Heroes

Everyone has heroes.  People they look up to and try to emulate.  I have several people that I admire for different reasons and while none of them are perfect, they all have several qualities I aspire to.  Here are some of them in the context I think of them and in no particular order.  (all the pictures are stolen from facebook so please forgive me)

John Bradley 

I know John as an Adventure Racer.  Most of what I've learned about the sport came from him.  He's intense but approachable.  He has always been willing to share the knowledge he's gained from years of racing and I love talking to him about it.  He's the ultimate competitor that wants to win but at the same time want's you to do well.  I've been on many runs where I've not really been into it and thought about cutting it short.  Then I think, "I bet John ran 20 miles this morning".  So I keep going.  He's an inspiration and unknowingly a motivator.

Dwayne Goscinski

I've been a fan of Dwayne long before I knew him.  When I first started racing mountain bikes he always stood out as someone to watch.  To me, Dwayne is the ultimate mountain bike racer.  He's good, but that's not what makes him special.  It's his constant smile and the way he engages everyone around him.  He loves to ride his bike and you can tell he wants you to love it as well.  He's a great role model.

Team Trail Monster (Jim and Wendy Davis)

Jim and Wendy would be the first to tell you this;  they are not your prototypical athletes.  What they've got they haven't come by naturally.  But what they are in my opinion are adventurous souls.  They love the outdoors and they are great ambassadors of the active lifestyle.  They've worked hard for what they've got and it's paid off.  I look forward to each time I get to see them.  

Luke Kuschmeader

I really admire Luke for everything he's accomplished.  I think of myself as a dreamer.   But Luke is that and more.  He puts his dreams into motion and makes great things.  He's also an athlete.  I've done adventure races with Luke and I've seen him when he's hell-bound determined and when he's stopped caring.  The former made me want to follow and the latter made me want to pick up the slack.  I've seen him push himself harder than I thought he could and it somehow made my effort easier.  I'm glad I know Luke and can't wait to see what he comes up with next.

Jesse Livingston

Jesse lives a life a lot of people dream about.  He's been more places and done more things than I'll ever do.  Anytime I have a whim to go ride or to some race Jesse is always up for it.  He's a lot of fun to be around and if I were to go on a wilderness trek, I'd want Jesse to be my guide. 

John Penny

John is a motivator.  I don't know if Tony Robbins is still around, but John could take his job.  I've worked with John for a few years outside of my regular job and when I sometimes feel like there isn't enough time to get everything accomplished that I want to get done, he gets me going.  As a result I think we've created some pretty good stuff.  I'd love to have John's drive.  LETS GO!

Of course there are others and I wish I had the time to document all of them.  But I was thinking about this subject while working out today and these are the ones that came to mind.  We all touch peoples lives.  Sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse.  But these people have been a good influence and make me want to be a better person.  I figure that deserves some recognition.