Chasing my Dreams!

As far back as I can remember, Ive often thought about the ‘running up the stairs’ scene from the Rocky movie – and what a powerful scene that is, what a powerful feeling that must be, to run up stairs like that.  I feel the same when I watch people running up stairs, in training.  But, Id never allowed myself to put it on the bucket list, I always left it as a feeling of ‘Wow that must feel fantastic to do that!’, and left it at that, because, really….how can *I* run up stairs like that, its just one of those things I will never experience…until now.

Thats pure POWER, right there!

Late October, 2012, I was at  home, with the television on in the background, as noise while I was busy getting myself ready for my day.  Something made me turn to the television to watch it, just as a man was being interviewed, who was undertaking an epic challenge, of running up and down an epic amount of stairs, multiple times.

And that was it, that oh so familiar spark inside me flickered on…I *was* going to achieve this…in my own way.  I wanted to get out there, right there and then, and do it, in the way that I had instantly thought of.  Unfortunately my body was still crying with the pain from my gym workout the day before, so I was unable to get out there and do it…but this fired me up even more…I WAS going to achieve this, by the end of the day, once my pain had subsided. I was so excited!

Mid afternoon, I ‘checked in’ with my body…ooooh…no pain, it had subsided…I ws going to get out there and DO this…yay! 😀

Excitedly, and filled with focus, I got in the car, and headed down to Maroochydore beach, where I knew there was a staircase (albeit a very small one, but still a staircase) – I had climbed up and down this a number of times, to access the beach when I had gone beach training – but I had never attempted to climb up or down it on my own.  But, I knew nothing could stop me, I knew i had the confidence to at least attempt this. 

I got out of the car, grabbed one crutch out (yes I was going to be brave enough to attempt this with one crutch – I had never attempted walking outside of the gym before on my own, not since I started getting back up on my feet, 17yrs after using my wheelchair).  But this was the day it was going to happen.  Oooh….a bit nervous, it felt very strange not to have anyone beside me….but I was VERY focussed and determined to do it. 

I got to the edge of the staircase and looked down – yes it may have only been 6 stairs, but it felt, and looked, like ‘Rockys staircase’ to me, in my mind (got to love the magic of having a visual mind lol).  Slowly I eased up into a standing position, at the edge of that staircase, grabbed hold of the handrail with one hand, crutch in the other, and started stepping down…very slowly..I couldnt risk injuring myself this close to my Fundraiser Event!  

My ‘Rocky staircase’

I achieved the first ‘going down, then back up again’ of these stairs, and I felt SO powerful…the whole time I was doing it, I was picturing Rocky running up that staircase.  This was only a tiny staircase, and I was going at a snails pace…but, I was achieving this, ‘in my own way’.  I managed to do about 10x ‘up and downs’ before I started to tire…thats 10x 6 steps each way – 120 steps! Wow..  As I was stepping up and down, I focussed in on Rocky and that scene, and I imagined (again, in my own way), that this may have been the feeling that he had, the feeling of powerful achievement, and pushing his body to do this, on those outdoor stairs…just like I was. 

I did it…I re-created the ‘Rocky’ scene – the only thing I didnt do was, at the top, raise my hands up in victory…haha…but, in my mind, I was doing this!

Absolutely priceless moment!

ANYTHING is Possible…when you use your mind, to not just feel, but to BE, powerful!