Andrew Rivett first approached me for help in 1994. He had been competing locally in half marathons and middle distance races for several years with only moderate success. He was frustrated with his results and wanted me to help him improve his mental and physical fitness.
The first thing that struck me about Andrew was not his natural ability, but his determination. I have met many driven and determined people before, but Andrew’s will to succeed at any cost made him a winner before we even started working together.
The first objective was to test Andrew’s physical fitness by pushing him to his absolute limit through an intense programme of punishing endurance training. This was not easy and not without risks as Andrew suffered with asthma and was dependent on Ventolin. Once Andrew had achieved the desired physical results, I began working on Andrew’s mental attitude, for you must first win inside the mind before you can win outside of the mind. Yes, to be a winner or a success in life, you must first believe yourself that it is possible before you can go on to achieve your goals. No belief means no victory!
Andrew was beginning to make tremendous progress and entered the Marathon Des Sables, a six day race across the Sahara desert in Morocco, considered to be the toughest foot race on earth. To train for such an event, I asked Andrew to run non-stop for hours on the treadmill whilst wearing a backpack. He would then jump off the treadmill and sit for long periods in the sauna to simulate racing conditions in the desert. I have to admit, Andrew did get some strange looks from other gym members.
Andrew successfully completed the Marathon Des Sables in a respectable position. It would be the first of many endurance races before Andrew set his sights upon his ultimate goal of setting a new world record by running from John O’Groats to Lands End – a total of 874 miles. The world record stood at just under 11 days; Andrew’s target was to do it in less than 10 days.
I remember a conversation I had with a dear friend of mine; he was a fitness coach of some standing. He told me that it was impossible to break such a record and that my fellow, more experienced coaches thought my lack of a university education in coaching left me looking somewhat foolish amongst my peers.
Well, that was it for me! I was determined to prove the ‘college boys’ wrong. It isn’t academic qualifications that make you a winner; it is sheer guts, courage and the will to give 100% in your efforts to win that make you a champion. My blood was boiling and I was determined to prove them wrong.
On the 13th May 2002, Andrew Rivett recorded the fastest ever run from John O’Groats to Land’s End. He smashed the existing world record to finish the 874 mile challenge in 9 days 2 hours and 26 minutes. His record was recorded in the Guinness Book of World Records and still stands to this day (it is recorded in the 2011 edition).
Andrew had proved everyone wrong and also proved that having asthma does not need to stop you from achieving your dreams. I too was delighted because my reputation as a coach and ‘dreamer’ had been restored.
Andrew went on to break two further world records in my gym on 5/6th April 2003:
The record for the fastest time running 100 miles on a treadmill (16 hours, 23 minutes and 16 seconds) and the record for the greatest distance travelled on a treadmill in 24 hours (135.5 miles).
Andrew is living proof that the word impossible really does mean...I’M POSSIBLE!
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