On the road again!

Hello and good afternoon from a very crispy Hutchinson, KS.

In just a couple hours we will be leaving for Chillicothe, MO.  I am excited to get home and see family and friends and sounds like some of them are just as excited to see us when we get there.  Should arrive in Chilli about 11:30 or so. 

I got a good workout in this morning and a little over a mile walk.  Weighed in this morning at 167.6.  Probably going to give my body a rest tomorrow except may have to steal a bike from Denny and get a few miles in around Chillicothe. 

Over the last week or so, I keep getting asked the same question.  Are you nervous?  My answer to that is NO.  Anxious, maybe a little but nervous no.  I know I have given my best effort to prepare for this.  I have had obstacle after obstacle along the way that I neither let get me down or stop me from reaching this goal.  In a way I feel like I have already won no matter what happens on Saturday but trust me when I get inside that cage I am going in with only one goal in mind. 

Throughout this journey I have lost 50 lbs as of my weight this morning.  I have increased my energy, strength, confidence and overall wellness.  I have had cuts, bruises, bumps, scrapes and many a sore muscle.  I have had people who have pushed me along the way and others who never thought I would make it.  To those of you who thought that, YOU LOSE.  Again I want to say thanks for everyone who has supported me from January until now in this goal I set for myself.  Without those supporters I may not have made it to this point.  Also, I say thanks to those of you who wish I wasn't doing this thanks for not trying to talk me out of it.  It would not have worked and only have wasted your time and effort.  Thats my stubborn side but also my side that allows me to dream and live out those dreams without letting anything get in my way. I challenge each and everyone of you to set a goal or live out a dream that you have had and make it happen.  There are no excuses for not living out your dreams or attaining a goal.  For anyone who watched the Espy's a week or two ago there was young man on there by the name of Anthony Robles.  Some of you may have heard of him and many others probably not.  Anthony was a wrestler.  A very good one at that.  Matter of fact he was an NCAA Champion in wrestling.  Some of you say so what, several people have had that title.  Well this is where it gets interesting, Anthony Robles was born with one leg.  Do you think this man had an excuse?  If he had chose to be in choir or band do you think his one leg would have been an issue?  This young man not only had the courage to take up wrestling but set a goal to be a National Champion.  No excuses for him.  Now how many one legged NCAA wrestling champions do you know.  Watching his speech brought tears to my eyes and realized he had many excuses where he could have given up.  2 fathers walked out on him and his family, born with what most of us would consider a handicap.  This kid persevered though all that and stood there on his crutches a National Champion.  NO EXCUSES. 

Well thats all I got for ya, except I will attach a poem that Anthony Robles has written and read on the Espy Awards.    Enjoy.

"Every soul who comes to earth
with a leg or two at birth
must wrestle his opponents knowing it's not what is,
it's what can be that measures worth.
Make it hard, just make it possible
and through pain I'll not complain.
My spirit is unconquerable,
fearless I will face each foe, for I know I am capable.
I don't care what's probable,
through blood, sweat, and tears, I am unstoppable."


I'm outta here,
Darren