Simple Truths: Finish Strong

Amazing Stories of Courage and Inspiration “We all face adversity in our life. And so many times, it’s how we react to it that will determine our destiny. Finish Strong is a great book with amazing stories about people from all walks of life, who, in the face of adversity, succeeded … against all odds. Prepare to be inspired!”

Mac Anderson, Founder, Simple Truths

By Dan Green

www.simpletruths.com

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More than a statement … it’s an attitude

by Dan Green

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T i t l et o Pa g e

FROM

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Copyright © 2008 by Simple Truths, LLC Published by Simple Truths, LLC 1952 McDowell Road, Suite 300 Naperville, Illinois 60563 Toll Free 800-900-3427 All rights reserved. No portion of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form by any means — except for brief quotations in printed reviews — without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Book Design: Vieceli Design Company, West Dundee, Illinois Editing by Julie Kellogg Photography Credit Cover Corbis — Top left, bottom left and right Getty — Top middle and right Dan Green Archives—Bottom middle Inside iStockphoto — 12, 18, 38-39, 48-49, 54, 62, 64, 65, 71, 72, 73, 82, 83, 84, 108, 116 Getty Images — 22-23, 27, 34, 50, 55, 57, 61, 80, Corbis — 24, 28, 30 (2 shots), 36, 37, 40, 41, 44, 47, 52, 53, 58, 88, 89, 90, 96, 104, 110, 112 Dan Green Archives John Baker Archives — 14 (2 shots), 17 Simple Truths is a registered trademark.

ISBN 978-1-60810-013-2 Printed and bound in United State of America.

The mark FINISH STRONG is a registered trademark owned by Finish Strong Communications, LLC. Any unauthorized use is strictly prohibited. www.simpletruths.com 11 WOZ 12

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Dedication

To my parents for their infinite belief…

To my girls for their constant inspiration…

To my wife for her enduring love…

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Table of Introduction .

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Fear is in the Eye of the Beholder . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 What’s in a Name? .

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An Expedition in Faith . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 It Ain’t Over Till It’s Over .

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A Spirit Forged in Steel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Follow the Sun . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Believe in Miracles. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 Don’t Stop Believing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 Keep Clip’n Along .

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Contents To Finish First You Must First Finish. . . . . . . . . . . . 68 Focus on Priorities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 Dying to make a Difference. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76 Overnight Success. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80 Redefine your Limits. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86 Capitalize on Catastrophe. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90 Don’t Let Life Pin You Down .

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Believing is Seeing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104 Live with No Regrets .

Beginnings .

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Introduction

Finish Strong

— to me, two words that more clearly define a call to action than any other two words in the English language. I challenge you to find two words that more abso­lutely define a performance objective. The words “finish strong” are pervasively used in our culture, and they are a perfect example of how the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. When you combine “Finish” with “Strong” you create a powerful platform for action. It’s not uncommon for these words to flow from the mouths of athletes as they describe their goal in pre and post event interviews.

The media uses these words to describe the performance of everything from the stock market to stock car racing. And lastly, for as long as man has documented history, the spirit of these words has existed.

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“Believe and act as if it were impossible to fail.”

— C h a r l e s F. K e t t e r i n g

The words Finish Strong have become a driving force in my life.

For more than ten years, they have been my personal mantra for achieving excellence in — life, sport, and business. I have personally embraced the finish strong mindset in all aspects of my life. And, when faced with a challenge or adversity, I remind myself …

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— Da n G r e e n

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From this attitude, I have created a personal level of accountability for everything I do. I don’t always get the result I want. But in the times that I have had to lean on my commitment, I always felt a greater sense of accomplishment and satisfaction knowing that I gave it all I had.

The purpose of this book is to introduce you to the “Finish Strong Attitude” and hope that you will embrace it. The stories I’ve chosen are amazing examples of people who exemplify the finish strong spirit in sport, business and life. Therefore, my wish for you is to always…Finish Strong.

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COURAGE

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“Most of us have far more courage than we ever dreamed we possessed.”

Dale Carnegie

“Have the courage to live. Anyone can die.”

Robert Cody

“Courage is almost a contradiction in terms. It means a strong desire to live taking the form of a readiness to die.”

Gilbert K. Chesterton

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t was a perfect day for surfing off the coast of Kauai. A 13 year old surfing protégé had just finished riding a twenty foot wave and was lying face down on her surf board.

Preparing to paddle out to catch another wave, her thoughts of becoming a profes-

sional surfer shifted in an instant. Without warning, she felt a tug on her left arm and in a split second she realized that she’d been attacked by a shark.

As she struggled to gain her composure she realized something even more horrifying – the fourteen foot tiger shark had bitten clean through her board, taking her left arm in a single bite. At that moment in time, survival and not surfing became a priority.

Bethany Hamilton learned to surf at the age of 4. When she was 8, she entered her first contest and won both of the events that she competed in. At the age of 10 she placed 1st in the “11-under girls”, 1st in the “15-under girls,” and 2nd in the “12-under boys” division at the Volcom Puffer Fish contest. She was determined to become a professional surfer and was certainly on track to make it happen. Then, in one violently swift moment on that fall day in 2003, it seemed her dreams would be shattered.

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However, Bethany was born with the heart of a lion and the competitive spirit of a thoroughbred. She was determined to return to the water to surf. Leaning on support from her friends, family and her faith in God, Bethany recovered rapidly and within ten weeks from the attack was surfing again. Convinced she could overcome her physical challenge, she worked hard to learn to surf

H awa

would face her fears by singing and praying when

ic Su rf

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the psychological fear of another attack. Bethany

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around her disability. But she also had to overcome a t ion l S c h Na

she was out on the water.

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Incredible as it seems, less than a year from her attack, Bethany returned to competition taking fifth place

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at the National Surfing Championships and first place at the first event for the Hawaii National Scholastic Surfing Association. She was recognized by ESPN in 2004 and received an ESPY award for Best Comeback Athlete of the year.

Bethany’s ability to overcome her physical and mental challenges puts her in an elite class of achievers. She chose to...Finish Strong.

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Her unique ability to confront her fears, embrace them and then continue moving forward in the direction of her goals is the perfect definition of courage.

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J

ohn Baker was too short and slight to be a runner for his high school track team.

But, John loved to run and he wanted to make the team. His best friend, John Haaland, was a tall and promising runner and heavily recruited by the

Manzano High School track coach, but he wanted nothing to do with the sport. John Baker convinced the track coach to let him join the team under the premise that his best friend would follow. The coach agreed and John Baker became a runner.

The team’s first meet was a 1.7 mile cross-country race through the foothills of Albuquerque. The reigning state champion, Lloyd Goff, was running and all eyes were on him. The race began and the pack of runners led by Goff disappeared behind the hill. The spectators waited. A minute passed then two and three. Then the silhouette of a single runner appeared. The crowd assumed that it was one of the favorites. But to everyone’s amazement, it was John Baker leading the way to the finish line. In his first meet, he blew away the field and set a new meet record.

When asked what happened behind the hill, Baker explained that during the halfway point of the run, he was struggling hard. He asked himself a question:

“Am I doing my best?”

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Still unsure if he truly was giving his best effort, he fixed his eyes on the back of the runner in front of him.

“One at a time,”

he thought. His entire focus was on one thing — to pass the runner in front of him.

He committed to himself that nothing would distract him—fatigue, pain, nothing.

One by one he caught and passed each runner in front of him until there was no one else to pass.

As the season progressed, John proved that first race was not a fluke. Once the race began, the fun loving, unassuming teenager became a fierce and relentless competitor that refused to lose. By the end of his junior year, John had broken six meet records and was largely regarded to be the best miler in the state. In his senior year he ran the entire track and cross-country season undefeated, winning the state championship in both events.

The future certainly looked bright for the seventeen year old.

John entered the University of New Mexico in 1962 and he took his training to the next level by running over ten miles a day. In the spring of 1965, Baker and his team faced the most feared team in track — the University of Southern California Trojans. There

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Weho pet ha ty o ue nj o y e d r e a di ngt hi sf r e eo nl i nepr e v i e w.

Y o uc a npur c ha s et he c o mpl e t eb o o ka ta nyt i me b yv i s i t i ngusa t : www. s i mpl e t r ut hs . c o m

Amazing Stories of Courage and Inspiration “We all face adversity in our life. And so many times, it’s how we react to it that will determine our destiny. Finish Strong is a great book with amazing stories about people from all walks of life, who, in the face of adversity, succeeded … against all odds. Prepare to be inspired!”

Mac Anderson, Founder, Simple Truths

By Dan Green

www.simpletruths.com

FSTR_cover_WOZsquare.indd 1

More than a statement … it’s an attitude

by Dan Green

3/7/12 8:49 AM