The drive

What drives you? That is a question I am often asked and frequently ask myself. It is always presumed that successful sportspeople are highly motivated, that they leap out of bed in the morning ready to battle any challenges ahead. I always needed a reason, a purpose, if the goal was there I would continue to work towards it without so much as a second thought. Take away that goal and I would have failed to succeed.

If you watched the coverage of the London Marathon you will have heard the stories, seen the passion and felt the sense of achievement for those tens of thousands of ambitious runners. Thanks to social media I expect all of us will know someone who completed the iconic race. You might think your friends are crazy to voluntarily put their bodies through such a gruelling training schedule just for a few hours of pounding the streets of London. If you have not already can I suggest you ask them why? I can guarantee there will be a clear driving force behind their decision. For some it is a charity close to the heart, others it could be a fitness challenge, for the professional athletes it could be the title, the record, or Olympic qualification. Pure determination and drive was perfectly demonstrated in the elite women’s race when Kenyan Jemima Sumgong took a serious fall in the final few miles of the race. She picked herself up and pushed on to win the this years title. 

Ignore the sore legs this week, any London Marathon finisher will be on cloud nine as they look back at their accomplishment. You can not beat that feeling of elation as you reach a goal. Relish it, reflect and be brave - set yourself a new one today.