While being committed to improving our health and fitness is one of the most important parts of sticking to your workouts, sometimes we all need a little motivation to help us jump on our treadmills or cycle a few miles on our stationary bikes.
If you need a motivational boost, we have found five inspirational athletes that will help push through your workouts.
1. Juli Windsor: Be Undaunted
(Photo source: Juli Windsor)
Born with a rare form of dwarfism which makes athletics particularly difficult, Juli Windsor has never let her circumstances hold her back. Along with becoming a physician assistant, Juli has dedicated large amounts of time to become a long-distance runner.
One of her most notable accomplishments was to be the first runner with dwarfism to ever complete the Boston Marathon, which Juli did in 2014 with a time of 4:43:26. Her first attempt was made during the 2013 Boston Marathon, which was interrupted by the bombings which killed 3 people and injured many others. But she didn’t let her dwarfism or fear of a repeated attack hold her back, and she continues to push forward every day.
2. Bethany Hamilton: Conquer Any Roadblock
(Photo source: Bethany Hamilton)
At only 13 years old, Bethany Hamilton was attacked by a tiger shark one morning when she was out surfing. She lost her left arm just below the shoulder and had lost more than 60% of her blood by the time she reached a hospital. Yet, a month after the traumatizing attack, Bethany went back out to the open water on a surfboard.
Bethany didn’t stop there. She has gone on to be a professional surfer, role model, and speaker who continues to inspire people to overcome the roadblocks that life throws in the way.
3. Mirna Valero: Find Health At Any Size
(Photo source: National Geographic)
Many people believe that runners can be overweight but only at the start of their running careers. After enough running, weight loss is supposed to be an inevitability. But that isn’t the case for Mirna Valero.
This inspiring woman has run multiple half marathons, marathons, and has even tackled multiple ultramarathons, one which was tracked by REI in their short film The Mirnavator. Mirna encourages everyone to find that activity that they love and throw themselves into it and not worry what others think. Because while Mirna has been criticized for being an overweight runner, she has never let that hold her back from lacing up her shoes and heading out the door.
4. Michael Oher: From Homeless To The NFL
(Photo source: Wikipedia)
The real-life subject of the movie The Blind Side, Michael Oher had a chaotic childhood which left him alternating between foster homes and homelessness before being taken in by the Sean And Leigh Anne Touhy. With his adoptive family’s support, Michael was able to focus on not only athletics but also his academic record.
From there, he received a scholarship from the University of Mississippi, where he played for four years to great acclaim, leading to his first-round draft pick by the NFL team the Baltimore Ravens.
5. Scott Jurek: Keep Pushing Boundaries
(Photo source: Scott Jurek)
Dedicated to seeing what’s on the other side of the mountain, Scott Jurek has become a prominent figure in the trail running community for his dedication to pushing the boundaries of what was thought as possible. Scott ran his first 50-mile race before he ever ran a marathon!
He has set ultramarathon records and been first to conquer many hurdles, from being the first North American man to win the Sparathlon (a 153-mile long race between Athens and Sparta) to breaking the Appalachian Trail thru-hike record, completing the entire hike in 46 days, 8 hours. Scott is also a vegetarian and advocates for athletes to fuel their races with plant-based diets. Now 45 years old, Scott continues to push the boundaries when it comes to running and inspires generations of runners.
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