Impossible.

 

The word presents itself as a dead end and the world seems to shout it at you, trying to mold your idea of what you can and can’t do. Only to you does the word reveal its true identity: Impossible ==> I’m possible.

 

When you finally conquer the impossible, the world is all over you. News sources pry for every detail, desperate to report the exciting news of the improbable. Suddenly, the impossibility of what you did is forgotten. Yes, it had been impossible. But now, after you? I’m possible now.

 

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Someone is always the first to do something, the first person to break yet another delusion of the impossible, yet another illusion of the limitations. The Guinness Book of World Records highlights some of the most interesting feats, held by individuals who believed that their impossible task could be dissected before them. Ranging from physical accomplishments to extraordinary features, this annual series never fails to bring me a new source of awe, of wonder, of realization of the limitations of the very idea of limitations. A likely new member who’s the very essence of these ideals: Eliud Kipchoge.

My brother recently brought my attention to this runner— Eliud Kipchoge—who had recently attempted and succeeded at beating the impossible: running a marathon in under two hours. Sure, other individuals had come close before in such a lengthy race, but the fastest official time before— by Kipchoge himself—had missed the two hour mark by more than a minute. At the speed that these runners were at, one minute is significant. The runners that I knew personally, such as my younger brother, could only keep their sub-five minute mile pace for a mile or two, much less than the marathon that these runners faced.

What was the result of Kipchoge’s feat? Yeah, it’s exactly what you’d expect. His story headlined countless news sources, filled social media feeds, and had the running world buzzing.

 

Kipchoge had run his way past a barrier that had previously been thought to be unattainable. If you know his story, you may also know that this sub-two hour race was not counted as official due to his use of pacemakers and other aids. Sure, some individuals would dismiss Kipchoge’s record after learning this, but the effects of his accomplishment—effects that he communicated—were much more significant than a sub-two hour time.

 

After his race, Kipchoge shared his hope that more runners like him would run a marathon in under two hours, realizing that the two hour boundary was not a limitation, but rather an attainable challenge. His own belief that impossible translated to “I’m possible” resulted in his ability to transmit that belief to others as well.

 

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So how common is Kipchoge’s certainty in breaking through the impossible? You’d be right in saying extremely, extremely common. Almost everyone believes at some point that they can be the one that defies the improbable odds. Specifically, the same driving belief that Kipchoge had in himself is present in numerous athletes across different sports. Every top athlete has a firm faith that no one can top them, and that they will continue to thrive.

 

Consider basketball, for example. In the NBA, players like Russell Westbrook and Giannis Antetokounmpo don’t believe in limitations. They play their game, focusing on what they believe they can do rather than absorbing what others tell them. Surely, their mindset pays. Westbrook has gone three straight seasons averaging a triple double—a feat done by only one other player in NBA history, and now an expectation rather than an accomplishment for him—and Giannis is making a case for himself as the most dominant player with his current early season stats. Other players have recognized a newfound feasibility to what these two players have achieved.

 

Yeah, I know: almost none of us have the skill, the build, or the luck to go pro. However, the same mindset applies to athletes of all levels, even to athletes from Naperville North. As many of you likely know, our soccer team has had a remarkable run over the last four years—two national titles, three state titles, and a perfect season. Other schools and teams definitely doubted our team at the start, but our team continued against these doubts with their own mindset, ultimately changing the perspectives about them.

Expanding past athletics, a similar approach has enabled the world’s scientific advancement towards today. Singular individuals or groups initially believed in the feasibility of what most thought was impossible, and look where we have been able to and continue to reach towards today. We’ve landed a man on the man, proceeding to gain support for exploring other parts of the universe for life or a potential hospitable habitat. We’ve constructed completely artificial hearts like the AbioCor and that of SynCardia, building on the initial Jarvik7 model. We’ve even been able to successfully complete face transplants, making the wonders of Grey’s Anatomy a reality.

 

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So with all of these physical and intellectual examples, what am I trying to tell you? In essence, chase the impossible. Defy the improbable. Society may tend to dictate that something is impossible, but it’s not impossible until you decide that it is. If you focus on your goals, society’s impossible may soon become your possible, consequently altering others’ beliefs as well. According to TD Bank survey with psychologist Barbara Nussbaum, visualizing one’s goals is what allows emotional involvement on another level, fueling a passion conducive to achieving goals. When you show others that you could succeed, they have a tangible experience to connect to, enabling them to possibly succeed in the same way later.

 

So what if we can’t get past what we think is impossible? Well, without doing so, how will anything more become possible? Ultimately, confidence in yourself and your own beliefs is what enables the impossible. All it takes is one small belief: I’m possible.

 

Works Cited

Guerrieri, Jen. “Face Transplants: The Changing Face of Medicine.” Cleveland Clinic Newsroom, Cleveland Clinic Newsroom, 14 Jan. 2019, newsroom.clevelandclinic.org/2018/08/14/face-transplants-the-changing-face-of-medicine/.

Hawkins, Derek. “Kenya’s Eliud Kipchoge Just Became the First Marathon Runner to Break the 2-Hour Barrier.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 12 Oct. 2019, www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2019/10/12/eliud-kipchoge-breaks-two-hour-marathon-record/.

Jarvik, Robert. “Robert Jarvik, MD on the Jarvik-7.” Jarvik Heart Inc., 14 Feb. 2019, www.jarvikheart.com/history/robert-jarvik-on-the-jarvik-7/.

Zimmerman, Eilene. “Survey Shows Visualizing Success Works.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 28 Jan. 2016, www.forbes.com/sites/eilenezimmerman/2016/01/27/survey-shows-visualizing-success-works/#66ad571760bf.

Images

Alamodin, Christian. “Giannis Antetokounmpo Is First Player With 200 Points, 100 Rebounds, 50 Assists in First 8 Games.” ClutchPoints, 7 Nov. 2019, clutchpoints.com/bucks-news-giannis-antetokounmpo-is-first-player-with-200-points-100-rebounds-50-assists-in-first-8-games-of-the-season/.

Hawkins, Derek. “Kenya’s Eliud Kipchoge Just Became the First Marathon Runner to Break the 2-Hour Barrier.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 12 Oct. 2019, www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2019/10/12/eliud-kipchoge-breaks-two-hour-marathon-record/.

Thunder, Okc. “8x ALL-NBA: RUSSELL WESTBROOK22.9 Pts // 11.1 Reb // 10.7 Ast // 1.9 StlNBA Assists Leader (784 Total Assists)3rd Straight Season Averaging Triple-Double Pic.twitter.com/yVAnwRI8Pf.” Twitter, Twitter, 23 May 2019, twitter.com/okcthunder/status/1131623758609952768.

Walker, Chris. “Boys Soccer: Naperville North State Title ‘an Incredible Feeling’.” Daily Herald, Daily Herald, 5 Nov. 2017, www.dailyherald.com/sports/20171104/boys-soccer-naperville-north-state-title-an-incredible-feeling.