“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” -Winston Churchill
The next time that nagging little voice inside your head tries to convince you to skip the gym…the next time she tells you to reach for the cookie jar…or when she says the journey is just “too hard,” or “you don’t have enough time” or “you’re too tired” think about one of these folks. They have beaten the odds to live a fit and healthy lifestyle. So if they can do it…why can’t you?
You ARE STRONG…
Ernestine Shepherd, 74, of Baltimore has been crowned by the Guinness Book of World Records as the oldest competitive female bodybuilder ever. Read more about Ernestine. 
You ARE a Runner…
At the 2011 Toronta Waterfront Marathon, 100 year old Fauja Singh became the oldest person to complete a marathon. He did not start running marathons until he was 89. Read more about Singh’s story here.
You ARE an athlete…
In April 2011,70-year old Roger Allsopp, completed the 21-nautical mile swim across the English Channel in 17 hours and 51 minutes, becoming the oldest person to successfully finish the challenging course. The former breast cancer surgeon beat the current Guinness World Record set by George Brunstad, the uncle of Hollywood actor Matt Damon.
You CAN Move Mountains…
An accomplished climber, Erik Weihenmayer became the only blind man in history to reach the summit
of the world’s highest peak – Mount Everest on May 25, 2001. On August 20, 2008, when he stood on
top of Carstensz Pyramid, the tallest peak in Austral-Asia, Weihenmayer completed his quest to climb
the Seven Summits – the highest peak on every continent. http://www.touchthetop.com/.
In 2010, 13-year old Jorden Romero became the youngest person to ever summit the peak.
You can ALWAYS do what you love…
103-year old Octavio Orduno still rides is bicycle (correction, his wife recently made him get a tricycle) everyday through Long Beach. LA times article about Octavio.
You CAN Beat the odds…
A high school track and swimming star, Amy Palmiero-Winters, now a 34 year-old welder and mother of two, lost her left leg below the knee following a 1994 motorcycle accident. Three years and twenty-five surgeries later, her left leg was amputated below the knee. Following the amputation, it took 3 years before Amy could even try to run again. Since then, Amy has participated in countless marathons, ultramarathons and triathlons, including the Ironman. See more of Amy’s accomplishments here.
