The following is a guest post from Kalimba Edwards, a friend, athlete, firefighter and self proclaimed “everyday soccer mom”. Her current goal is to attempt one competition every month in 2021.
She regularly shares her adventures on her blog Aye Kalimba – the training, the people she meets, the highs and lows, and the lessons learned. Each month, we will catch up with Kalimba to hear about her progress.
This month Kalimba tells us about how the inspiration she found from her teenage son to keep going.
During the last couple months I’ve logged onto Blogger several times hoping to be inspired to write. Yesterday, I had all but wrote Aye Kalimba off as a done deal.
I told myself that the whole thing was pointless. After almost a year I struggled to think of any significant improvements that my “challenge” idea had produced.
Then, the Universe with its perfect timing guides me another way. In an instant, with one sentence from my son.
Ty, my oldest son, sent me a text message. He is a freshman this year and is trying his luck in wrestling. He has never really wrestled before but he didn’t let that stop him.
“Wrestling is the hardest thing I’ve ever done,” he texted.
“Really, are you sure you want to do it or just focus on football?”, I asked.
“Yeah, I’ll do it. It’s fine. I’ll get better,” he wrote back.
This made think – what happens if you challenge yourself to do something new athletically frequently? Will it sculpt your body into a machine?
Will you become the athlete you’ve always dreamed of being? Will you stumble upon your niche and end up in the Olympics?
Will you be able to publish that book full of fabulous adventures that you’ve always wanted to write? Will you lead a nation to become the best that they can be?
r maybe…You meet some cool people that share some great stories. You get some cute selfies and some pretty awesome group shots.
You get to dance in a boxing ring or ride your bike on a wall. You get to experience someone’s passion for a moment.
Maybe you get knocked out, come in dead last, or get lapped. Perhaps, if you’re lucky, you will learn a thing or two while staying active.
But if you’re lucky…you will begin to break the ‘fear of failure’ cycle. You keep your children from giving up when things get tough.
You teach them the importance of following through even when the reward is very slim. Most importantly, you let them see you nervous, frightened, beaten up and in lonely last place because that’s where the most valuable lessons can be hidden.
“No, it’s fine. I’ll get better.” Something so simple, but yet it coming out of my teenager’s mouth is profound.
Sounds pretty much like life to me and if I don’t accomplish anything else I hope I teach my children that fear is a liar.
Tomorrow I will partake in my November adventure – the Thanksgiving Throwdown. It’s a three event Crossfit competition at my second home, Crossfit Rigor in Blaine.
This is my second Crossfit competition for the year, but with one big difference – my partner is my son Ty. I couldn’t be more excited and honored that he agreed.
His hard work and no nonsense work ethic will be a driving force for us. Plus, the fact that if I embarrass him he’ll never forgive me will light a fire under my ass.
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