Race the Horse You’re On!
- Jovy Lodder
- Jul 9
- 3 min read
Five days into my 3,140km run across China, after only 300km, my legs were badly swollen.
The doctor looked at my legs, shook his head, and said:
"You should stop."
I still had nearly 3,000km to go.
At that moment, stopping would have been the logical decision. But I had a purpose that mattered more than the pain.
So I kept moving.
The real test came later.
When I reached 1,000km, everyone around me was celebrating. It was a huge milestone, and from the outside it probably looked like things were going well.
Inside, I was struggling badly.
My legs were swollen, I was in serious pain, and that night I lay in bed exhausted thinking:
"How am I going to do another day of this?"
I still had more than 2,000km ahead of me. That was the closest I came to quitting during the entire journey.
Then something unexpected happened. The next morning I woke up and the swelling had disappeared. My body had adapted. And I realised something powerful:
I wasn't running because it was comfortable. I was running because I had a purpose.
I had made a promise to a lot of people, especially the children following the journey. I wasn't just running for myself anymore. The mission had become bigger than my discomfort.
That's when the phrase that now sits at the centre of my High-Performance Keynote on Resilience became crystal clear:
Race the horse you're on.
In life, business, and leadership, we rarely get perfect conditions. We get the horse that's in front of us.
Sometimes you're tired.
Sometimes you're hurting.
Sometimes the road ahead looks far longer than you imagined.
The winning move isn't waiting for a better horse. The winning move is learning to ride the one you've got.
During the run, I stopped focusing on the full 3,140km. I broke each day into small stages. One step. One checkpoint. One conversation. One kilometre at a time.
Deal with what's in front of you, but keep moving toward the bigger goal.
I've seen the same principle in every arena I've been part of:
Stepping into a boxing ring for the first time.
Riding as a professional jockey with the weight of the yard, owners, and punters on my shoulders.
Leading a 3,140km run where thousands of people were following the journey and counting on me to finish.
Building businesses where plans change, markets shift, and pressure arrives whether you're ready or not.
The people who succeed aren't always the ones with the best conditions. They're the ones who adapt, get good advice, stay connected to their purpose, and keep taking the next step.
That's what "Race the Horse You're On" is really about.
Not blind persistence.
Not ignoring reality.
But learning how to move forward when circumstances aren't ideal.
As a high-performance keynote speaker, I help leaders and teams build resilience, develop mental toughness, and create a winning mindset that thrives under pressure. Whether you are navigating organisational change, facing market uncertainty, or chasing ambitious growth targets, this keynote gives you the practical tools and real mindset shifts you need to succeed.
Because success rarely comes from waiting for the perfect moment. It usually comes from taking the next step with what you've got.got.
Jo ignites audiences - leaving them inspired, energized, and buzzing with renewed purpose.
📩 I'd love to bring "Race the Horse You're On" to your next leadership offsite, conference, or company event.
📱 +852 6084 0073
One question for you:
What's one situation right now where you or your team need to race the horse you're on?
Looking forward to hearing your thoughts.
Jo Lodder
High-Performance Keynote Speaker | Resilience & Leadership | Motivational Speaker
Serving clients in Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Dubai (Middle East), Australia, the UK, and the USA.
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