By Joshua Stevens
The impossible becomes possible. It’s a theme we are obsessed with. We all love movies like “Rudy” (which if you have not seen you should put down this magazine and go watch right now … I mean it!) and “Rocky.” We love stories about athletes overcoming cancer to achieve a seemingly impossible goal like winning the Tour de France. We want to hear more about a “lost boy” from Sudan who competed in the U.S. Marathon Olympic trials. It’s a big reason we pick up Endurance Magazine every month: to read about obstacles being overcome by unlikely, often diminutive, heroes to achieve great success.
This is a story not unlike those above, which are all based on true events, even “Rocky.” The common theme is not the level of greatness achieved but the authenticity in the actors who created those events – the clarity of vision they all have in spite of the long odds of success. Above all else, they were focused, and oftentimes talent is trumped by sheer desire.
We love these heroes because we see a little of ourselves in each of them. We love to think that one day we could touch the greatness they have touched and experience it for ourselves. This is what this story is about.
On Dec. 2, Jack “The Hawk” Mock won the Cat 3 State Cyclocross Championship in Charlotte, N.C. “Huh?” I can hear you all saying it now. Before you turn the page, hear me out on my inspiring, Rudy-like hero story. Jack is like many of you. He’s an ordinary Joe and he’ll tell you so almost to the point of self-deprecation. He works at Duke. Just got engaged to the girl of his dreams. He likes to ride his bike to work and play golf, pool, and have a brew with his buddies during the week. Most importantly, and what I like most about him, he keeps it simple. His appearance kind of matches his moniker, “the Hawk,” because he’s good-looking like hawks are; they’re sleek. His head is bald and the trajectory of his nose is inarguably hawk-like. So when, weeks ago, he declared that he was going to win the Cat 3 State Championship, we all cheered but in a “Yeah! You know that’s gonna be hard as hell, right – maybe impossible?” kind of way.
Jack and I ride a lot together. Every day since his declaration, he would repeat it on those rides. We would work out scenarios and strategies so he would be ready. His winning went from farce to fact in a mere two weeks. This is common practice among champions. Their brand of “I will do it” is repeated ad nauseum, until their bodies, emotions, and nervous system are all programmed for one thing: “I will do it.” Jack was not the fittest guy in the race. Many of his competitors were faster than he was all season. He was not the most talented out there, either. He simply wanted it more than any of the 50 competitors. He didn’t even win the race outright! He was second! The guy who won, however, was not officially residing in North Carolina, so the championship rolled down to Jack. We all thought he won the silver medal when he finished – still a triumph. On the podium his name was announced as the gold medalist. Can you imagine the surprise? He actually did it!
There’s a part of us that doubts everything. I’ve heard it referred to as “the doubt-maker,” but most often it’s called the ego. This part of us doubts that Jack will win the race. The part of him that doubts is silenced by his true self where there is no doubt. It does not understand the concept!
Consider darkness and light: Neither can exist in the presence of the other. For the “Hawk” to see great distance and achieve great focus on his goal, there must be only light; no darkness, no doubt.
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Joshua Stevens, D.C., is a holistic chiropractor in Chapel Hill and Durham, where he utilizes chiropractic, acupuncture, detoxification, nutrition, and cold laser therapy with patients. A two-time Ironman finisher, he focuses on racing cyclocross and mountain bikes … much easier!
