Jim Ryun– an Olympian, All-American, United States Congressman (retired), and 2020 Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient–speaks from experience about dreaming big! When he shares how failures can guide you to your true gifting, you can’t help but be inspired.
His own journey has led him from being cut from the church baseball team to being rated the number one high school athlete of the century by ESPN, beating out Tiger Woods and LeBron James.
Jim represented the United States of America on three Olympic teams, winning the Silver in the 1500m at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics. He has also held numerous world records in the mile, 1500-meter, 800-meter, and 880-yard races. He was the first high school student to run the mile in under four minutes on June 4, 1964. His achievements garner media attention, and he has appeared on ABC’s Wide World of Sports, The Today Show, Fox News, ESPN, and the 700 Club. He has been on the cover of Sports Illustrated, Newsweek, Runner’s World, and Parade Magazine and was featured in many newspaper and magazine articles about his running career, as well as his experience as a former United States Congressman.
Over the last 50 years, he has spoken at conferences, workshops, clinics, running camps, churches, prayer breakfasts, men’s conferences, and political events. He has authored several books with his sons; the most recent, Courage to Run, is a 60-day devotional that reflects on his life as an athlete, husband, parent, and U.S. Congressman.
Jim Ryun Mini Running-Camp Experience
Forgiveness: A Journey to Healing
Forgiving and forgiveness are daily decisions. Jim highlights his personal experiences, including being fouled in the Munich Olympics and being denied reentry by an International Olympic Official who offered, “why not come back in four years and try again?” He will provide some simple steps based on principles Jesus taught His disciples. If you have experienced failure and/or experienced defeat, do you let those experiences shape your future and determine your personal happiness? Are you willing to humbly ask for God’s help? Disappointments, trials, and struggles are learning opportunities in life. Are you courageous enough to learn from these experiences? Forgiving and forgiveness are stepping stones to bring healing in your life. Will you become transparent, surrendering yourself to allow Jesus’ lessons and principles bring joy and peace to your life?
Dreaming Big: Have You Reached Your Potential?
How large is your dream? Are you adventurous enough to explore setting and realizing goals outside of your comfort zone? Jim will share some time-tested steps that led him to be the youngest middle distance runner to make the 1964 United States Olympic Team as a junior in high school. He would become the first high school boy to run a mile under four minutes while a junior in high school. With God’s help, Jim would make three Olympic teams, become a multiple world record holder in several running events, including the mile. He is the latest American to hold the world record in the mIle. These same principles led him to serve 5 terms as a US Congressman from Kansas. Most recently, he was the honored recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest honor presented by the president of the United States to a United States citizen. Jim’s steps to achieving goals are time-tested and proven. Are you willing to risk failure to secure your true potential?
