Finding Inspiration

I spent this past weekend in Marquette, MI, attending one of the largest ski races in the Mid-West: the Noquamenon Ski Marathon. I would never have known (or cared, probably) about the event, had my younger brother and his significant other not participated in the race. But standing alongside the track for the last 200 yards before the finish line, I was suprised at the surge of emotion and inspiration I felt not just for my family, but for all the skiers I saw finish the course that day.

Maybe I was having an emotional day- it happens to me a lot. Maybe it was because the entire 'Noq, as the locals refer to it as, is 50K (or 30 miles) long, and finishing it is a feat of commitment and endurance. Whatever it was, the expressions on the faces of the skiers rounding that last corner had me fighting back tears before I even caught a glimpse of my younger brother (who, by the way, ski
ied the entire 50K).

I think seeing ordinary people accomplish extraordinary feats is the best type of inspiration for us all to do amazing things. In the half-frozen faces of the 'Noq's finishers, I saw triumph, determination, and satisfaction. I saw weariness, thankfulness, and relief. But even the most exhausted postures showed nothing that suggested defeat.