Never Give Up. Never.

The video you are about to watch will make you tear up, cry openly or bawl like a baby. I'm not sure which one applies for your experience (as you haven't had it yet....strange, right?), yet I assure you that you will love the video and the message behind it too. It may have something to do with the powerful music as well - and I'd like to think that if music moves you, that's an incredible thing. Either way - it's a win-win!

 

The video below is about an athlete named Derek Redmond. The footage is from 1992 - so don't anticipate HD or anything. He was about to run the Olympic 400 metre sprint and was the favorite to win. That has to instill some confidence, I would imagine.

 

 

 

I decided to explore further, heading to Derek' current website. Here's some of what I found....

 

 

Among his successes, Derek:

- Broke the British record in the 400m for the first time 1985 in a time of 44.82 seconds beating the 10-year-old mark set by David Jenkins. Then in 1987 reclaiming the record from Roger Black in 44.5 seconds

- Was a World silver medallist in 1987

- Was a World Gold Medallist in the 4x400m Relay in 1991, setting yet another British European and Commonwealth record and also running the second fastest time ever recorded for the 4x400m

Derek Redmond's achievements are all the more remarkable because his Olympic career was dogged by serious injury. In fact, no less than 13 operations on his Achilles tendons and knees forced him to pull out of many major competitions. He is regarded in sporting circles as an extraordinary talent who was never given the opportunity to show what he was really capable of.

Away from the athletics track, Derek has played basketball for England and professionally for Birmingham Bullets. He has coached and advised international athletes at Birchfield Harriers and has played competitive rugby union for Coventry RFC, Stow RFC, playing alongside the likes of Will Carling, Brian Moore, Rory Underwood and Gavin Hastings in a number of highly publicised invitational games.

Derek has been a regular on television and radio, including commentating for Eurosport and making appearances on programmes as diverse as Noel's House Party, Celebrity Gladiators and Equinox. He also presented a prime time basketball show for ITV. Derek has worked with UK Athletics as Director of Development for Sprints and Hurdles. His role involved identifying talented young athletes, inspiring them to commit to their discipline and providing them with the necessary facilities and support structure to enable them to progress from school level to junior international.

Derek draws on his vast experiences as an international sportsman to provide a fascinating and inspirational platform for his motivational speeches. In telling his story, Derek takes the audience on a rollercoaster ride of emotions, but also explains the secrets of his success, both as an individual and within a team.



The video clip was amazing, right? I thought so too!

Powerful and inspiring......and the message is one that benefits us all.

I'm not the type to spoil it for others by letting you know what happens in advance so let me know what you thought in the comments below.

The joy is in the ride!