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Here is a great example of how a simple idea can turn into a monumental event. Have you ever heard of the Ironman Triathlon? Today, this event is covered by all of the major television networks and Sports Illustrated. But, it wasn’t always so popular. In fact, the event is only 21 years old and it started out so small, that no one knew about it.

Back in 1978, a man named John Collins was at an awards ceremony with some friends, and they got into a heated debate about which athlete was in better shape, a runner or a swimmer. Collins proposed that cyclists were in fact in the best physical shape, and from that conversation sparked an idea in his mind that made history. Collins proposed the idea of a race that began with a 2.4 mile swim, then moved onto a 112 mile bike ride and ended with a 26.2 mile run, and all of it would happen in Honolulu, Hawaii, where he lived. The race that he envisioned would be a little over 140 miles in total.

On February 18, 1978, 15 people showed up for the race including Collins. The winner finished in 11 hours, 46 minutes and 58 seconds making him the first Ironman in history. The next year, a reporter for Sports Illustrated happened to be covering a golf tournament and read a little blurb in the local paper about the Ironman Triathlon. He decided to watch the race and wrote a story about it. This story brought national attention to John Collin’s little idea. Soon, people from all over the world were writing Collins letters telling him they wanted to enter the race. The ABC network even called him and asked if they could cover it. He believed it to be a boring race to watch on TV, but they thought differently. In fact, the news coverage turned the race into a respected annual sporting event.

The Ironman Triathlon is challenging both mentally and physically, but people come back every year to participate. In 1987, a man named Michael Fiscus qualified for the race, but while training for it was hit by a car and suffered brain damage. He received a lot of therapy, but couldn’t remember how to do the simplest things like tying his shoes. One day, he was put in a swimming pool and his memories of the Ironman training came flooding back into his brain. This became his goal, and four years later in 1991, he entered the race again. After 16 hours, he crossed the finish line with 20,000 people cheering him on. It was the Ironman race that drove him to succeed and will continue to drive people to conquer this grueling race.

So, remember, your ideas are valuable and if you act upon them, they could have a lasting effect on the world!