What do you do when you find yourself down on the track while the race goes on without you? We all trip and fall. The question is what comes next?<\/p>\n\n
Heather Dorniden, now Kampf<\/a>, is a highly decorated runner with an impressive string of accomplishments<\/a>. But what\u2019s most impressive was the time she won first place in the 600 meter dash\u2014after falling flat on her face.<\/p>\n In the final 200 meters, right as Kampf took the lead, she tripped and went sprawling. Watch the race here:<\/p>\n [youtube id=”uqnqLrakxY8″]<\/p>\n You can see Kampf skid forward as her momentum throws her legs up behind her. It was a rough fall that instantly knocked her to the rear of the pack with precious little hope of catching up.<\/p>\n She could have easily become discouraged and admitted what everyone was already thinking\u2014that her race was over. One of the announcers even tried smoothing it over. Since Kampf\u2019s teammate had moved into the lead, he said, it might be okay if she came in last.<\/p>\n But she didn\u2019t.<\/p>\n Kampf got up as fast as she went down and started catching up. To the amazement of the announcers and spectators<\/a>, she passed one runner, then another, then finally her own teammate to take first place!<\/p>\n How often do we use our setbacks as an excuse to check out? We walk off the field before the whistle blows because it\u2019s easier on our bruised egos and depleted resources than getting back in the race.<\/p>\n But Kampf\u2019s comeback is a powerful picture of why we can\u2019t afford to quit before the end. Sometimes the game is won in the final seconds\u2014or even less than seconds in Kampf\u2019s case.<\/p>\n\t\tFalling Hard<\/h3>\n
Down but Not Out<\/h3>\n