Some of the most epic battles ever portrayed occurred “A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away….” Most of us immediately recognize that famous line as the opening for the Star Wars movies that span more than four decades. National Star Wars Day is May 4th (May the fourth be with you), so you can bet that plenty of our Shaklee Pure Performance Team athletes will be tuning in for a Star Wars movie marathon.
After all, the Shaklee athletes are quite familiar with a valiant struggle to overcome daunting odds, the ebb-and-flow of opposing forces, grand strategies, and redeeming victories. Our athletes love the inspirational outcomes, but would you be surprised to know that not all the athletes have seen all of the Star Wars movies?
In fact, a recent survey revealed that only 33% of Shaklee athletes have seen all those movies and 24% haven’t seen any of the Star Wars movies. The remaining 42% of athletes have seen some, but not all, of the famous franchise.
Still, many of our athletes love to draw inspiration from movies. So what are some of their favorite inspirational movies? Here are their answers from the same survey (athletes could select up to three movies):
- Miracle, chosen by 56%, the story of the 1980 Lake Placid US Hockey team.
- Rudy, chosen by 44%, the story of an underdog football player at Notre Dame.
- Cool Runnings, chosen by 31%, the story of the Jamaican Bobsled team and their journey to the Games.
- And any of the Rocky or Creed movies, chosen by 25%, featuring Rocky Balboa’s boxing forays.
And a few flicks that also provided movie motivation:
- Chariots of Fire, 16%
- The Blind Side, 16%
- A League of Their Own, 16%
- Remember the Titans, 12%
We’d surely enjoy a bowl of popcorn with these athletes and their favorite inspirational movies:
Miracle:
- Tyler George (Curling, ‘18 gold medal): A lot of people have compared our Curling gold medal run in 2018 to the 1980 Miracle on Ice (hence, my favorite is Miracle!). We don’t put ourselves in that exalted company, but I definitely used Miracle as inspiration in the weeks leading up to the Games!
- Jamie Corkish (Shooting, ‘08, ‘12, gold medal): Miracle is my favorite movie of all time. I used to watch it before every competition. I loved the way Brooks coached and pushed his team—it is totally my personality. I think the sport has changed so much since the 80s that we don’t push athletes in the same way, and possibly for good reasons. But there is no doubt this story is a tearjerker and one to celebrate!
Rudy:
- Kacey Bellamy (Hockey, ‘10 silver medal, ‘14 silver medal, ‘18 gold medal): Rudy was a family classic for us growing up. It shows resilience and never giving up on your dream no matter how long it takes or how hard it is. If you put the time and effort in, anything can happen. Best part of the movie is when the players give their jerseys to the coach so Rudy can play. The movie shows a lot of heart, character, and sacrifice.
- Andrew Poje (Figure Skating, ‘14, ‘18): Rudy truly embodies what you can achieve if you just believe. Rudy persevered when the odds were against him and allowed his spirit and determination to come to the forefront. I have tried to embody that throughout my career.
- Sandra Uptagrafft (Shooting, ‘12, ‘20): Rudy inspires me every time I watch it. I can relate to Rudy being overlooked because people think he’s too small or not athletic enough. But his work ethic, drive, and never quit attitude shows everyone how your heart can overcome those odds. I cry every time Rudy finally realizes his dream when he is allowed to suit up as a member of the team and get out on the field to run a play!
Rocky:
- Nina Cutro-Kelly (Judo): I love the quote from Rocky, “It ain’t how hard you hit; it’s about how hard you can get hit.”
- Troy Dumais (Diving, ‘00, ‘04, ‘08, ‘12 bronze medal) Can’t beat the quote from Rocky, “It’s not how many times you get knocked down that counts, it’s how many times you get back up!”
The Shaklee Pure Performance Team members love to watch uplifting movies, but these athletes are the stars of stories as inspirational as any you’ll ever find in cinema. The stage is set, the players are in place, and before long we’ll all be standing and cheering at a time not too far in the future and in a place not so far away. We’ll hail our own Rockys and Rudys and witness something that occurs in every Games: Miracles!
