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It’s funny how life can come at you full circle, only to remind you how fragile it is. 

It was 15 years ago when I wrote a story on a 12-year old power lifter in Austin named Storm Draayer, who was following in his father’s footsteps in power lifting. Storm’s dad Christian was a big source for the story and he couldn’t have been prouder of his young son, who was setting lifting records for his age bracket.

Unfortunately, Christian passed away recently, but not before our paths crossed again. 

A year or so ago, I was working my morning shift at the Austin YMCA for my other job when I noticed a man in his 50s who was lifting more weight than most anyone I’d see come in on a regular basis. 

I did not recognize the man until one of his workout buddies told me the man was named Christian Draayer and I immediately recalled my past interactions with him.

Christian had managed TJ’s Gym for years and he was also a fixture in the community as a taxi cab driver. In recent years, he had donated some weight lifting equipment from TJ’s gym to the YMCA.

That equipment will be useful to generations to come, but even bigger than the donation was Christian’s spirit. He would offer advice to anyone who wanted it and he was willing to push himself and his weight lifting buddies to their limit in the name of excellence.

When looking back at Christian’s impacts, big and small, it’s important to realize that not everyone who contributes to society gets a hero’s reception or a fancy award. Sometimes it’s the person in the background who is doing the little things that drive others to self improvement.