Читать книгу Gobi Runner - Stefan Danis - Страница 7

Gobi Runner is my account of why I, the CEO of a company caught in a devastating economic recession, signed up for a 250-kilometer foot race in the desert without having run a marathon before. In it I detail the emotional and physical breakthroughs and breakdowns I experienced in preparing for, training for, and running the race. It also explores my reentry into a life that was changed forever.

Besides being a personal story, this book includes the incredible tales of the other participants in the race and the lessons learned by many of us. It details what really goes on to get you through a race in such extreme, adverse conditions; these include visualizing success, owning up to fear of failure and success, taming your inner critic, befriending adversity, collaborating while competing, and learning to enjoy the journey more than reaching the destination.

I may have done the actual running, but others supported me. To my wife, Leslie, thank you for taking on more than your fair share to keep the family going and for providing so much emotional support. You, along with Montana and Jade, were with me every step of the way.

This book would not have been written if Sean Shannon and Jim McKenzie hadn’t urged me to do so, and if Steve Phillips hadn’t encouraged me to present the story at a Young President Organization event. Thank you, gentlemen.

My thanks to: Dijana Ebach for providing constant ground support, from beginning to end; Jim Warrington for broadcasting the message; my Mandrake and NEXCareer partners for their support, especially Daphne Bykerk; Mehmet Danis and Donna Carrigan for all the mentoring; my YPO forum for sparring with me over the project and kicking in some cash; Dr. Kazemi, for putting me back in one piece when my conditioning looked so bleak; Phil Delaire for training; and, finally, Ernie Votis and Luigi (Louie) Santaguida for making the trip across the world to run the Gobi, and the race itself, such a memorable experience.

National Advertising Benevolent Society team members do an amazing job of helping the community and did so through this project as well. Thank you, Mike Fenton, for supporting my vision, and Louise Bérubé and Jim Warrington, for their boundless energy and for reading and commenting on the manuscript.

Thanks to all of you who pledged and who encouraged me along the way.