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The Summer Olympics are upon us. I love watching these amazing athletes perform feats I could never even dream of and to watch sports that, to be honest, I have no understanding of.

But there’s one group of athletes I see as the most amazing and, ironically perhaps, get the least amount of press and that is the athletes in the Paralympics. Athletes that make it to the Olympics endure a tremendous amount of work to make it to the top. They may sacrifice friends, family time, and put off careers in order to make it to the big show.  I don’t mean, in any way, to diminish the hard work these men and women put into their sport.

Paralympian’s, however, have one added hurdle to overcome and that is physical disability. It amazes me how they reach down just a little bit deeper to say, ‘I can do this’, my disability won’t keep me from improving my ability. My “disability” my define me, but I won’t let it destroy me.’

Someone once said, ‘The greatest enemy most of us face in pursuit of success is our own fear of failure’.

Another author states, ‘cemeteries are full of unwritten books, unsung songs and dreams that will never come true because of fear of failure.’

The Apostle Paul endured many struggles in his life. Once a well-respected leader in his religious community, he became an outcast because of his new relationship with Jesus Christ. The Romans hated him, the Jews hated him and many ‘Christians’ were leery of him. He was beaten, stoned and left for dead, wrongfully accused, shipwrecked and apparently suffered from unknown physical problems. Yet he writes,

“Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win!” (1 Corinthians 9:24)

Like many of us, Paul needed to make a decision to move forward in spite of adversity and uncertainty, or give up. None of us would have blamed him if he’d chosen the latter. Yet just like the paralympian who pursues the big show in spite of adversity, he pressed on knowing that like any race, only one wins, but everyone runs to win.

What adversity is keeping you from pressing on? Worry? Fear? Broken relationships? Financial difficulty? Take a lesson from the paralympian. Don’t allow a ‘disability’ keep you from pursuing your ‘ability.’