Have you ever stood at the bottom of a giant mountain, looking up, wondering how anyone could ever climb it? Or perhaps flown over snow-peaked mountains, questioning how anyone could climb such an enormous feat? For many, that’s how a big goal can feel - overwhelming and impossible to even consider achieving.
This article is the first in a 3-part journey to share my experiences and advice on how to take small steps and overcome challenges to achieve your goals - no matter what size.
Jamie is a world-renowned adaptive athlete who is currently dominating the world of Obstacle Course Racing (OCR). Watch the video and listen to Jamie's introduction.
You may be wondering whether this article applies to you. Many of you may look at my photos, and see an international athlete with record-breaking times, running around a track or obstacle course. However, what you will not see in my pictures is an individual who spent 14 years in a wheelchair before his amputation.
From the age of 9, I developed a chronic pain condition in my right foot, leading me to be a full-time wheelchair user from a very young age. By the time I was 16 years old, I had undergone 50 operations, spending every school holiday in the hospital with procedure after procedure, in an attempt to solve my Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS).
For those of you who may struggle with pain, I can completely appreciate the impact that this can have on your life. My foot was purple, I was unable to weight bare and at the age of 16, the doctors performed surgery on my back, leaving me with no feeling below my waist - something that I still struggle with now.
If I was to speak to my 16-year-old self and say that one day, you will be the world’s top adaptive obstacle racer, I wouldn’t have believed it. Even if you said to me that you’ll run, let alone run marathons again, I wouldn’t have believed you.
However, if you said that one day, you’ll walk again, I may have just about believed you.
You see, my journey for amputation was purely self-motivated. At the age of 16, while searching on the internet for a solution for my pain, I came across amputation as a potential to improve my quality of life. Dismissed by doctor after doctor, mostly due to my age, I was keen to find anyone who would listen to my story and offer me an opportunity. At the time, that was my big goal - the huge mountain that seemed unclimbable.
However, with every doctor who dismissed me, I was given another name to approach and another opportunity to be heard. I had no idea of the final destination but every appointment was a step in the right direction. As long as I felt as though I was making progress, I could carry on.
Fast forwarding 6 years, I had eventually found a surgeon who was willing to amputate my leg, and I felt as though my world completely opened up. It was only by focusing on the progress made in each step, that I was able to achieve my end goal of amputation. Learn more about my story and where my amputation lead me in my next article.
This is one of my favourite phrases that I came across a few years ago. Personally, this phrase places a lot of things in perspective. Sometimes when we are in the darkest of places or feel as though things aren’t progressing, it’s important to remember this. I always feel humbled to think that there are many people in the world who would give anything to have some of the experiences, abilities and opportunities that I have. I feel as though this makes me appreciate what I am capable of that others would love to have, even down to the ‘small’ achievement of being able to hold a pencil and write.
From my experience, if you’re struggling to take the small steps towards your goals, check out these tips.
Naturally, you'll find challenges along the way of hitting your goals. If this is you, check out my next article in the series. When you're facing challenges, the smallest achievements become big wins.
