Don't take no for an answer

Don’t Take No for an Answer

I didn’t know what I wanted to write about today.

So I did what I usually do when I’m stuck — I pushed it off all day, hopped on the treadmill, and went for a short run. And somewhere between steps, it hit me.

For those of you who’ve been around the gym for a while, you know this already: I’ve spent a lot of time in a boot. I’ve had four foot surgeries on the same foot. After my final surgery — a toe joint replacement — my original doctor told me I would never run again.

At first, I was honestly kind of excited. I never really liked running.

But I’m also stubborn. And something about being told “never” didn’t sit right with me.

So I kept looking.

One doctor told me I’d be in pain forever.
(Jerk.)

That still didn’t feel like the final answer.

Eventually, I booked an appointment with the head orthopedic surgeon at Rush — the same one who works on the Sox and Bulls players. It took months to get in, but I didn’t care. I waited.

He took one look at my foot, shrugged like it was no big deal, and said he was going to take a tendon from the top of my foot, roll it up, and turn it into a new toe joint.

And then he did exactly that.

Now here’s the part that matters.

Every single time I run, I’m grateful I didn’t listen to the first doctor. Or the second. According to them, what I’m doing now should be impossible.

Today, I ran two miles on the treadmill.

So what’s the point of this story about my toe?

This: don’t give up.

Don’t take no for an answer. Not in fitness. Not in health. Not in life. Sometimes the first answer isn’t the right one. Sometimes you need to keep asking better questions, finding better support, and believing there’s another way.

Be relentless. Be curious. Be unstoppable.

You can do anything. Literally anything.

Thanks for coming to my TED Talk 🙂

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