We all remember taking physical education in school. Basketball, uniforms, and the dreaded fitness testing week. No one minded the trivial routines like sit ups or jumping jacks, but there is one day of fitness week we all dread:running the mile. The mile, despite your physical abilities, was a rough thing to accomplish, especially in under ten minutes. Throughout my entire physical education career, only one or two people actually completed the mile in that time, which seemed like a miracle. Dan Bilzerian, however, created an incentive for running faster than anyone has run before: to complete the mile in five minutes or less, he offered, get ready, $30,000.
Dan, a famous online personality from Florida who also gambles professionally, seemed to be hosting a gathering with friends when he pulls out thirty grand as an incentive for running a five minute mile. As the crowd looks around for a contender, a female named Kinsey in a bikini steps up to the challenge while her male friend searches for shoes to run on the treadmill. Acknowledging her nervousness, the same male gives her words of encouragement telling her Dont even worry, dont even try, just (f-word) run!. Taking the words of wisdom, she approaches the treadmill Bilzerian turned on as he lays down the rules. Seeing the speed, Kinsey anxiously jumps onto the treadmill and runs as fast as she can while the crowd, especially her boyfriend, cheers her on.
Shes doing well for about a minute when she begins to slow down, jumping off the treadmill belt. Feeling defeated, Kinsley and her boyfriend look down while Kinsley explains her legs were about to give out. Surprisingly, her boyfriend does not want to back down. After inquiring about the alternative reward if he competes, he waits for the cue and jumps on. While starting off strong, running and doing high jump tricks, Kinsleys boyfriend has his eye on the prize, when all of a sudden, the treadmill slows down. After a moment of confusion, he realizes the treadmill was actually stopping. Still determined to win the money, he offers to start again while the crowd takes videos and a cheer.
The takeaway? Sometimes all we need is a bit of motivation to achieve our goals, no matter how difficult they seem. Kinsley may not have accomplished the five minute mile and won the money, but her boyfriend was so motivated to win a reward he re-tried the challenge. While we wont know if he accomplished the full five minute mile, this was inspiring to watch someone persevere, despite the temporary setbacks we may encounter. Every goal we want takes dedication and self motivation.Sometimes even the thought of wanting to lead the pack is enough, since every gym teacher cannot cash out $30,000 dollars per student. Whatever your goal, keep your eye on the proverbial prize and press until the end. Who knows, you may get a scholarship to the school of your dreams!
