It is a fairly commonly understood that 90 per cent of an iceberg’s mass lies beneath the surface of the water.
The parallels between this and everyday life are pretty clear, what you observe at first glance about a person or a situation usually does not tell their full story. Usually, there is a background, history and context that has to be explored to get a fuller understanding of an individual’s experience and accomplishments.
This week, we wrote about two individuals whose accomplishments are remarkable on the surface, but are even greater when taken in context.
First, Sam Kasdorf’s second place finish in the 100-kilometre race at the San Joaquin River Trail last weekend was an amazing feat in and of itself, but the sheer amount of work and discipline that goes into preparing for an ultra marathon is doubly impressive.
Kasdorf consistently logged hundreds of kilometres each week in preparation for the race, including multiple runs up an down Mount Hays training sessions leading up to it.
As if that weren’t enough, the original 80-kilometre race Kasdorf signed up to run in was cancelled due to the California wildfires. This forced her to run a race that was not only 20-kilometres longer than she had trained for, but also included more significantly more elevation that she expected.
To complete the race, and finish second among women was remarkable given the circumstances.
The second individual who should be celebrated is John Rogers, who decided to retire after more than 40 years of providing photography services to the community from Shutter Shack.
Any entrepreneur will tell you that owning and running a business is a labour of love. There are long hours, few breaks and a lot of sacrifices that have to be made to achieve success, and very few people get to see the blood, sweat and tears that it takes to make these things work.
Rogers was able to last in the photography business and adjusted at a time when the digital revolution made his job harder. His customers would tell you that he always did it with good cheer and a smile on his face.
Congratulations to both Kasdorf and Rogers on going the distance.
matthew.allen@thenorthernview.com
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