Are you an Ironman? Jeff and Johnny Agar are. CBS Mornings recently had a segment by David Begnaud featuring Jeff Agar and his adult son, Johnny. Johnny has cerebral palsy – a disorder that affects the part of the brain that controls balance, movement and muscles. Johnny’s parents taught him not to let that limit his dreams – his dream to be an Ironman.
The Ironman competition is known to be the longest endurance race in the world. It is a triathlon where the racer must complete a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike ride and 26.2-mile run – a full marathon – in under 17 hours. Team Agar has competed in 200 races and this year the team crossed the finish line of an Ironman race with 5 minutes to spare.
They train every day in order race together. Jeff pulls Johnny in a kayak in the water, rides a specially designed bike with Johnny on the back and pushes Johnny in front of him on the run. As Begnaud says in the piece, Johnny is the heart of the team and Jeff is the motor. When Begnaud tells Johnny he is an inspiration, Johnny says “Inspiring someone else gives my challenges purpose.”
The next challenge the team has is to finish the Ironman World Champion race in Kona, Hawaii. They tried it in 2016 but had to drop out because they did not finish in the allotted time. When confronted with the need to drop out, Johnny said, “sometimes you win, sometimes you learn.” I can only hope that I actively accept with compassion and detachment when the outcome of my manifestations is the need to learn.
This story is an inspiring feel-good story that many of us need to hear at a time when many stories that are reported are divisive. This story allows us to remember our humanity and our togetherness. In the end, Johnny states that it is not the medals or the accomplishments that inspire him and his father to continue. It is doing everything as a team that motivates them.
What motivates us at this time of year and at all times? Being a team, being in Sync, being One? Let us hold the intention that we are motivated to experience ourselves compassionately and completely as Source.
Namaste.
To watch the full interview, follow this link. Meet the father-son team who defied the odds by completing a full Ironman race – CBS News
Gratitude to Paul C Lee with Pixabay.com for the image.