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TODAY’S TRAINING INSPIRATION:
MARIO LEMIEUX

Today’s inspiration is not only arguably the most talented player in NHL history…but also a candidate the most loyal and most dedicated.

When Mario Lemieux burst into the NHL as the #1 overall pick in 1984, he was a young goal-scoring phenom who cared little for team practices. When he retired for the third and final time early in the 21st century, he had proven himself a man several times over.

Forget for a moment that Lemieux was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1997, before coming back and resuming his career as a playing Hall of Famer. Forget that in addition to having the rare distinction of playing his entire career with one time, he led those Pittsburgh Penguins to two Stanley Cups. Forget the 690 goals and 1,723 career points in only 915 games, or being one of only two players ever to break the 160-point barrier in a season (199), one of only three to score 80 goals in a season (85) and one of only three to score 100 assists in a season (114).

Forget that as a junior player, in the season that led to his being picked first overall, he scored a mind-boggling 133 goals and 282 points in 70 games. There are the three league MVPs, the six league scoring titles, two playoff MVPs, rookie of the year, and nine post-season All Star selections…

What really made Mario Lemieux a living legend and inspiration, instead of just a great talent, was the seemingly endless series of obstacles he overcame to continue his all-too-brief career for as long as he did.

In 1993, at the height of his career, Lemieux was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a form of cancer. He missed two months of the season for radiation treatment, but returned to win the NHL scoring race. He retired for the first time in 1997 after a series of back surgeries to heal chronic injuries.

And then, in 2000, he came back. With the Pittsburgh Penguins on the verge of financial collapse, Lemieux resumed his career and waived his salary for a stake in the team. After a few more injury-plagued seasons, Lemieux retired again…before returning one final time. Early in the 2005-2006 season, Lemieux was forced to retire for a final time with a heart condition.

Lemieux’s constant determination to overcome one illness or injury after another earned him the hearts and admiration of fans everywhere, as well as the 1993 Bill Masterton Trophy for perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey.

REBUILDING THE MACHINE…

I’ve been saying I should it take it somewhat easy and then still pushing pretty hard. I now literally have no body parts that I can work out properly without overtraining, so today is going to actually be a virtual day off.

TODAY: DAY OFF!