Carrying On: The Superhuman Achievement
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“Sometimes, carrying on, just carrying on, is the superhuman achievement.” — Albert Camus
In this week's edition, I want to explore two superhuman cases of just “carrying on”. Now, the world is full of amazing human beings and incredible stories of perseverance. There are so many to choose from, but below are two of my favourites. There were so many others I could have chosen, so I will mention a few of my favourites at the end.
For each of these men, they were told it's over. That they had to stop, that it couldn't be done. And yet each of them found a way to carry on and overcome.
Vinny Pazienza: Broken Neck, Unbroken Spirit
In 1991, Vinny “The Pazmanian Devil” Pazienza was at the height of his career. A world champion boxer with the speed, grit, and swagger to match. Then on November 12, 1991, he was involved in a horrific car crash that shattered two vertebrae in his neck. The first thing he asked when he came to consciousness on the operating table was, "How long until I can fight again?"
Doctors told him he might never walk again, let alone box.
Vinny's response was iconic.
"No doc, you don't understand what kind of man I am."
This was shown in the Hollywood production Bleed for This (where Vinny was played by Miles Teller).
Vinny Paz training with a halo to keep his spine in place.
For most, that would have been the end. A cruel, abrupt final chapter.
But Vinny refused to accept it. Against his doctors orders and with a halo brace drilled into his skull, he began training again. First he started light, just moving his arms and doing some shadowboxing. Then he progressed to lifting weights, sweating through pain and doubt.
When, three months later, he returned to the doctors to have the halo removed, they were astonished at his physical condition.
Fast forward a little over a year later, he not only returned to boxing, he also regained his world title, in what New York Magazine dubbed the “most unlikely comeback in sports history”.
Vinny Paz regains his world title.
Carrying on when carrying on seemed impossible—that was his victory.
Enrico Toti: One Leg, Endless Courage
This person may not have been a “martial artist” or a professional fighter. But his achievements embody everything I believe martial arts teach and stand for. Courage. Discipline. Dedication. Grit. Duty.
Enrico Toti was an Italian cyclist in the early 20th century. After joining the navy at 15 (illegally), he came back and began working for the local railway company, building tracks across Italy. One day, whilst at work, he suffered a horrific accident that crushed the majority of his left leg.
Rushed to hospital, the doctors were forced to amputate, but given it was the early 1900s and medicine not being quite what it is today, the local funeral home built his casket before he'd even died, and the doctors told his family to prepare for the “worst”.
But Enrico had a childhood dream he'd never gotten around to doing. He wanted to cycle around Europe on a bike, something he was saving up for.
How could he possibly achieve that now on one leg?
Using his engineering skills, he modified his bike, giving it one pedal and adjusting the dynamics to counter for the extra weight on one side.
Every day he practised, first around his parents' house, trying to balance, to cycle slowly, until pretty soon he could cycle around the village.
Enrico Toti.
From there he cycled across Europe, Russia and even North Africa before he was turned away at the Sudanese border by the British at the outbreak of WW1.
He immediately volunteered for the Italian army but was rejected on account of having only one leg, despite his terrific achievements.
Undeterred, he cycled his way to the frontlines, joining a bicycle unit that was attached to the Bersaglieri, Italy's elite mountain troops. When he was fatally wounded in battle, he famously threw his crutch at the enemy in a final act of defiance.
Enrico Toti throwing his crutch at the enemy as he screamed “Io Non Moro Mai”—I Will Never Die.
As he did, his purported last words were "Io Non Moro Mai" which translated means "I Will Never Die". In a way, I imagine he was talking about his spirit. But no doubt that was his way of showing he's carrying on, even to the very last breath.
"They said my life was over. That I was good for nothing now that I was a cripple. But they were wrong. My life was just beginning..." — Enrico Toti
Why This Matters to Us
Most of us won’t fight for world titles or throw our crutch in the face of an enemy. But we do face our own moments of collapse:
The job loss that rattles your identity.
The heartbreak that makes getting out of bed feel impossible.
The quiet, daily grind of pain, illness, or doubt.
And in those moments, Camus’ words remind us: carrying on is the achievement. Not winning, not glory, not applause. Just showing up, one more day, one more round.
That choice, in itself, is a superhuman achievement.
Until then, keep fighting to flourish. Oss.
P.S. I mentioned other stories that are also inspirational. Honourable mentions are:
Nick Newell, the one-armed fighter who defied odds to become a world champion.
George Foreman for becoming the oldest heavyweight champion in Boxing history after coming out of retirement at 46.
Michael Bisping for losing an eye in a fight and still going on to win a UFC middleweight championship.
There are many. These are just a few.