Jason Knight: Resilience, Grit, and Inspiration
Two years ago, I entered a contest.
As with many of my ventures, I lost, but I won.
The Game and The Story
I find myself doing this often. I visualize success, reach toward what I believe is the goal, and fall short. Then in retrospect, I find that I unknowingly actually won. I do this because I’m playing the game differently. I’m playing the game of resilience, grit, and inspiration. I like to dream and visualize then get to work and go for it. This is the story about the story of one of these ventures.
The Contest
In 2017, Triathlete Magazine had a cover contest. They were looking for inspirational stories about triathletes to feature in their magazine. The top ten stories were shared in the magazine and the winner was featured on the cover. My essay did not win, but week after week after week, I find myself winning. I win because I get to spend time with my training partner and amazing friend, Jason Knight.
The Three Words
The contest began by choosing three words that best describe the candidate.
The words I chose were Resilience, Grit, and Inspiration.
The Essay
This is my training partner and motivator, Jason Knight. If you want to snap a picture of grit and relentless determination to hang on your refrigerator for daily inspiration, the picture will look a lot like this guy. With quiet strength and ferocious self-discipline and drive, he has returned from an injury that could have taken his life and has used it as fuel to fire his passion for continual self improvement, not only as an athlete, but as a husband, father, employer, and role model to anyone fortunate enough to know him.
Five years ago he began training for his first full marathon. About three weeks before the marathon, on October 19, 2011, he was in a serious accident at work that pinned him between a forklift and a truck. The damage to his leg was massive leaving him with a broken femur and ankle, injured knee, and heavy tissue damage.
Jason’s recovery and rehabilitation went very quickly because of his intense drive, focus, work ethic, and ability to work through the pain. He tried to run but the leg pain was excruciating, especially due to the screws in his knee. That’s when he took up biking to maintain his fitness. He continued to run as much as he could bear but he had to rely on biking for the bulk of his fitness training. In November of 2012, just over a year after his injury, Jason finished his first full marathon.
Following the marathon, Jason continued to run and cross train on the bike. The two of us continued running together, but I chose to add swimming to my training plan as a way to cross train. It didn’t take long for us to start training together in our respective new disciplines. I began biking with him once a week, and he began swimming with me once a week. Although neither of us had ever done one, we knew pretty quickly that a triathlon would be in our future. We spent the year preparing and in the spring of 2014 we completed our first sprint triathlon. It was a challenge for both of us. He struggled through the swim, I struggled through the bike, but we finished the run together. It was a blast and we were hooked.
Over the past couple of years, we have completed several sprint and Olympic length triathlons, a few half-marathons, a few more marathons, a couple rounds of P90X, and even a 70.3 Half Ironman. And although we still train and compete together, Jason has completely passed me by in his level of training and fitness. I like to think I get more for my money because I spend so much more time on the course than he does. I would say that I’ll catch him one of these days, but I know better. Instead I’ll just enjoy our training time together and continue to use him as a personal motivator and role model.
Jason’s goal is to complete a full Ironman, and I have no doubt that he will do that. He has an iron will and continually inspires those of us around him. I’ll think his wife sums it up best. This is a passage from one of her Facebook posts following one of his triathlons:
“This man! So amazed and proud of him. A few years ago when he broke his femur right before his first marathon, I know he was devastated. As he healed, I know he was frustrated. As he attempted to train after his injury, I know he was in so much pain and disappointed that his body wouldn’t do what it could before. A lot of people would have given up. Not this guy. What does he do? Decide to take up biking because it’s easier on his knee. Then tried swimming - something totally out of his comfort zone. He works hard - he often wakes up at 4am so he can train at a time that doesn’t take his attention away from his family. He is amazing, and though I know I probably don’t tell him often enough, I am SO proud to be his partner in life. His goal is to do a full Ironman by the time he’s 40. If anybody can do it, I have no doubt it’s this guy. I love him so!” - Cara Knight
The Follow Up
Unfortunately, the selection committee chose the wrong candidate for their magazine cover contest. This essay for Jason was not selected. But Jason DID complete his full Ironman race last year and finished strong. Even though the essay was not selected, I still won. In fact, everyone who knows Jason wins. He is a true inspiration of quiet strength. He has great depth, insight, and wisdom. He is someone who knows the right way to be a husband, dad, and model for Christ-like living. This guy is awesome. He’s my training partner. He’s my friend. And that's more than enough to make this venture a huge win.