We don’t need no stinkin’ obstacles!

Let's face it, success is tough. If it were easy, everyone would be successful, and it wouldn't be worth anything. But it's not just about being talented or lucky; it's about having the grit and determination to overcome the obstacles that always crop up. So, let's look at some inspiring stories of overcoming barriers in sports.

First up is Michael Phelps, the most decorated Olympian of all time. Phelps struggled with ADHD as a child, which made it very difficult for him to focus, causing him to struggle significantly in school. But instead of throwing in the towel (no pun intended), he turned to swimming, where he found his genius zone. And let's be honest, who needs straight A's when you can have a bunch of gold medals? Twenty-three gold medals, to be exact.

But if you've ever watched his training and coaching journey stories, you know how hard Michael Phelps worked to achieve his success. Most people wouldn’t work that hard.

Next, we've got Jim Abbott, a former Major League Baseball pitcher. Abbott was born without a right hand, which would have stopped most of us in our tracks. But not Abbott. Instead, he used his disability as a source of motivation to become a very successful pitcher in the major leagues. He pitched his first no-hitter at 11 and received a baseball scholarship to the University of Michigan, where he helped them win the Big Ten title in 1986. He won a gold medal for Team USA at the Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea, and was a first-round draft choice of the California Angels. He played for two years with my favorite team, the New York Yankees, in the early 1990s.

These stories sound like they might be out of Disney movies, but they're not. There are countless other stories of athletes who have overcome massive obstacles to success. Injuries, setbacks, failures, getting cut - yet they still managed to come out on top. They never let their failures define them; they always used them as fuel to keep pushing forward.

See, here's the thing, success is always challenging. It's messy, it's frustrating, and it's often painful. But the people who make it to the top are just the ones who refuse to give up. They're the ones who see the obstacles as opportunities and view setbacks as blips on the radar. I'm sure many of them faced moments of doubt, wondering if all the hard work would be worth it. But they all have something far more valuable, the satisfaction of knowing they didn't let life kick them in the teeth.

So, if you feel like the obstacles in your life are too much to overcome, always know that success is not a straight line. It's a bumpy road filled with lots of potholes and detours. But nothing can stop you if you're willing to do the work and fight tooth and nail for what you want.

Quote of the Week:

“There will be obstacles. There will be doubters. There will be mistakes. But with hard work, there are no limits.”

Michael Phelps