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Dean Karnazes is a man of many talents. He’s a New York Times bestselling author, a sought-after motivational speaker, and has even been named by TIME magazine as one of the “100 Most Influential People in the World”. Yet, Dean Karnazes is known most of all for being the “Ultramarathon Man.” 

Dean Karnazes has run 50 marathons, in all 50 states, in 50 consecutive days. He’s raced across Death Valley in the heat of summer and completed a marathon to the South Pole. On ten separate occasions he’s run a 200-mile relay race solo, racing alongside teams of twelve. He won the World’s Toughest Footrace, the Badwater Ultramarathon, the 4 Deserts Challenge, and many other races in the most extreme places on the planet. Dean is an amazing athlete. He’s one of the most famous runners in the world. However, these incredible accomplishments almost never happened.

When Dean’s high school cross country coach retired, he joined the school’s track team. However, his running journey would quickly come to an abrupt halt. To put it lightly, Dean’s track coach was a complete jerk! He taunted the young runner and criticized Dean’s beloved motto to “run with your heart.” His coach’s hurtful words cut him deep, and Dean walked off the track field, hung up his running shoes, and didn’t run again until his 30th birthday. 

Thankfully, the coach’s hurtful words didn’t permanently stop Dean Karnazes. He eventually found the motivation to run again. However, his story reminds us of the power of our words. Our words can do incredible good, but they can also do incredible harm. As wise Solomon noted, “death and life are in the power of the tongue” (Proverbs 18:21 ESV). How will you choose to use your words today? Choose wisely! 

Brandon Baggett is preaching minister at Luverne Church of Christ.