Keep Going!

"I am usually the last one. It doesn't matter if you win or lose. You get it done." Scott Willey

I had the privilege of talking with Scott last Friday at the Y. A man who walks an average of 20 miles a day & participates in many road races & walks for charity. In the past few years he has been at the top of the leader boards in the U.S. (#1 in Iowa) for Fitbit, an activity tracker. 

In January 2014, Scott made Fitbit history by pushing the system to 100,000 steps (approximately 40-50 miles) in 13 hours. At the time, Fitbit's app only went to 75,000 steps. Willey was able to get Fitbit to change their badge system to include a 100,000 badge. During this time, others followed in his footsteps and accomplished the same. On January 2015 he did it again, receiving the badge he earned. This time doing 106,894 steps in one day. 

While I could go on about Scott's accomplishments, and they are certainly worth honoring; that is not the whole story. What has inspired me the most about Scott is his determination to keep going in spite of the challenge of cerebral palsy. 

Scott & I met over a year ago. I was in a low spot that day as the music played through my headphones and my feet hit the track. I was weary and confused; with my soul breaking on the inside. As I went around the track again and again, my eyes were drawn to Scott. He was walking with a pretty good limp as he navigated the track with determination. 

Inspiration began to rise in my heart... If he can keep going, I can too.

I introduced myself to Scott that morning, who greeted me as a friend with the happiest, most welcoming smile. I told him that while he may limp on the outside, I was limping on the inside today and how much of an encouragement he was to me to keep on going. He laughed and seemed pleased that he had made a difference in my life.

Scott attributes his resolve to keep going to his mom. He said she suffered for years with rheumatoid arthritis and kept going; never complaining and never missing a beat. 

As Scott says it best, "Don't quit. Keep going. Don't lose interest. The only way you can accomplish your goal is to stick it through. It's much more than walking and having a fit tracker. You have to put everything together to see the whole picture. Two years ago, I was in it for the competition and being #1. Now I am in it for the fun and for motivating other people. So what if I drop in the standings? I don't care because I am involved in groups and focused on what I can give to others." 

Living in sync with your best life means you keep going. You don't quit. You find there is a bigger picture to your life and the great blessing it is to give to others.

Thanks, Scott. You are an inspiration to me and to many.