"I don't know if I would have made it if he hadn't done
that, sir. It made me embarrassed to be afraid when he wasn't afraid. I guess
that's leadership, sir." - A Sense of Honor
This quote about leadership stood out the second I read it.
I've saved many quotes from this book not knowing if I'd ever use 'em but that
wasn't the goal. Collecting intelligent and inspiring verbiage was.
I have a reason to use it now and that reason has a name.
His name is Travis.
Travis, for those that are yet to meet him, is someone that
came into our lives when he joined Tribute Strength a year ago. However,
joining TS doesn't make him the "reason".
This is the "reason"...
It will be so worth it though. Its one year. It isn't that
bad for the rest of my life. I make that trade." - Travis
Travis CrossFits while carrying an oxygen tank. Travis
struggles to walk 50' without stopping. Travis has Cystic Fibrosis...Travis is
getting a lung transplant.
Read that paragraph over again and read it slower this time.
Comprehend it, let it sink in and now read his quote again.
Travis is facing a fight for his life on a daily basis. It's
not some 12 minute AMRAP or some long chipper. He's not fabricating some
inspirational story to motivate himself to "get another round in".
This is real life. Life with consequences that matter more than your time or
weight on the chalkboard.
Yet when I spoke to Travis about this pending and immediate
need for transplant surgery all he focused on was the fact that he "will
be running miles" a year from now. Overlooking the major surgery he's
embarking on, the 3 months in complete 100% isolation post-surgery or the 3 months
spent in limited isolation after that.
Remember his quote I told you to read over again? Well, read it over one more time...
Personally speaking there are more people in this world that
end up disappointing me than impressing me. With that being said, there are
certain character traits in people that not only impress me but even more so
inspire me.
Well, Travis has them. In spades. And I'm embarrassed to be
afraid of anything now. And that's leadership.
So from all of us at Tribute Strength here's to your
incredible outlook, attitude, and a brand new set of lungs. In September 2017
we'll run miles together when we complete "Travis" in tribute to you,
sir.
