Ryan Pittman -"We Are All The Same"

I have said it many times throughout my blogs this year, I love track and field and I loved watching Spencer run the hurdles when he was in high school and I now get the joy of watching Josh tear up the track.  To me there is nothing as pure in sports as a start line, a finish line, a clock, and nothing but yourself to get the job done.  In my opinion, track athletes are the best athletes in the world.

This past spring, I witnessed a track athlete that warmed my heart and put a huge smile on my face and had an inspiring performance.  Ryan Pittman was a track athlete that threw the disc and shot for Independence High School.  Occasionally, he would run.

For the past four years, I have announced the track and field events at Independence.  We have a fun meet the combines the girls and boys in each event.  Ryan was chosen to run the last 200 m of a relay at the track meet that I was announcing.  And, truth be told, he got smoked and finished dead last by a mile.  But a strange thing happened on that run.  Ryan was determined to finish.  And he did.  With the crowd chanting his name and giving him a standing ovation as he ran, Ryan finished the race and threw his arms in the air in victory.

Ryan taught us all a lesson that day.  He taught us that all that there is joy in doing your best, perseverance pays off, and if you do your best, you should have no regrets.  So, it is no surprise to me that Ryan is still making a difference.  After he graduated, Ryan started to pursue other passions and adventures.

The following is a video that tells of some of his successes after high school.

Great job Ryan.  You are an inspiration to all of us that know you.