I had heart surgery in high school. It was a complicated surgery. Before the surgery, there were six doctors with white lab coats that sat me down to talk. They told me about the “risks” involved. That’s when I realized it was the type of surgery I was not likely to survive. But I did. Thank God! After my surgery, my heart was still very weak, but I could now work to make it stronger. My doctor told me, “You now have permission to exercise. You should now start running to make your heart stronger.” I took that statement for granted. My whole life, I was told that I could never be a runner. That was the foundation of who I was. I was always “that kid who can’t run”. I grew up thinking that my heart will never be strong enough for me to run. And now some doctor was trying to tell me otherwise!?! Pshhh! So I never listened to his advice. And I never ran.

A few years ago, my cousin joined the Marines. I was curious what the requirements were for him to be a Marine. So I Googled it. “What the heck! 3 miles in 28 minutes! Are you kidding me!” Those numbers seemed impossible. There was no way I could run that fast! But then I realized something. I realized how lucky I was. I realized that I’ve been blessed with an opportunity. The doctors spent a lot of time and effort to fix my heart. They gave me a gift that I was too afraid to use. They gave me the chance to push my body to limits it has never seen before. They gave me the chance to be healthy and happy. They gave me the ability to run. So I made a decision. 3 miles in 28 minutes? I had to take a shot at it. So I ran. My first attempt was a measly 1 mile in 17 minutes. And I almost fainted afterwards. I wanted to quit, but I didn’t. I kept running. Fast forward a couple years……..

Today is Monday, April 11, 2011. I just hit my goal! I just ran 3 miles in 28 minutes! I can’t tell you how happy I am right now. I feel like I just climbed Mt. Everest! Yes, it took a lot of time for me to get here. A lot of pain. A lot of sacrifice. But I’m thankful for every minute of it. Because I’ve learned that anything is possible. I’ve learned that I can achieve anything I set my mind to.

Starting my own business is hard. It’s one of the hardest things I’ve ever done in my life. I’m working harder than I’ve ever worked before. Sometimes all the stress is too much for me to handle. But I can’t let it get to me. I know how lucky I am. I’ve been blessed with amazing support from my family and friends. I have the opportunity to do something that I love. I have the chance to chase my dream. Those are things that I can’t take for granted. So I keep working. I keep plugging along, one step at a time. I wipe the sweat off my face, sip some Gatorade, and I keep running.