# Over, Under, Around, or Through! | Gary Cantrell | TEDxVeroBeach Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FBvBslpWAPQ Recap page: https://rapidrecap.app/video/FBvBslpWAPQ Generated: 2026-01-22T18:04:17.198+00:00 --- ## Quick Overview Gary Cantrell, the organizer of extreme endurance races like the Barkley Marathons, argues that failure is vital for success, emphasizing that children should not be shielded from adversity, and that opportunities must be actively created rather than waited for, illustrating this philosophy through his own experiences organizing races that attract thousands of participants globally. **Key Points:** - The road to success is paved with failure, and children should not be shielded from adversity or failure. - If a team hasn't lost a game, they do not know how to be a better team; losing is vital for growth. - Opportunities do not just happen; they must be created, leading Cantrell to start his own race organization after being fired from his accounting job in 2011. - Cantrell started his running business by organizing races that required participants to carry gear, later creating the virtual race format during COVID-19. - The virtual race across Tennessee (1000km) attracted 20,000 entries from 78 countries and donated $500,000 to food banks and animal shelters. - Cantrell ultimately found his niche in organizing these extreme races, which he enjoyed more than his previous accounting career, despite the financial risk. - The core message is encapsulated in the mantra: 'Don't waste time fretting about what you cannot do, think of what you can do.' ![Screenshot at 00:05: Gary Cantrell, identified by the text overlay as 'GARY CANTRELL \(LAZARUS LAKE\),' stands on stage at TEDxVeroBeach, emphasizing his opening point that 'The road to success is paved with failure.'](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/FBvBslpWAPQ/00-00-05.jpg) **Context:** Gary Cantrell, known as 'Lazarus Lake,' is the founder and director of several extreme endurance running events, most famously the Barkley Marathons. In this TEDxVeroBeach talk, Cantrell shares his perspective on the necessity of failure, the importance of creating one's own opportunities, and how these principles guided him from being an accountant to becoming a successful race organizer, particularly during the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. ## Detailed Analysis Gary Cantrell begins by asserting that the path to success requires embracing failure, stating that no one should be shielded from adversity, and that teams only improve after losing. He applies this to life by saying that if you do what you have always done, you will always get what you have always got, implying that stagnation results from avoiding setbacks. Cantrell shares his personal turning point: being fired from his accounting job in 2011, which he realized was actually a 'blessing in disguise' because it forced him to pursue what he was truly good at—organizing endurance running events. He recounts his early attempts to create races, noting that he tried to create opportunities rather than wait for them to appear. He specifically mentions creating races that incorporated carrying gear and later, during COVID-19, creating a virtual race across Tennessee (1000km) which garnered 20,000 entries from 78 countries and raised $500,000 for food banks and animal shelters. He contrasts this success with his earlier self-doubt, realizing he was built for this endurance niche, not traditional sports like football. He concludes by urging the audience to focus on what they *can* do rather than what they cannot, summarizing that new beginnings are often disguised as painful endings, and that he finally found his place in the endurance running community. ### The Value of Failure - The road to success is paved with failure - Children should not be spared adversity - Teams improve after losing games ### Creating Opportunities - If you do what you have always done, you will get what you have always got - Cantrell was fired in 2011, which he realized was a blessing in disguise, prompting him to start his race organization. ### The Virtual Race Success (COVID Era) - The virtual race across Tennessee (1000km) attracted 20,000 entries from 78 countries and generated $500,000 in donations. ### Finding One's Place - Cantrell realized his true calling was in organizing extreme endurance races, not traditional team sports, and he actively built this career. ### Concluding Philosophy - Don't waste time fretting about what you cannot do; think of what you can do - New beginnings are often disguised as painful endings. ![Screenshot at 00:16: The slide explicitly states the talk's central theme: "The road to success is paved with failure."](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/FBvBslpWAPQ/00-00-16.jpg) ![Screenshot at 01:04: A slide presents the proverb: "if you do what you have always done, you will get what you have always got."](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/FBvBslpWAPQ/00-01-04.jpg) ![Screenshot at 01:38: A slide displays the quote: "you can be whatever you want to be."](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/FBvBslpWAPQ/00-01-38.jpg) ![Screenshot at 03:34: A slide emphasizes proactivity: "opportunities don't just happen, you have to create them."](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/FBvBslpWAPQ/00-03-34.jpg) ![Screenshot at 13:56: A graphic slide shows the logos of several extreme endurance races Cantrell organizes, including 'The Barkley Marathons' and the statistics from the virtual race \(20,000 entries, 78 countries, $500,000 donated\).](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/FBvBslpWAPQ/00-13-56.jpg)