While at lunch with my mother the other day, she mentioned seeing a show on PBS that featured the first woman that ran in the Boston Marathon. Since I am scheduled to run this race on April 15th this year I was especially intrigued about learning more about her story, and I found a video clip online that was very interesting, and with a very powerful message. Here is a summary of her story:

Although long distance running was considered very inappropriate for women at the time, in 1967, Katherine Switzer, determined to run the Boston Marathon, filled out the entry form with her initials K.V. Switzer to disguise her sex. The race had been male only for 70 years since its inaugural run in 1897. With the support of her boyfriend and coach running along with her, she began the historic run in a positive manner hearing yells of support from other runners and spectators and she beamed with pride. However, all of the sudden, a flatbed truck with photographers and the race director pulled up to Katherine; the race director jumped from the truck and started chasing and clawing at Katherine yelling "Get the hell out of my race and give me those numbers!". After much scrambling and yelling, her boyfriend knocked the race director off into the grass as the press journalists muttered derogatory comments such as "What are you trying to prove?" and "Are you a crusader?"

After the press truck left, Katherine and her team ran on, the mood became very quiet. . . .and she turned to her coach and said "I don't know where you stand in this, but I'm going to finish this race on my hands and knees if I have to, because nobody believes that I can do this. I realize that if I don't finish this race then everybody's going to believe that women can't do it and they don't deserve to be here and that they are incapable. I've got to finish this race."

She went on to finish the Boston marathon in 4 hours 20 minutes, and this experience clearly changed her life. She made national headlines, and just five years later in 1972, women were officially eligible for entry into Boston. Katherine became a symbol and advocate for women's sports and continues to do so presently.

The message that I took from Katherine's story far exceeds equal civil rights for women and running, while important, it was more about what she overcame by believing in herself. In life, while attempting to do something outside of our comfort zone, we will come across supporters (such as the coach and boyfriend) and doubters (such as the race director and journalists). There will almost always be people that build you up and cheer you on and there will be others who do not want you to succeed for one reason or another. And these supporters and haters are often present not just as people, but also as our own thoughts and emotions that are very powerful in making us feel we either can or cannot pursue our goals. Whether it be an athletic event or any other goal in life it ultimately comes down to the belief in yourself that is crucial to your personal achievement. Yes, support of others is powerful (and the same is true of lack of support) but the internal belief that you can work push toward your goals. . . even through challenge. . . and accomplish your dreams is the overwhelming and most powerful aspect in doing so.

Besides. . . proving the haters wrong is often the second best part of the achievement.