A Year of Inspiration

innervoice.life celebrates 1 year of inspiring and authentic athlete storytelling

By InnerVoice

July 21^st, 2017

1 year of inpsiration

Most sporting websites you come across are about success, they only profile winners; the athletes who take home all the medals. We love them too, but sometimes there's just as much inspiration to be taken from the person who crawls into the finish chute just before the cutoff. Sometimes, there's just as much inspiration to be taken from the person who fought tooth and nail just to get to the start line. Sometimes, the athlete is dealing with something you will never hear about; something you cannot see.

We hope to tell human stories that are applicable and inspirational to everyone. We hope to inspire people and let them know that they can change their lives for the better through swimming, biking and running (or even walking). If our features have made a positive impact on just one reader, it's all worth it.

To celebrate twelve months of innervoice.life, we polled our team, our readers and a few of our athlete features to come up with some special nuggets of wisdom. Here are twelve of our most inspirational quotes - a small selection of the ones that we wrote down in our notebooks, the ones that have impacted how we go about our lives on a day-to-day basis.

Please enjoy, we can't wait to see what the next twelve months bring. Much love, the innervoice.life team xoxo

Jamie Armstrong

"Life is about balance. In my early years, I had no idea what that meant. I wanted to do it all. Trying to play every sport and do everything is not exactly the best way, so I learned. Quitting has never been an option. I had to “give up” certain things to gain access and experience in others. Choosing is my way of staying balanced and on target. Choosing is a powerful distinction that will have your life go the way you want it. Careful what you choose!"

Jamie Armstrong - Go Get It (December 15, 2016)

PAtRik Nilsson

"The only time you lose is when you give up. Your mind is your biggest enemy and with the right mindset, you can accomplish anything. I think it is important that you try to find positives in everything. I have met too many people who are only able to see the bad in other people - this is a mindset I could never live with. So just like the song from Bobby McFerrin “Don’t worry, be happy”, I think it is important not to worry about everything and put more energy into being happy and finding a life you enjoy."

Patrik Nilsson - Don't Worry, Be Happy (April 14, 2017)

Linsey Corbin

"The lessons endurance sport has taught me are that I have the ability to endure, to be positive in the face of adversity, to get the most out of myself, to live in the moment, to be confident, to be vulnerable, and to pick myself up again after failure. These are all life-lessons that spread far and wide outside the scope of triathlon."

Linsey Corbin - Triathlon is a Way of Life (March 3rd, 2017)

Kevin Rutherford

"Over the years, I have gotten better and better at going into a meeting, training session, or even a party already knowing what success will look like. By getting clarity on what I want to accomplish in whatever I’m about to embark on, it results in making that end-game a reality. I firmly believe that the key is to be in the moment. I don’t multitask in meetings. In that moment, I’m focused solely on my team. This allows me to make better decisions, remember more, and help others feel valued around me."

Kevin Rutherford - Chief Eternal Optimist (January 27th, 2017)

Rose Kamma-Sarkanny

"I hope my athletic days will never be done. In my case, it would be if my sighted days are done. I have tried indoor rock climbing, kayaking, triathlons, hiking, tandem cycling, yoga, and lawn bowling (I played in the Nationals 2 years running). I will always continue to explore new trails and travels. I can't think of a better way of exploring the world than on our feet, indulging our senses. I have to adapt constantly to each new change in my vision and hearing, and it excites me that I can still explore - even if I can not see."

Rose Kamma-Sarkanny - Abilities, Not Disabilities (February 24th, 2017)

Graham Fox

"I think consistency and determination are the secrets to a long and successful athletic career and the same for business. Our shop, Bicicletta, was founded in 1989 and I’ve been involved since 2010. I know that the work we do today will likely have an impact in 3-6 months. It’s the same thing in training."

Graham Fox - The Passionate One (June 23rd, 2017)

Emma pAllant

“Losing someone in your life just makes you realise how much of a gift life is, and to live it to the full. It puts into perspective any disappointments or petty arguments. A goal is to leave this world giving more than I took.”

Emma Pallant - Never Giving Up is a Pride Thing (March 31st, 2017)

Kristian Manietta

We are told that curiosity killed the cat. Ok, maybe a few, but more dreams have been killed by not being curious. Being curious is a way to mind blowing results.

Kristian Manietta - Self Talk (February 10th, 2017)

Laura Spencer

Endurance sports have taught me that you can improve at suffering. In endurance sports, you can fight the suffering or you can expect it and almost get comfortable with it. The mental side of the sport is monumentally important and that’s a perspective I want to keep with me. At some point, we all will go through hard times in life and knowing how to access the mental state of learning to accept it and that it will pass is exceedingly helpful.

Laura Spencer - The Smiling Assassin (July 14th, 2017)

Ronnie Toth

I was in the ICU for 3 weeks then home for only 4 days before I willed myself to crawl up the stairs and mount the stationary bike. In flip flops, I smashed out a 20-minute ride. Prior to this I would crawl out of bed in the most immense pain, waddle over to the mirror and look at myself, seeing a face I no longer recognised. I would stare into eyes that did not feel like mine as they had become so drenched in pain. I would say aloud “Who the heck do you want to be? The man that you become through this is who you will be for the rest of your life.” I never allowed myself to let self-pity creep in.

Ronnie Toth - Spirit of Power, Love and a Sound Mind (November 4th, 2016)

Des Linden

Distance running really highlights how the body craves consistency and routine. Once you string together 10-15 days of running, it becomes a habit. When you miss a day, it’s a lot like forgetting to brush your teeth; you feel sort of off and blah all day long. Getting in shape and creating that routine can be a challenge, but once you’re in it, it’s awesome.

Des Linden - I Swore I would never do a Marathon (January 13th, 2017)

Jesse Thomas

So, when things get tough during a race, my mind usually goes to my family - my wife and son. I think that happens for a couple of reasons, 1) I think about the sacrifices they make (time, support) to enable me to pursue this career and these dreams, and 2) I want to be an example for my son. If there’s one thing I do in my entire life, it would be to be a positive example and influence on him. So when the shit hits the fan and I feel like I’m dying and I want to get negative and quit, I think about those things and it puts it all in perspective. All the external stuff doesn’t matter if you just focus on your family and honouring them with your best effort. You can and always will be their hero.