What is my excuse?

Let's kick off Monday with some good news. 

A 42 year old Frenchman swam across the English Channel this weekend. That fact alone is outstanding. Even as an athlete, swimming is not necessarily my gig. I can swim but have never swam 4 pool lengths, or across a lake, and most certainly not across the English Channel. But Philippe Croizon did and to that alone I say, "CHEERS!"

But, Philippe is not your ordinary man who likes to swim like a fish. Philippe is a quadriplegic. Sixteen years ago, he was electrocuted by a powerline and all of his limbs needed amputation. While in recovery, he saw a documentary about a swimmer crossing the Channel and suddenly, he had a new goal. 

So he trained for two years and finished the challenge only slightly slower than other athletes might. And he reported, dolphins swam along with him for a portion of the time.

The father of two said he wanted to complete the dare "for myself, my family and all my fellows in misfortune who have lost their taste for life".

Well, if that is not kick ass, I don't know what is. Bravo to you Philippe for not merely  completing the "dare" but also reminding us how incredibly important it is to have that taste for life.

So when you consider your own goals, do you need to dust them off a bit? Or are those goals pinned to the forefront of your life? Some of mine are pinned to the forefront but one goal is so dusty, I almost don't recognize it. Time to let it shine. Because if a man with no limbs can swim across the English Channel, what is my excuse?  

And thank you Philippe. You made my day. This is exactly the type of bad-assery I like the most.