Have you seen this show on Amazon Prime? I love it. Teams of four participating in one of the hardest races imaginable, spread out over nine days in untamed jungle, rivers and oceans of Fiji.
Several teams representing various countries come to compete, the motivation to endure such extreme hardship coming from deep within. I am consistently impressed by the grit it requires to take on such a challenge. What amazed me most was who successfully completed the race, and who didn’t.
Spoiler alert: Those who did the best weren’t necessarily the strongest or fittest.
What is the ingredient for success you might ask?
Yes, fitness was important. So was motivation. Most importantly, though was the team’s ability to work together, voicing their needs to one another, communicating clearly if they were faltering, and not hesitating to ask for help when necessary.
The teams that were unable to finish the race didn’t seem any less committed, or athletic as the teams that completed the challenge. Some teams faltered because these folks were amazing at pushing through when they were injured, ignoring the messages their bodies were giving them to slow down and care for themselves. Ultimately, it was their undoing. Teams that knew how to stop, pause when necessary, and share their concerns were more likely to succeed in the long run.
I can’t help but reflect on how PTSD is an injury of isolation. It can be incredibly difficult to let others know what is going on, or what you may need. One of the reasons it can be hard to cross the finish line is that so many try to do it alone.
Running alone you may go faster, but running in a group you go further. The world’s toughest race was evidence of that.
Warm regards,
Belinda Seagram, Ph.D., R. Psych.
Executive Director, Landing Strong
