At 65, Colonel Sanders started making finger lickin good Kentucky Fried Chicken

At 52, Ray Croc began his burger flipping journey with MacDonalds 

At 42, Soichiro Honda opened Honda Motor Company

At 32, JK Rowling published her first Harry Potter novel

At 76, Anna Mary Robertson Moses painted her first canvas 

… now, it’s your turn: 

Hi! My name is ________________  and I started working on my dream _________ at ________ !

At Loveworks Leadership, we believe you are never too young to pursue your dream and never too old to work on your dream. 

Wendell Holmes famously said, “Many people die with their music still in them.”

I love this quote because it challenges me at my core. But it’s impossible for someone to understand the true meaning of this until they dare to take a step out of their comfort zone and discover the music inside of them. 

It was around the age of 9 years old that a dream first sparked in my heart to one day race in the ultimate endurance race in the world, the Ironman triathlon in Kona, Hawaii.

And like a balloon that slips out of the hand of a child, my dream to compete in this prestigious triathlon drifted away for almost 25 years. 

But tomorrow is not promised. And no one else will pick up our dreams, that is up to us. 

I am living proof that regardless of how many years go by since that dream was born, it is not too late. 

The dream returned to my heart on May 12, 2012, when I crossed my first Ironman finish line. 

The sweet taste of victory!

A dream from inside, living outside my body. It was electric! 

And that dream grew. Another race and another. 

Now, I have 11 medals for full Ironman races hanging on my office wall. Each one holds a different story of perseverance, pain and the promise that if you give your best, that’s all your dream asks of you.  

On the day this blog is released, I will be 2 days away from crossing the finish line of my 12th Ironman race in Tulsa, OK. The exact number of finishes that will finally qualify me to compete in the Kona race via the Legacy Program. 

There is one last thing you need to know. 

I may have some natural athletic ability, but I do not consider myself a particularly gifted swimmer, cyclist or runner. If you were to ask me, what has been the hardest race? I’d tell you my next one because they are ALL hard. You’d think by now they would get easier, but my time out on the course is very much a sufferfest. 

Why do I put myself through this?

Ironman has taught me that anything is possible, and I want to live with that belief and endurance in every area of my life. My marriage, my children, leading Loveworks… to keep pursuing the music inside of me. 

Let’s try this again. 

My name is Michael and I started my dream at 34 years old and I am still working towards it today.

What is your BIG dream?