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What's Your Inspiration?
What’s Your Inspiration?
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\r\nBy Wendy Wagner
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\r\n“Sienna Come”! I yell and watch as my dog, ignoring me, bounds over the sage brush hunting squirrels. She has no idea a dog is not supposed to jump 6 feet high and dive snout first into a small rabbit hole, but she does it anyway. Although she has yet to be successful, her instinct and dreams never fade. Every chance she gets she is at it again. She is always confident, never doubting, going all out and then some. This attitude is part of what inspires me: transcending limits, taking risks and dealing with the consequences. Sienna might come back limping with porcupine quills in her nose but she also might return with her prize. To me, this is how gold medals are to be won.
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\r\nI can lay out a whole list of reasons why ski racing inspires me. Putting them in coherent sentences is an entirely different challenge. Some of my inspirations have changed since first putting on skis. What inspired me in junior high school was adventure; I dreamed of making the Junior National team and taking a trip 2,000 miles away, for ten days – no parents. In college it was winning and having fun; I wanted to win NCAA’s and be a part of a team that was just plain ‘fun’. Now, as a 6-year member of the US Ski Team, my inspirations have shifted toward the simple challenge of bettering myself. As I get older I realize that I am only happy and successful when I give it my all, in all aspects of life. How can I transcend my limits if I don’t search for ways to better my fitness, technique, expectations, communication skills, attitude and everything else? I am not only constantly striving to be a better skier, but a better person as well.
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Wendy Wagner
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\r\nThe fascinating thing about inspiration is its unique and individual definitions. My teammate Andrew Johnson says what inspires him in ski racing is "In training, I am often motivated by the fact that somewhere, someone is doing the exact same thing I am, and the fear that person might be doing it better drives me to try and achieve everything I can in every workout".
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\r\nI had fun writing this article and it brought to the forefront what is always lying deep inside, ‘Why am I doing this?’. I am so impressed by the reasons my teammates and other people I know give for this question. Inspiration is not a typical topic of conversation but one I think is essential for all of us out there searching for happiness. I believe it doesn’t matter what passion it is that inspires or motivates you, what is important is that you are out enjoying every day, living the life you love and following your dreams. At the very least my dog is always there to remind me to think for myself, take risks and exceed my own expectations. Thanks for the inspiration, Sienna!
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\r\nWendy Wagner
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'Wags', taking a leap of faith!
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Written By: WWagnerDate Posted: 9/14/2004Number of Views: 309
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