This week, I went back into my podcast archives to listen to older episodes.
I found some gems from my conversation with Harvey Lewis, the American ultrarunner who won the 135-mile Badwater Ultramarathon.
Known as the World’s toughest race, the Badwater is a non-stop race beginning at Badwater, Death Valley, and ending at the Mt. Whitney Portal. Along the way, the elevation changes and wild swings between extreme temperatures will test even the greatest of athletes.
One of the major themes we discussed was how Harvey faced adversity but thrived thanks to his mental toughness and the ability to keep pushing through.
Firstly, let’s define what it means to not give up. It doesn’t mean that you stubbornly refuse to modify your approach or seek help when needed.
Rather, it means that you don’t just quit when faced with obstacles or setbacks.
Instead, you see this challenge as an opportunity to learn and grow.
The notion of not giving up is often tied to grit or perseverance, and research has shown that grittier individuals are more likely to achieve success.
Psychologist Angela Duckworth has written extensively on the topic of grit, defining it as a combination of passion and perseverance.
According to Duckworth, those who have high levels of grit are more likely to achieve their goals, even when faced with challenges.
I’ve even shared how I believe grit is one of the most defining characteristics of my career and success in the UFC.
As a former educator myself, I was impressed at how Harvey could maintain a full-time teaching position while performing at the highest level in ultrarunning.
Harvey devotes 22 to 24 hours each week to physical training and that includes recovery activities like ice baths and massage therapy.
It’s truly amazing what you can accomplish if you set a goal and persevere toward it.
If you aren’t relentless, you quickly start to see tasks as chores.
But if you have a goal and you know what you need to do, each step becomes a milestone.
This is also true of my experiences with fight camps – which were not always as fun as they sound.
But each rep, sparring session and bruise I unknowingly suffered was taking me closer to my goal of winning the match.
Even when it seemed like a fight wasn’t going my way – as it happened with Travis Lutter and later when Chuck broke my hand – I persevered.
It’s easy to become demotivated or lose focus when things don’t go according to plan. But when you’re locked in a cage, you’re your best hope.
I also remember Harvey saying ‘Racing involves low points, but rarely do you get a consistent high.’
And I can confirm this.
Throughout my UFC career, I faced many tough opponents and my matches were always challenging.
I don’t value having a euphoric or dominating victory. Instead, I was more pleased that I had passed a really hard test.
Interestingly, Harvey shared about using “why statements” to motivate himself during low moments.
Rather than focusing on the negative aspects of a situation, he shifted his mindset to focus on why he was doing what he was doing. This helped him stay on track with his goals and overcome obstacles.
Understanding your why is akin to having a compass that keeps you focused on your goals.
It imbues a certain level of resilience and consequently, a never give up mentality. Failure is a natural part of life, and it is how we respond to it that determines our success.
Nothing exemplifies this more than the story of Gabrielle Anderson Scheiss, who competed in the 1984 Olympics.
Despite finishing hours behind the leader (and six hours behind her own estimated time), she refused to give up.
Even as she stumbled across the track, dehydrated and exhausted, she refused to be helped, knowing that any form of assistance would lead to disqualification.
Her determination paid off, and her time was still impressive, despite the challenges she faced.
I could see even somebody like me with a champion’s mindset that would go, ‘You know what, I had a bad stretch at the beginning of this race. I’m going to go ahead and pull out of this one, Preserve my body, and that way I can compete like next month.’
But that’s you mentally making excuses to give up because you’re not going to win.
When we refuse to give up, we tap into a powerful source of motivation. It’s the voice inside of us that tells us we can do it, even when everything seems to be going wrong.
Harvey Lewis embodies that spirit, facing immense physical and mental challenges but never losing sight of his goals.
Resilience, grit, and mindset are all important components of this mentality. By focusing on our passion and perseverance, we can achieve great things and overcome any challenge that comes our way.