In celebration of our last seven days as Texans, I thought I would share some of the wisdom and life lessons I have learned from some of my favorite Texans that I will soon be leaving behind physically but could never leave behind spiritually. These people have invested so much into me that we wouldn’t be able to take this leap of faith without the wisdom and love they have poured so willingly into my life over the years! So for the next seven days I will focus on a person a day and share the impact they have had on my life.
Day 1: “Sprint the Hills”
Today’s influencer is a long time family friend, Van Symons. I lovingly joke about the Symons family as being my ‘God-family,’ you know, the people who would be stuck with you in case of a major tragedy with your real family. I have no doubt they would have taken me in willingly.
When Stefanie, my sister, and I were younger we were on a racing team with the Symons. We woke up earlier than any other middle schooler ever dreamed of and went out on cold mornings to run and train. On race days, Van would grab our hands and pull us through the suffocating crowds of people so that we could push through the tons of people that thought they were faster than the ‘little kids’ but were dead wrong. When we would come across steep hills in our course, Van would encourage us at the base of every one saying, “Sprint the hills.”
He would explain to us that very few people sprint on the way up, they all want to use the incline of the hill on the way down for a speed burst, but no one wants to work that much harder to sprint on the way up. Not only did we get a jump on the competition but we overcame those dreaded hills so much faster because we heeded his advice.
Now thinking back, I realize that this simple piece of running advice, has defined me as a person. Over the years, I have learned to muster up all the courage and strength I can, and charge at every problem headfirst. Because of the wisdom instilled in me, not only do I get a jump on the competition, but I spend way less time enduring the pains of the hills.
So, here’s to Van for being a great example of what it means to be an overcomer. Thanks for always believing in me, and for always being the ultimate Coach!
