The Courage That Carried Me (The Friday Ficks S5 E47)

I ran my fastest marathon at Steamtown in 2006.

But this story isn’t about the personal record I set that day - it’s about the quiet companion who ran “shotgun” with me for all 26.2 miles.

My cousin Jaime.

In college, Jaime studied at the London School of Economics and navigated the sprawling Underground “Tube” with confidence. She traveled across Scotland, Ireland, and Wales, meeting the world with curiosity and courage.

None of that might sound extraordinary - until you remember that Jaime lived her entire life with cerebral palsy. I never knew her without her wheelchair. And 45 years ago, curb cuts, elevator access, ramps and smooth, navigable sidewalks were scarce. Her travels were neither convenient nor comfortable but rather illustrative of her unshakable spirit, her fierce independence, and her refusal to let limitations define her.

So on that chilly October morning north of Scranton, as I waited for the starting gun, I again silently gave thanks for the simple ability to run - something Jaime never had. And as the miles unfolded, I carried her with me. Her strength. Her grit. Her joy.

Fueled by that inspiration, I ran a 3:19 and qualified for the 2007 Boston Marathon.

I couldn’t wait to tell her. But two days later, Jaime passed away.

There’s a line in the Alabama song “𝘈𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘭𝘴 𝘈𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘜𝘴”: “𝘖𝘩, 𝘐 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘭𝘴 𝘢𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘶𝘴...𝘵𝘰 𝘨𝘶𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘶𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦.”

Jaime was that light for me at Steamtown - guiding, lifting, urging me forward when I needed it most.

Leadership is no different. We all have unseen guides - family, friends, mentors, even memories - whose influence shows up when the road gets steep.

The question is whether we stay open to their presence...and allow their courage to help support and shape our own.

Own the day. Own the weekend.

Carl