"You Helped Change My Life"

In college, Abraham Maslow's "Hierarchy of Needs" was an exciting concept. It described a person's needs beginning with food and shelter and expanding to self-actualization. Let me suggest a similar idea -an athlete's "hierarchy of needs and achievement". It begins with a T-Shirt, typically received as one signs up for a race. The beauty of a shirt is that the only requirement is paying for the event. You do not need to show up or expend any effort. Following this, you might wear the shirt and parade around the park suggesting your "success". "Look at my Ironman t-shirt! Wow! It was an exciting run." What's happening is one signals to others I am special. It's not that different from Boy Scouts wearing their merit badges, although they earned them. Occasionally, I wear my NYC Marathon shirts in Central Park, which I earned as a marathon finisher and wonder if anyone notices. Fred Lebow, the founder of the NYC Marathon, had a famous quote: "Never underestimate the value of a t-shirt". Almost every race included one and it was a major factor in increasing race entries.

A second hierarchical "award" is the Medal, associated with a finish or a success. It has a tremendous impact. A friend, who was the CEO of a multi-billion dollar company, remembers winning his first medals as a young boy in Brooklyn. They empowered him to achieve more. Many years later his experience helped Achilles when he contributed 5,000 medals for our Achilles Kids program. When one of our Achilles Kids with a disability completes 13.1 miles, he or she wins a medal. Many treasure them as a most valuable possession. Another friend and Achilles marathoner who passed some years ago asked that his marathon medal be placed on his neck in his coffin. The medal represented his greatest success and possibly his fondest memory of achieving.

My third level in the hierarchy is the Trophy, a sign of some achievement or success completing an event. I remember winning my first trophy in the seventh grade as the MVP in a seventh/eighth grade track meet competition. It was part luck inasmuch as, after doing well in the 100 yard-dash and shot-put, there was very little competition in the discus! The award was a big thing, supplemented with lots of congratulations and a feeling that I was a really good athlete and was seen by others in this way. I was a "jock". Although the trophy is now broken, it still holds great memories. The key point was it gave me some motivation to keep improving.

Number four is the Plaque. My definition is: "An honor for having accomplished an activity of note, worthy of a speech and applause." Each year we honor people at our dinners for having done something exceptionally well. Many remember the day as their favorite. The first plaque I received was at the awards ceremony after completing the 1976 NYC Marathon. There was a standing ovation which went on so long, I motioned, "too much, sit down". They aren't always as important for the recipient. I witnessed one awardee who, with tongue in cheek, said, "Thank you, this is the greatest honor I have received today!"

Finally the fifth, and the one which I appreciate the most, is someone coming over to you and saying, "You helped change my life!"

It isn't something one can place on the wall. It is much more meaningful. It's a reward from a person who you have supported, bonded with, coached and encouraged. The feeling is as good as it gets. It's an award for sharing what you have learned and benefited from and then given to another.

During this year's New York City Marathon, literally hundreds of individuals offered to volunteer. People were asked to get up at four in the morning, and rain or snow, accompany someone with a disability completing over twenty-six miles. Many others volunteered behind the scene to help ensure a safe and incident-free day was had by all. Sometimes, it's a sixteen-hour day. Why does someone do this? It's for the award; it's for the "thank you"; it's for the surge in your heart that you helped change someone's life.  What an achievement! What a gift!

We all help change lives every day, consciously or unconsciously - years later, perhaps discovering what a few words or a kind gesture meant to someone or how encouraging someone through running helped create a positive impact. I would like to start a collection of stories titled: "Achilles Helped Change My Life". If you have a story about how Achilles (or someone you met through Achilles) helped change your life, please send me a note via email: [email protected].

Thank you!