Way back in the 1968 Olympics, Bob Beamon set a longjump record that many thought would never be broken, but eventually it was. A young boxer named George Foremen won a gold medal and paraded around the ring with an American flag, instilling pride in many Americans. But, one athlete named John Stephen Akhwari from Tanzania, a marathon runner, probably made the longest lasting impression on people during those Olympics.
While he was running his race, he stumbled and fell, severely injuring his knee and ankle. After receiving first aid, he did what no one expected and he got back in the race. Long after everyone else had finished and left, he limped into the near empty stadium to the cheers of a small crowd that was still there and he finished his final lap.
When asked why he continued the race after he was so badly hurt with no chance to win he replied: "My country did not send me 7,000 miles to begin a race - they sent me to finish the race".

Do each of you accept responsibility to finish a task when you start one or do you take the easy way out when the going gets tough? Do you keep your promises when you make them, even the ones you make to yourself? A man who doesn't keep his word will not be respected and will not be trusted. What kind of man does each of you want to be remembered as?