Why “all of it”?

In 1999, when I was a freshman in college, I came down with the flu and was sidelined in my dorm for a few days. During these extended midday couch sessions, I happened to find the channel showing Jeopardy! reruns. I didn’t know a lot of the answers, but after those first few episodes I started watching the trivia show on a daily basis. Fast forward to 2006 to Clermont, Florida. My long-time friend, Blake Becker, and I were training there for several months and each evening we would watch the show during dinner. If one of us got the correct answer to final Jeopardy! then the other person would have to do the dishes. Each time a contestant would hit the Daily Double and Alex would ask how much they wanted to wager we would always say “all of it!”

My penchant for Jeopardy! continued over the years and many of my friends knew that I was (and still am) a fan of the show. One day someone asked me if I try to learn things that will help me do better at the show. I told her that it’s actually the other way around. Watching the show repeatedly inspires me to learn more; whether I know nothing or a lot of the topic at hand. 

The name “all of it” is a tribute to seeking out things in the world that inspire us to better ourselves. Whether in the world of athletics, or otherwise, the desire to grow and evolve is the common ground.

-Justin Daerr