9 Seconds is all it took for Scott Rigsby’s life to come crashing down! A little under 17 hours is what it took for Scott to make Ironman history, becoming the first double amputee (on prosthetics) to complete the Ironman World Championships in 2007. 
I was fortunate to meet Scott Rigsby at the Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii and one can learn a great deal from this inspirational guy, who as a strapping 18yo was thrown over the side of a pick up truck and dragged 100m before being pinned under the trailer. Scott endured 26 surgeries and had both legs amputated…..before accomplishing the ‘Unthinkable!’
I extracted some of Scott Rigsby’s comments and the 5 key steps that he took to cross his finish line and transform his/the world (from his book Unthinkable). I have then added a few comments that may assist you in your Ironman race or journey!
1. Have a Dream:
Nothing can happen until you have something big in your heart that drives you. Your dream is yours alone and it doesn’t matter whether or not the dream seems attainable right now. In fact, searching for your dream may be a process you need to go through before it is fully revealed. Whatever the path, you must be willing to try and you will know you’re on the right course when that dream becomes bigger than yourself. It will become your passion. Just spend some time thinking about what you’d really love to achieve, and pray For God to begin the process of discovery for you by opening new doors.
AR: I think everybody has a desire to achieve Goals, a Dream…. but here is the crux of the matter. You can either act upon it and do what it takes, in other words pay the price… the price of sweat, tears, sacrifice and deferment of gratification. You can either go for it, transform and achieve, or you can sit on the couch, watch television, with the knowledge that if you are not consciously creating good habits, you will be defaulting to bad ones. It’s a simple mathematical equation, either you are getting better or you are getting worse. Which do you desire?
The fact that you are days away from lining up for an Ironman, implies that you have something big in your heart. You have a Dream and more importantly you have already done what 98% of people fail to do, you took Action and you Persevered as you prepared. There may be times in your Ironman Race when the going gets tough and you will need to dig deep; there will be mind games and you may be inclined to want to listen to that inner voice and throw in the towel. That is an absolute no no, Ironman is about finishing, about overcoming obstacles, about running down the Red Carpet and having Paul Kaye welcome you home with the words “You are an Ironman!” In 2009 I almost threw in the Towel, but persevered and the marathon took me all of 6 hours 15 minutes and that medal is my most treasured medal of all, as I learnt so much about myself through that experience. The alternative is too ghastly to comprehend!
That little bird on your shoulder will be speaking to you in your moments of weakness, telling you that you can’t or that you are not good enough. He will target your fears, your doubts, your insecurities…… Looking to assassinate your dreams and aspirations.
That is when it is time to stand tall, to be defiant and to face your fears, to embrace pain and to tell yourself, You can, You will, You want to….
2. Build a Good Support Team:
Big dreamers take big risks and going it alone means almost certain failure. Your support team doesn’t have to include your family, and it may not even include your friends. Find people who can help you on your journey and then ask them to join you. You’d be surprised how often people will step up to help someone achieve a dream. Don’t be afraid to approach the people you admire and ask them for advice or help along the way. If they don’t know you need help, they can’t help you. In my case, finding my support team actually became part of the journey. When you’re doing the unthinkable, those in your camp actually share in the journey with you.
Supported by Family, Isuzu, Fuji, Orca and Cytomax
AR: Think back to the day you decided to try, to the days you took those first shaky steps en route to your Big Dream. You probably shared your Dream with a friend, or a loved one and they will in all likelihood have urged you on and been with you every step of the way. Keep your Dream close at hand and remember why you signed up, why you made so many sacrifices, but most of all remember those special folk who shared your sacrifices and have supported and encouraged you in your Ironman journey. That Finisher’s Medal is an excellent way of showing your appreciation to your support team!
3. Choose Faith over Fear:
In every situation, you can choose to make decisions out of either faith or fear. We all play self-defeating mind games that define our thinking and perceptions of ourselves and others. When I started my Ironman journey, I had no money and no experience. I was overweight, too old and going through difficult relationship issues. What it all boils down to, is that poor self-image and personal negativity are really just expressions of our own fears. Fear is the leading cause of the death of our dreams. The only antidote I know is to choose faith. Faith will lead you to face your fears and point you straight to the core of how to withstand the doubt and uncertainty. Martin Luther King Jr. said, “Faith is taking the first step, even when you can’t see the whole staircase.”
AR: Setting a Goal and taking that first step requires immense courage and it requires Faith to persevere through the many setbacks and obstacles that you may encounter while trying to achieve your Goals, both in training or in the race itself. I prepare to the best of my ability and about a week out, I simply hand it all over. I realise that there is not much else I can do (except be mentally tough on the day) and that the rest is up to the weather Gods and whatever else may challenge me.
I have learnt it is pointless worrying about what we cannot control, so I’ve stopped looking at the weather and I don’t even know who is racing in my AG. After all, this is a race between the course and I and in particular my mind. One thing is for sure, anxiety won’t help us get into the zone, so it’s important to be relaxed and quietly confident in the build up to the event one is targeting. Quiet confidence is accentuated by being well prepared and having faith. We also have a lot of internal energy in the build up to a race, often referred to as nerves (or excitement). I choose to focus on calm excitement, as it has positive connotations, thinking of my hopes, my desires, my dreams. When I was younger I used to allow nervousness to dominate my thoughts and then you focus upon your fears, your concerns, the competition, the daunting task and believe me it drains you.
4. Expect and Overcome Obstacles:
Anything worth doing will present some challenges; otherwise you’d have done it already! However, no matter how much faith you exhibit, the ‘day of trouble’ will come. According to Jeremiah 16:19, that is precisely when God becomes our strength, our fortress and our refuge. Expect that you’re going to face some difficulties along the way, plan for how you are going to address them mentally and physically, and commit to reaching your goal in spite of them. There will days when you won’t feel like putting in the effort, or the conditions may be such that you want to give up. Those are the days when you must push past the fear or pain, for it is the strength you have gained during those days of difficulty that you will rely on when the unanticipated obstacles appear. Training breeds perseverance and instills confidence that you will be able to move past the obstacles, no matter what.
AR: Most people fear Pain, but I choose to embrace Pain and to see how far we can go together. Remember that Self Pity is a weak man’s emotion and when you start feeling sorry for yourself it’s just about over, so toughen up, have Faith that you have put in the hard yards and that your mind can over ride any obstacle that presents itself on the day.
Another important focal point is being ‘in the moment’, something kids are pretty good at, but as Adults we lose our way somewhat. Pro golfers are very good at this, it’s about taking one shot at a time, one hole at a time. We need to ensure we don’t get ahead of ourselves and remain present, focussing upon this very moment.
This was a vital contributor to my race in Las Vegas 2011, particularly in the 1.9km non wetsuit swim. I had forgotten how much an aid a wetsuit is and had over estimated my swimming ability and went out too hard and BLEW…. I was hyperventilating and having to swim breastroke to recover…. and this was 800m into a World Championship race. But I remained in the moment, I focussed upon what I needed to do right there and then, which was to stay calm, to recover and to think positively as opposed to thinking to the end result and the possibility of losing, having a bad race. So I was able to refocus and that was the key contributor to my result on the day. Don’t get ahead of yourself… focus on 1km at a time, or even 1 step at a time!
Pain is temporary and we all know that even the most excruciating pain dissipates in time, so rather take a time out as opposed to a bail out, after all rugby players, soccer players, etc all have half time and so can you!
5. Cross your Finish Line:
Somewhere along your journey, you envisioned what the experience was going to be like when you approached your finish line. Your dream may have taken months, years, or decades to achieve, but the finish line is always there for you to cross. If your mission is truly ‘unthinkable’, then your finish line will be characterized by the following truths:
*Your ‘unthinkable’ finish line was originally unimaginable.
*The line that you must cross cannot be moved closer to make it easier.
*Pursuit of your goal will scare you out of your comfort zone.
*Your goal will cause you to doubt yourself, and others will tell you that your goal is crazy.
*The mountain you must climb will be taller than anything you have ever done.
*You will experience many setbacks and failures on your way to success.
Your finish line is where you placed it, and once you get there, you may find that it was the experience of getting there that has made you stronger and more capable of taking on additional finish lines.
You might even find, as I did, that your dream becomes a mission and your mission changes the world. I wish you all the best in living your own ‘unthinkable’ dreams.
AR: The Ironman mantra is ‘Anything is Possible’ and I firmly believe that once you have set a Goal of doing an Ironman; of Actioning your Goal; of Persevering and Conquering, well that is when you are truly, capable of Achieving the Impossible or the Unthinkable. As you travel along your Ironman Journey, your Belief Ceiling is raised beyond recognition and you start to see Life and the World through diffrent eyes and suddenly things you previously thought Impossible, are truly Possible, in fact ‘Anything is Possible!”
Paul Kaye is waiting with the words “You Are an Ironman!” Enjoy the experience!
Comments extracted from Scott Rigsby’s book, Unthinkable, pages 251-254: Author Jenna Glatzer.
YES, you Can, you Will, you Want to!!
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