his fathers steady guidance. They didn’t. They got worse. He became depressed and there were times he would wake up in the morning and just try to run. Any distance. And he would go out and would make it only a half-mile and would find himself walking home. His spirit was crushed.

There was no blinding-light changing moment for Hall. He returned to Stanford and applied himself. That year he had a sub-par track season. But by the time he graduated he had won an NCAA Championship and had led his team to a cross-country championship. Things were looking up.

Different challenges await different people attempting different accomplishments. I believe there is no doubt that Ryan Hall was called to run. And when that is your calling and that is what you are to do, when you face the setbacks that Ryan did upon arriving at Stanford; it is a devastating event. He was invited there to run, he wanted to run, people were counting on him to run…but he couldn’t fulfill the expectations for himself or his college or for God.

This is the moment of testing that we so often go through. Not a testing by God…but somehow and someway the enemy gets in and attempts to derail us. The result is dependent upon whether we give up and give in or whether we take a survey of our lives and fix whatever needs fixing and resolve to get back at it.

Where are you at? Do you need a little dose of resolve to get it done? Are you at a point that requires a moment to refocus? Whatever or wherever…I would encourage you to do what it takes to do what God has called you to do.

1 Samuel 16:7 – “But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart”

Have a blessed day,

RodZ

© 2008 – Rodney Zimmerman – All rights reserved