It’s National Underdog Day; a day I’ve been looking forward to since September. I can practically see the confusion on your face as you question why I’ve been excited about this day for three months, so I’ll just get right to it.
You don’t have to look far to find sports headlines or movies centered on the concept of underdogs and for good reason. Not only is it a sensational plotline, but it often feels deeply personal since we’ve all had the odds stacked against us at some point. Couple this with an innate desire for the world to be just and fair, and it makes it incredibly difficult to root against an underdog.
If you saw my tweet earlier this week, then you know that the notion of underdogs has resonated with me for as long as I can remember. In thinking back, my connection to underdogs likely started with my Greek immigrant parents. Often enough, I felt displaced among my friends at elementary school. Not because I was excluded or outcast, but because I was simply different from those around me. My parents couldn’t read or write English, and that left me feeling like I was at a slight disadvantage.
Fast forward to college, and while I was excelling at football, my grades were subpar at best. Thanks to the help of one incredible professor, we uncovered that I was dyslexic. Again, I wasn’t treated any differently from those around me, but rather internally, I felt that academics and learning would be slightly harder for me than for the average person.
Then, of course, there’s Medix. We opened Medix’s first office in late December of 2001, right in the middle of a recession. In our 21 years of business, we’ve faced many obstacles, but none more challenging than the COVID-19 pandemic. Our values, purpose, and grit have helped us overcome all the adversity we’ve faced, but I’d be lying if the underdog mentality wasn’t triggered every time a new hindrance arose.
But this post isn’t about me or Medix’s Cinderella story. There’s a whole book for that being released in the Spring of 2023! Instead, this post is about all the underdogs out there. It’s about anyone who has had to overcome adversity to get where they are today. Anyone who, against all odds, found a way to succeed when they likely shouldn’t have. Today is a day to recognize those who, with their backs against the wall, found the fire within and refused to lose. Today we celebrate YOU and all YOUR accomplishments! Happy National Underdog Day!