Be Inspired

Most every athlete I know if not all has a someone or something that inspires them. If not why else would you grind through workouts, games, meets, etc. I know my love for the sport is fostered by inspiration. Olympics are definitely one of the big ones, mantras and quotes. I even taped a 4'x 4' section of a wall in my apt to paint a blackboard to keep myself inspired (go big or go home?)

Start of project blackboard inspiration

Final product

Then there are your idols, mine growing up were Jackie Joyner Kersee and Flo Jo, and as I came into high school Steve Prefontaine. My list of athletes that inspire me grows as I become more immersed in my sport. They don't just include the tip top of the track chain gold medalists, they now include athletes that go beyond their performances on the rubber oval to what they give back to the running community. Lauren Fleshman has stood out as one of the front runners (no pun intended) of inspiration in this new age. Though I've never met her and only follow through track news, twitter and get picky bars from one of her entrepreneurial endeavors, she exudes a level of connectability that goes beyond her athletic ability (which is stellar by the way). This so much that if I coached a group of girls or had a daughter I'd make sure they knew of her. There are definitely boundless amounts of amazingly captivating athletes that I follow through their careers, hoping one day I may be standing next to them calling them my competitors or teammates, or at the very least an inspiration.
What inspires you?