We take so many liberties for granted it's hard to remember just how long and bumpy is the journey toward freedom. At this week's Boston Marathon, the annual race that began in 1897, we take for granted the four different, competitive divisions -- men, women, men in wheelchairs, women in wheelchairs. Or that just about half of the entrants are women. That has not always been the case. In fact, the first official entrant who was a woman was Kathrine "K.V." Switzer (#261 pictured above) - a sophomore at Syracuse University. The year was 1967.
When Kathrine registered for the 1967 Boston Marathon there was no place on the form to indicate gender. It was assumed only men would enter the race. K.V. had been routinely running 10 miles a day with the man who became her coach. She convinced him she could cover the distance one evening after adding 5 miles on to the end of their 26-mile run.
On that snowy, race day in 1967, Kathrine was dressed like all the other runners in a baggy gray sweat suit. At about the two mile mark other runners got excited to see that #261 was a woman. Lots of photos were taken as Kathrine approached a press truck.
One race official on the truck took notice of Kathrine, jumped off the truck, then tried to physically pull her from the race. He tried to tear-off her number #261 - the evidence of her official entrance in the race. (You can see him in the photo above between Switzer #261 and the other runner to her right #225). A friend of Kathrine's separated the official from Kathrine; she went on to complete the marathon. She later won the New York Marathon in 1974 - two years after women were officially permitted to run in Boston thanks to the freedom journey started by Switzer. Then Switzer created the international women's running circuit sponsored by Avon.
Decades later Kathrine spoke about the four boundary-busting and rule-breaking lessons she learned from that 1967 experience.
Seeing Switzer's set of four brought to mind the four questions of the Pesach Seder. In that spirit, here are the four lessons I learned from Switzer's experience about hacking one's freedom. They are:
(1) Understand the boundaries that inhibit our freedom. Switzer studied and understood the applicable rules before registering for the race.
(2) Enlist allies to encourage our transformation. Switzer used her running team to both train her in advance and protect her during the race. (You can learn more about them here.)
(3) Define freedom on our own terms. For Switzer success was not narrowly defined as winning a single race - the 1967 marathon. Rather it was demonstrated through the fullness of her career encouraging and celebrating women runners -- 400 races, 27 countries.
(4) Tell the story again and again. Switzer amplified the power of her story by telling it over and over again. Just as the masterwork of Pesach is the storytelling that animates the imagination of each successive generation.
As we get ready for Pesach - may we be inspired by Switzer to hack our own freedom by understanding the boundaries that inhibit us, enlisting the allies who will encourage us, defining on our own terms the freedoms that will liberate us, and learning how to tell the stories that will inspire others. Through it all, it's important to remember the freedom journey is not a sprint, it's a marathon.
#HackYourFreedom
Fantastic message for Pesach, and for parenting and for leadership in general. I look forward to the discussion of these practical steps at our seder table. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteGreat story for Pesach and much appreciated. Thanks and hag sameach.
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