Underdog: The Power of Belief

God bless the underdogs in this world. The person that against all odds rises to the top and triumphs. I believe that there is a little piece of underdog in all of us. Human spirit, by nature, is one of belief. If you believe in something enough and work towards this with passion, dreams become achievable.

Represent.

If there ever was a movie to embody this concept, it is Rudy. “Rudy,” as he was nicknamed, was the 3rd of 14 children, and he was dyslexic. Despite his not-so-menacing-stature of 5’6″ and 165 lbs soaking wet, he loved playing football. His dream was to play for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, which was a pretty lofty goal in the 70’s for a man of normal size, let alone someone with his stats.

His grades were marginal, he had to apply 4 different times to get into Notre Dame. He spent 2 years at Holy Cross College near Notre Dame just waiting to get his chance. It was beginning to become clear at this point, that there was no quit in this particular human. He finally made it into Notre Dame, he then attempted to walk on the the football team. Head Coach Ara Parseghian always encouraged students to walk on. Rudy finally had his opportunity. There was not a time Rudy was on the practice field that he didn’t give everything, many times definitely to the detriment of his body. Although, that was as far as Rudy was going to get because he was only on the scout team. This was a team used to prep the Varsity athletes to represent the Irish.

In Rudy’s last year playing, Coach Parseghian stepped down as the Head Coach, and Dan Devine stepped into this role. This was Rudy’s senior season, his last chance to fulfill his dream. The Irish hosted Georgia Tech in the last game of the season. Rudy still had not seen one play. I believe that each person that watches this movie has a place in their heart that this touches.

—

This movie still brings tears to my eyes.

#Fakegym is a place for underdogs. Our own story is that of an underdog. It is a vibrant community which lives and breathes because of our belief. If you go out on that bluff anytime outside of class you would see no walls, no weights, no office, no showers, no class schedule, nothing that even resembles a gym. But, if you were to ask one member of the “Nation” what this #fakegym means to us, a beautiful monster will be revealed. A whole different world then the one you see. It’s a place of passion and vitality. It’s a place to call home. I believe Rudy would fit in well. And boy, I am proud to be an underdog.

To Rudy, to underdogs, to #fakegym!

Danny Lesslie

———————

Tuesday’s Workout:

30-20-10
Romanian Deadlift (185/105)
Candlestick
200M Run

Core Values Installment #4: Passion

I was sitting here trying to come up with words that sum up passion. To me it is a color. To me, it’s a bright red, a tremendous warmth, and it is something that I feel deep down inside. I feel like passion and soul are best buddies. To put it into words seems to be to be shortchanging it. I came across this quote by Joss Whedon, who co-wrote Toy Story amongst many other

Then again, there’s the good “hollow.”

films, which begins to do it justice.

“Passion, it lies in all of us, sleeping… waiting… and though unwanted… unbidden… it will stir… open its jaws and howl. It speaks to us… guides us… passion rules us all, and we obey. What other choice do we have? Passion is the source of our finest moments. The joy of love… the clarity of hatred… and the ecstasy of grief. It hurts sometimes more than we can bear. If we could live without passion maybe we’d know some kind of peace… but we would be hollow… Empty rooms shuttered and dank. Without passion we’d be truly dead.”

Passion truly is where life is. I believe that you should follow your passion and where it leads is where you will be fulfilled. I believe that if you are feeling then you are  indeed living. I spent a lot of my child hood years trying not to feel. It just seemed to be easier that way. I found myself jealous of those that would truly feel, regardless of whether it was sadness or happiness. because when it came down to it, I wasn’t really feeling either emotion. It was not until some things lined up in my life to lead me to a point where I wanted to change this, that a lightbulb turned on. I, then, decided to completely change my career choice and follow something that I was passionate about.

This was the best move I ever made. It has led me to today. FFOTB was built with passion, and ‘The Nation’ continues to grow in this same direction. I would encourage you to look for passion in your life. Seek this out, and chase after it. Passion is different for everyone, but one thing remains the same, it makes you feel alive, and vibrant.  It is where you are at your best.

Thanks for being a part of what we are passionate about.

Danny Lesslie

———————

Wednesday’s Workout:

Power Clean
1-1-1-1-1

Then 4 rounds for time of:
400m Run
12 Burpees