Throughout my athletic career I have always applied 5 D’s to any athletic goal I was setting myself, they were

Desire: You are the only one who can do it, it’s got to totally come from within

Dedication: 100% effort is needed

Determination: Mental Toughness to grit your teeth and hold on for dear life when going through a bad patch in a race

Discipline: Having the ability to forgo those short term pleasures leading up to the event

Digging Deep: Mental Toughness to stop yourself from cross that fine line when your lungs a burning, head spinning and legs like lead when you are ¾ up that mountain

In leading up to the 2005 World Mountain Running Champs in Wellington, New Zealand I visited over 15 primary schools and chatted to the kids about Mountain running, about keeping fit and about realizing their talents and making the most of them! I also asked them to guess my 5’s and the Wellington kids were so on to it that not only did they guess my D’s easily, they had so many other D’s, so I DECIDED to write a D’s story and it goes like this………..

I also feel this D story is DEFINITELY appropriate for everyone who has been part of this amazing Blue Planet Run Journey……….A DEFINING moment in all our lives

MY D’S STORY

We all have a talent, a passion in life and we have a DAZZLING DREAM about being the best we can be. So we set that DIRECTION in the way of a goal, little goals along the way to that big goal, Our DESTINATION, Our DESTINY.

Throughout the journey it will require DISCIPLINE, an inner DRIVE and being able to DIG-DEEP when the going gets tough.

And sure there will be DISAPPOINTMENTS, DISRUPTIONS and DISTRACTIONS along the way where you will feel DEJECTED, DESPONDENT and it might even create a sense of DOUBT when you are DOWN in the DUMPS.

But you will use that DETERMINATION and not be DEFEATED and you will Persevere - Find that ‘Fuel in Failure’ because having those DIFFICULTIES and DISASTERS actually makes you a stronger person, Never be DISCOURAGED, have Courage!

And you will rise again and make that DECISIVE, DIVINE DECISION to be DYNAMIC, DARING AND DANGEROUS in your ability and with that inner DESIRE you will be DELIRIOUS with DELIGHT when you achieve that DREAM goal with DISTINCTION and know that you have DILIGENTLY DONE your very best!

IMPOSSIBLE IS NOTHING

PS:

IF you think of any more D’s to add to the story please let me know…