Run With Endurance, The Race

by Bill Okell

The Vancouver Molson Indy car race was five weeks away and local organizers wanted to promote the upcoming race. They invited drivers, including me, to race against Toronto's Paul Tracy known as "The Thrill from West Hill". It was a race none of us would forget and, for some, a race we would rather not remember!

Paul's accomplishments in motor sports are definitely strong. He is a multiple race winner in the Champ Car Indy Series plus the overall champion. His individual dedication and commitment to this sport are well known. Paul has been racing cars for over 25 years and started competing in the sport at a very young age driving go-karts. The day's 60-lap race was to be in go-karts. Paul Tracy was in a league by himself. He lapped the entire field twice hitting and spinning everybody out on his way to the front and winning the event.

Paul and I sat down afterwards to discuss the race and, as always, God showed up with the right message for me. I just could not believe how much faster Paul was in a go-kart he'd never been in before, or a race track on which he had never raced at. Paul asked me "When was the last time you raced your car?" I answered that it had been several months ago. He then went on to give me his track time inventory over the previous seven days which included winning the GI Joe's Champ Car Indy Race in Portland. . . the day before! As he put it, "if I didn't wax you by miles then I would have been very disappointed in my own performance."

I got the message in his wrap-up statement when he said "Bill, this is all I do. This is what I do. This is who I am. I'm a full-time committed race car driver." The message put everything in total perspective. What he said gave me a real sense of someone who is truly committed to what he does. When I see an honest, enduring individual who puts all his effort into something he really believes in, the results are evident.

A story like Paul Tracy's reminds me of true believers and their commitment to biblical living. "This is all I do. This is what I do." It made me reflect on my own "this is what I do" statement.

I'm thankful for biblical teaching programs on the radio like Insight for Living Canada. Sometimes when I'm driving down the road, Chuck Swindoll helps me find my "all I do" in life. Like it says in the Bible, "...run with endurance, the race set before us."

That works for me. I have this verse lettered on the back of my race car just to remind me every single race and every single day.

Bill Okell lives in Victoria, BC with his wife Corinne. He races cars, broadcasts sports, and does Christian public speaking. To inquire about Bill's availablity as a keynote speaker, workshop leader, or for a personal appearance, contact ProSPEAK International Speakers Bureau at prospeak.com/speakers/bill-okell or call 1-866-619-4711.