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Recently, my wife and I watched a film that truly made an impression on us. Titled “100 Meter,” it tells the moving story of Ramon Arroyo.

The story revolves around Ramon, a man diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) in his early thirties. This is a terrible, debilitating autoimmune disease that affects the central nervous system and, sadly, has no cure. The diagnosis was unequivocally bad: the doctors told him that he would not be able to walk in the future. Naturally, this was a huge blow, for him and his family, something that would definitively change his life. Even walking 100 meters would be an almost impossible task.

Grim prognosis

But Ramon didn’t give up! Despite that grim prognosis, he absolutely wanted to be able to walk those 100 meters. Not just as a physical goal, but also as an act of defiance against the disease and the limitations it imposed. He started exercising and slowly but surely pushed his boundaries. From cautious walking, he eventually moved to running. Through intensive training, he managed to cover increasingly greater distances. After a while, he discovered the triathlon, which, as you might know, consists of swimming, cycling, and running. Then he set his sights on a seemingly impossible goal: he wanted to complete the ‘Iron Man’. For those unfamiliar with it, the Iron Man is an extremely tough competition: a 3.8 km swim, a 180 km bike ride, and a 42.2 km run (a full marathon). It’s a series of long-distance triathlons organised by an organisation called WTC in various locations worldwide. This race will also take place again in Barcelona next autumn, in October.

Iron Man

Ramon took on this challenge. Naturally, for someone with his illness, this seemed like an almost impossible feat. He trained incredibly hard and also faced setbacks. What was also interesting was the role of his father-in-law, who was initially quite negative and had low expectations, but whose attitude gradually changed; he started supporting and encouraging Ramon tremendously. And then, in 2013, it happened: Ramon completed the Iron Man in Barcelona!

This impressive event formed the basis for a wonderful, inspiring story about perseverance and overcoming adversity, and forms the basis for the film “100 Meter.”

Today, Ramon speaks about his achievement at special gatherings. He shows how you can achieve the ‘impossible’, often through a sporty and active lifestyle. In this way, he hopes to inspire others to push their boundaries too.

Inspiration and a reminder

This story was also an inspiration for me and a reminder to persevere in difficult times. After all, who doesn’t experience this in their life: illnesses, financial worries, problems with children or in your marriage? For me, the Bible is always the primary source of inspiration, and faith in God is the essential foundation to hold on to your goal, especially in difficult and painful situations. Namely: living with God in peace and victory.

The Lord Jesus is my example, my redeemer. Through the Holy Spirit, it is possible to live intimately with Him. He shares in my situations; He knows the struggles in life and wants to support us.

It is written about this in Psalm 34:19: “The righteous person may have many troubles, but the LORD delivers him from them all.”

This text gives so much hope! You can expect that, even in difficult times, you will receive deliverance and assistance from God. And not just help and assistance, but you will also receive new strength, especially when you yourself have no energy or strength left.

The Bible states this so powerfully in Isaiah 40:31: “but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”

And the apostle Paul writes about this, very personally, in Philippians 4:13: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

And I have been able to experience this myself in my own life. And I sincerely hope that you experience it too. When you find yourself in a situation where you seem to be facing an absolutely impossible task. Then you can still know that through perseverance, by holding onto God’s faithfulness and the powerful working of His Holy Spirit, it is possible to push your boundaries. Where there seemed to be no victory, you can still grow towards victory. Where you might be living with great worries, you can ultimately overcome that which ‘enslaves’ you and causes you hardship. Yes, truly everything is possible in life with our Lord, even the impossible.

Deeper, spiritual level

Ramon’s story is also an example for me in this regard. It is, of course, an example of human effort and human strength. But when we seek our help from God, the Father and the Lord Jesus, we will see that resistance, difficulties, and limitations, even on a deeper, spiritual level, can be overcome through our faith in God.

Push your boundaries, believe in achieving the unreachable, and know that you are dependent on Him, who will provide you with strength.

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@wimvanputten