by Darren Scherbain
These phrase of knowledge, that completely resonate to my core, had been handed to me from Jim.
Jim, a fellow Canadian and a close to and pricey friend, grew up enjoying hockey in Wilcox, Saskatchewan. The Notre Dame Hounds, a hockey team, belonged to a catholic boarding school in the course of the Canadian Prairies. The Hounds produce distinctive hockey players but additionally empathetic, well-rounded, younger adults. Anyone who has spent a winter on the Canadian prairies has had first hand experience with what it means when we say bone-chilling cold, hope and resolve.
One day Jim is in school just giving a category mate a real exhausting time. Jim is picking on this child and doing his finest to tear him down. Suddenly, Jim feels a hand on his shoulder.
Jim looks up and is greeted by a agency and fair look of disapproval.
“James”, the voice beckoned.
“Yes Father?” Jim replied.
“James”, the stern-yet-compassionate voice continued, “…if you can’t play BIG don’t even trouble taking part in small.”
What precisely does it imply to play BIG? To stand for something!
If you don’t stand for something then you’re continuously going to get blown around like the sand in the wind. Swept up and scattered around until the next rendezvous with wishing-it-were-different.
Playing BIG is making that shift from being ME-centred right into a collective WE-centred.
Ask any of the riders who stood face to face with each for the seven-hundred kilometre Ride4Kids. What was their WHY?
Each WHY could be as varying because the riders out on the street. Infused into Little-known is the bond of hope. Hope is something all of us share.
Hope is the spark for taking half in BIG and the catalyst for putting one foot after another. One foot after the opposite; even when the torrential rain and wind are doing their greatest to test your resolve. After you wiped the sweat, rain, grit from your eyes and survived the wobble, you realise that taking half in BIG is an inside job.
Playing BIG, hope, inspiration, and to some extent character and integrity, are all noble ideas. It’s one factor to idolise noble ideas, and they do make a cute little Instagram publish. But that cute little publish isn’t going to validate your case if you end up requested to embrace wrestle as a way to progress.
It’s NEXT LEVEL to embrace and decide to the sheer physicality of placing your ass in the enviornment. The drained legs and self doubt are all a half of the process and shouldn’t be interpreted as doing something faulty.
It’s straightforward to play BIG when it follows the perfect plan and all of the pieces fit so conveniently in your neat and tidy little box.
And when you actually wish to be taken significantly then throw in a “THIS ISN’T FAIR”.
Usually the one’s arguing for these virtuous concepts of justice and equity are left sitting on the curb watching everyone else journey on by.
There is a value to pay.
One of the inherent truths of playing BIG is that it doesn’t leave any wriggle room for any bull shit. You both play BIG and stand for one thing or you don’t.
One hundred and sixty kilometres doesn’t look that far on paper. A ‘century’ experience is held in excessive esteem within the biking community. It’s what would be described as a Big Ride. The one hundred sixty kilometres that separated Krabi from Surat Thani was a testament to the ferocious dedication to play BIG and make a difference. For plenty of the riders out on the street that day it was their longest experience …EVER.
Teamwork.
Collaboration.
WE CENTRED.
That one hundred sixty kilometre ride was poetry in motion.
That night we cemented our comradery over cold pizza and tales from the road. The smiles on the faces and the look of feat was inspiring. It was hope.
To all individuals, sponsors, and everyone concerned with Ride4Kids, I tip my hat..