Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Triathlete Matt Miller's Return

Great story from the Philadelphia Enquirer about triathlete Matt Miller's recovery from a horrific training accident:

"The 20-year-old from St. Davids, training for a triathlon, had broken every bone in his face and suffered brain injury on Nov. 2, when he lost control of his bike and smashed, face-first, into a car going 40 miles an hour."
Miller's recovery is not nearly complete, but he's back to racing with some new perspectives on life:
"Before the accident, he told (300 students at a school in Virginia), "I pretty much thought that I was invincible and unstoppable."

"He urged the students to wear a helmet, which had saved his life, and to take care of their bodies. His conditioning had speeded his recovery.

He emphasized the strength he drew from those around him:

"Honesty, hard work, going out of your way for others, doing the right thing at the right time, these are what will build strong relationships with others. And these relationships will not only bring you happiness every single day, but they will help save your life when you need them the most. It is not possible to exaggerate the importance of family and friends."

"He encouraged the students to create a vision for their lives and work tirelessly toward it.

"We cannot decide what happens to us, but we can decide what happens in us," he said. "How we take the raw stuff of life and make it a thing of beauty. That is the test of living."
Well said.

1 comment:

art tchr said...

well put. the whole industry of "self help" could be put out of business with one statement: advice for overcoming any fear, obstacle, demon, etc.: every morning when you wake up - ask yourself "howzit going?"

no one cares more about you than you do :)

Life is a try...step up to the plate & knock one out of the park...unless you are a Cub. lol