.....as I turned the corner to the finish line my entire body tingled. The official timer says 11 hours 50 minutes. (I would finish with the 500th or so fastest marathon of the day and in 841st place Out of 2,500). I see my family as the announcer says John Orsini you are an Ironman! And with that my dream was realized....After crossing the finish line I am immediately grabbed by a volunteer and wrapped in an aluminum foil like blanket. I am ushered through the crowd and told to wait to have my picture taken. My head is spinning as flash bulbs go off all around me. I am positive it is noisy but I don't hear a thing. Before I know it my picture is taken in front of the "finisher" sign and I am whisked along yet again.
As my escort and I make our way toward the massage table something catches my eye...is that pizza? Yes it is! I break away from my escort and begin to inhale large quantities of pizza. Has pizza ever tasted this good? I think not. I have never been so grateful for a food in my life.
As I wolf down my third slice I start to wonder how do I get out of this caged in area? I wander along and as if by magic Team Orsini appears. Missy just about takes me down with a cross body hug. I remove my medal and place it around my little girls neck and her smile lights up the night sky. I hug my Mom then my Dad and look down to see the little man relaxing in his stroller as if this is a typical Saturday night.
We make our way out of the mob scene and I struggle to take it all in. What has just happened? I have done it. It is over. All the time spent dreaming, planning and training, training and training some more and now I have really done it!
And with that my dream was realized....
But this is not an ending but rather a beginning. A beginning to a life of a person that now truly understands the value and place that hard work and dedication have in achieving ones dreams. Ironman was not the ultimate dream for me but rather it was a goal that was out there for me to prove that I could do it....that I could accomplish something that few can do.... "if" I put my mind to it and dedicate myself to the goal.
I now feel equipped to accomplish an
ything in life. Nothing seems out of reach. With time, effort and perseverance anything is possible.
"Dare to dream, but even more importantly, dare to put action behinds your dreams."
Josh Hinds
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