Lights, Camera, Action

His name is Scott Jurek and I’m willing to bet my 10K PR that you’ve never heard of him. But that’s irrelevant because he doesn’t care either way. He’s only the six-time consecutive winner and course record-holder of the Western States 100 Mile Endurance Run, with a 2004 posting of 15:36:27 ( 9:22 pace). He’s not even 30 years old yet and he’s already run 50K at a 5:55 pace, 50 miles at a 7:00 pace, and 100K at a 7:13 pace. And, oh yeah, let’s not omit his 2005 Badwater Ultramarathon victory which he executed in course-record fashion, going through 135 miles in 24:36:08 ( 10:56 pace).What did you say his name was again?

Should it surprise us that such a decorated runner like Scott is a virtual unknown within a culture run by publicity operatives, hyper-media coverage, and the Dean Karnazes of the world? I would submit that such a case is rare indeed in a day and age when athletes are being elevated to superhero status. Along with becoming fixed household names and stamping our collective psyche, they sip through our subconscious minds as idealized versions of the bold, the beautiful, and the strong.

This is nothing new of course. The ancient Greeks were well known for their tradition of crowning Olympic champions with more than just an olive wreath. The victors were paraded through village streets and honored with commemorative statues in their hometowns. On a lesser scale, they were essentially freed from the concerns of earning a living but in effect became larger than life figures, immortalized and raised to the stature of demi-gods.

But as with most things in life, there always seem to be people, albeit a small minority, who break the common mold and challenge us to look at life with a different periscope. They are the ones that easily get lost in the shuffle precisely because they do not chase after the spotlight and don’t mind if their efforts go slipped by unnoticed. They labor behind the scenes, conscious only of the act which they intend to create for an audience they might never get to see. They epitomize the saying which Jesus popularized during His earthly ministry: “ When you do good, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.”

So I ask, who are you performing for? Before you answer, recognize that whether you like it or not, the camera has been rolling ever since you took your first breath. A movie is being made of your life, the producer is your Creator, and He’s cast you as the leading character. Center stage is not Hollywood, it’s not the national press, it’s not even the podium stand at your local road race. Sure, Scott Jurek has accomplished some amazing feats but even he realizes that it doesn’t end there. As the movie Braveheart so eloquently reminds us, true heroes are born from within: “ What we do in this life shall echo for all eternity.”