By Casey Saussy
At Endurance we aspire to provide you with inspiration to pursue your dreams and motivation to achieve them. Many of the most inspirational people we meet are those who have overcome an obstacle or disadvantage that makes their story, effort, and success all the more real, rewarding, and relatable.
When I meet these people I often think, Wow, they are just like us but have overcome amazing obstacles to achieve their goal! In many cases the challenge itself – their unique obstacle – has made them even more determined to achieve their dreams. I suspect it makes them more goal-oriented and disciplined than your average person.
Recently, I had the opportunity to meet just such an extraordinary person, Phiona Mutesi, a competitive and driven teenager, and her coach, Robert Katende. You know where this is going, right? Phiona is no ordinary teenager. Just like a world-class athlete, she has a natural gift that with coaching, dedication, and support has taken her across the globe.
Her improbable story begins with curiosity, commitment, and the support of her family, teammates, and coach. That part of her story is not unique. That could be any one of us. But there’s more to Phiona’s story. She is from the Katwe slum in Kampala, Uganda, where she still lives – and she is a world-class chess player and national champion.
Phiona’s story, outlined in “The Queen of Katwe: A Story of Life, Chess, and One Extraordinary Girl’s Dream of Becoming a Grandmaster,” by Tim Crothers of Chapel Hill, N.C., is that of an underdog. “To be African is to be an underdog in the world. To be Ugandan is to be an underdog in Africa. To be from Katwe is to be an underdog in Uganda. To be a girl is to be an underdog in Katwe.” Phiona is the ultimate underdog. Yet she identified her goal, worked hard, relied on her support network, and achieved her dream of being a world-class chess player, well on her way to becoming a Grandmaster.
Like Phiona, each of us relies on our own network of friends, training groups, co-workers, and family to support us in our endeavors, allowing us to reach our goals, whether they be to begin an exercise routine, train for a PR, or move pieces on a chess board.
This year, as I embark on creating and achieving my resolutions, I will dedicate them to Phiona and her champion and coach Robert, both of whose grace, focus, and commitment are nothing short of miraculous. We all have challenges. We all have dreams and goals we would like to achieve. This new year, rejoice in the many gifts we have and celebrate the potential you have in you.
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Between her work for Endurance Magazine and her two active daughters, Casey Saussy is always on the run. For her, “happy hour” comes on Saturday morning, when she meets her friends for a real run on the trails of Chapel Hill.
