A Soul Connection with Sir Roger Bannister

Background: Sir Roger Bannister was an English neurologist and middle-distance athlete who was the first person to break the 4-minute mile. At the time, popular thought was that such a feat was humanly impossible. He trained in rigorous circumstances, never wavering from his goal. It was even more inspiring to know he was doing this training while attending medical school!

When I started my fitness journey in my sixties I was recruited to join a master’s running team. The term “masters” was used because we were all over fifty, not because we were so terrific. Being the oldest member (and slowest person on our team) it was a real stretch for my abilities. After about two years of participation, with the encouragement of my fellow team members and our coach, I participated in the National Senior Games. At age 65, I was able to finish in the top ten in my age group in both the 800-meter and 1500-meter races, proving to myself that it is never too late to strive for a new goal, even if it is to be a track runner.

During this time, I was starting to connect with others in the “soul realm” and thought who better to connect with that the first person who broke the 4-minute mile record. Perhaps he could give me some sage advice. Herewith is our discussion.

Janie J, Soul Connector: Did you ever get discouraged when training to break the 4-minute mile? If so, what did you do to keep your spirits up?

Sir Roger Bannister: Yes. I maintained focus and direction at all times. I knew I only had a small window on the timeline of my life to accomplish this. That in itself served as motivation for I knew once the time passed, my chance would be lost forever.

I wanted to go down in the history books for something with physical ability. I’m not sure where this desire came from. Perhaps within, as my family (father, most notably), wanted me to pursue a worthy vocation so I could ably support a wife and family as he and others had done. But I guess running was a first love to me. It brought immense joy and satisfaction. At times, I felt I was literally born to run. Maybe that’s it … maybe it was my goal in life — to satisfy my inherent needs and serve as an example to others.

Don’t get me wrong. It was immensely hard/difficult. I’m not even sure now how I did it other than sheer will and determination along with the hand of God guiding me. I asked constantly for guidance, probably to the point of being a pest. But it was only myself and intuitive mind (or higher self) to figure this out, so I used all means possible. It was like praying that never ceased. It was like talking to oneself and being your own teacher, cheerleader, and inquisitor (searching for answers) all in one.

I do feel anyone can do similar feats, but strong will, focus and daily habit are imperative along with assistance from God or one’s higher power. Constant effort. No letting up or “no excuses” as you folks say. Rough weather and minor ailments are not excuses to let up. One must push on through if greatness is to be achieved. No giving up despite great odds or seemingly insignificant progress. The effort is measured once the final attempt is made. All those intermediary steps seem insignificant until the final test or final run, where the goal is achieved.

If you are wondering if greatness is attainable by you or teammates, the answer is yes, by all means, but one must do the work with dedicated and unwavering attitude/mindset with no letting up. Follow my suggestions about determination and eliciting the hand of God to work in your favor.

Good luck, fellow athletes.
Sir Roger Bannister