Let me speak to somebody today who is going though a downward slide in life, who is sitting down right there, dejected, rejected, wondering and contemplating on giving up. Listen my friend; are you almost giving up on your education? Are you almost giving up on your children, your family, and your marriage or even on your dreams and aspirations and on the possibility of having a child? Are you at a point in your life where you feel you are alone and deserted? Are you wondering if you are such a worthless person in this world? Do you believe that liar telling you in your spirit that you are a failure? But I came to give you good news, DON'T GIVE UP, DON'T YOU EVER GIVE UP... YOU HAVE THE CAPABILITY IN YOU! You are not finished when you are defeated, you are finished when you quit. The most important things in this world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all. God did not promise us a safe journey, he promised us a safe landing. No matter how strong the storm may be, he will land you safely home.
JOHN STEPHEN AKWANI, was the world marathon champion, Olympic Champion and African Champion. He was a very respected and honourable athlete having won the respect and admiration of the world. But he became a world beater in the 1976 Olympic Marathon and that event changed his life forever. When the race started, John Stephen Akwani was at the forefront leading the race, he was far ahead of the other 35 runners. He was running with tremendous stride and an unmatched dynamism, enjoying the race with passion and splendour and with only one thing on his mind; the Gold medal.
Suddenly, he felt a very sharp and terrible pain in his knee joint and he fell down awkwardly and broke his head and right hand. While he was on the ground wailing in enormous pain, all the runners behind him overtook him. The medics came to him and discovered that he'd fractured his right hand and his head was bleeding profusely. He was advised to get into the ambulance so he could be taken to the hospital, but he turned them down. After 30 minutes, He rose up, dusted his body and kept running... Limping and staggering... the rest of the runners were out of sight yet he kept going, all the spectators were screaming and shouting 'John... You need to stop, you need to quit... You are bleeding and your body is covered in blood, you might lost your life... Please stop, we will understand why you failed, we will understand why you quit, it wasn't your fault... After all you WERE the champion'. But John Stephen Akwani refused to quit... He staggered, staggered, staggered, yet he kept going, he fell down over and over again, yet he got back up, again and again. People kept pleading with him to quit or else he would lost his life, but he kept going. One hour after the end of the race, he was still going. The winner of the race had already been awarded with the gold medal, yet John Stephen Akwani kept going. After 2 hours, yes 2 hours after the end of the race, John crossed the finishing line. He was filled with smiles and joy, he was celebrating as if he won the race. He lifted up the Zimbabwean flag up high and showed it to the world with pride. He got a new vigor, a new found strength and people were absolutely astonished and amazed why the last man in the race would be celebrating more than the winner of the race. Hundreds of journalists immediately gathered around him out of enormous curiosity and asked him 'John, why did you keep going even when you fell, broke your head and your right hand, why didn't you stop when your life was in grave danger, why did you insist on going ahead even when it was worthless? John looked at them, with tears of joy flowing from his eyes and said 'The Government of Zimbabwe didn't send me to this Olympics to start the race; they sent me to FINISH it.'
Oh my friend, why are you stopping before your finish line? I know you have 200 reasons in your heart why you want to quit... but I have 2000 reasons to give to you why you shouldn't quit. I know people will understand why you quit, they will understand why you failed. They will understand that you tried all you could, but the same people will celebrate you when you finally overcome. You need to be celebrated, you are born a winner, so don’t live and die a loser. Wherever you are right now, lift up your hand and tell yourself... I REFUSE TO QUIT, I HAVE ALL IT TAKES TO GET TO THE TOP. I WILL MAKE IT. Yes my friend, I have tremendous belief in you... You will make it. Don't stop before your finishing line.
There is Greatness within you.
The top is where you belong.
I'll see you there.
God bless you.