It was tragic in every sense of the word.

On Friday, Feb. 12, 2010, Olympic luger Nodar Kumaritashvili was killed after crashing during a training run. It was only hours before the start of the opening ceremonies of the Olympic Games.

Kumaritashvili, who was supposed to compete this past Saturday, was only 21.

The situation is cruelly ironic; imagine working your whole life for something only to miss it by such a short window.

I have been a runner for 10 years and while I am admittedly not in contention for the Olympics anytime soon, I have worked my way through countless goals.

Recently, I completed my first marathon, something that taught me a whole lot about achievement and perseverance.

That, however, pales in comparison to the hard work and dedication of Olympians.

I can't imagine losing all of that in one moment.

As an athlete, I seek inspiration and motivation from whatever sources possible. You can't achieve these goals with pure athletic abilities alone.

Kumaritashvili's story is epicly tragic, but that doesn't mean he should be forgotten. Use him as inspiration to push yourself, to not let age or any other limitation stop you from getting what you want.

I was told that I couldn't complete a marathon or else I'd risk never running again. I did attempt the marathon and, thankfully, I successfully finished it, but I know I couldn't have done it without having the influence of other athletes upon which to reflect.

Now as I start to train for marathon number two, I look upon people like Kumaritashvili to remind me to keep going.

To be perfectly honest, I had never heard of Nodar Kumaritashvili before Friday night; I don't think that most of the world knew him. That does not, however, make his story any less influential.

I try to see the glass half full and while I am in no way trying to claim that Kumaritashvili's death was fortunate, I believe that it shouldn't be in vain.

I look at Kumaritashvili as someone who is my age, yet who accomplished so much. If he can do that, what is stopping me from beating my previous marathon time, or even challenging myself to do more?

Kumaritashvili's untimely death is just another reminder that life is short. Don't wait to try to achieve life goals. While most students on campus celebrate their 21st birthdays with parties, I woke up at 3 a.m. to run a marathon.

Do I regret missing my inaugural weekend at the bars?

Not one bit.

If anything, I can't wait to do it again. One thing all athletes share is the desire to physically test the limits. Kumaritashvili did this or else he never would have made it to the Olympic Games.

While London 2012 is not written in the stars for me, I do have aspirations to become a stronger runner.

And people like Kumaritashvili? Thanks for helping me along the way.