JUSTIN LANGER: Nothing worthwhile was ever achieved in a comfort zone

Comfort is seductive. It whispers: “Stay safe. Don’t risk it.”

But nothing worthwhile was ever achieved in a comfort zone.

There’s always a moment that separates dreamers from doers. It’s not talent. It’s not luck. It’s the moment someone looks fear in the eye and says: “I’m doing this anyway.”

Catching up with rugby league’s legendary coach Trent Robinson this week, he told me about completing the Kokoda Trail with a group of his Sydney Roosters’ players last month.

“There were so many reasons why we shouldn’t have done it. It would have been easy to cancel the trek and pull out before we started, but instead we honoured our commitment,” he said.

“I am so glad we did. As tough as it was, I learned so much about myself and my players. It was a wonderful experience.”

I’ve spent my life around elite athletes. I’ve seen champions rise and fall. There are graveyards full of untapped potential; gifted people who haven’t had the steel, drive or focus to fulfill their dreams.

When asked about what separates the best from the rest, my simple reply revolves around hunger and the willingness to be comfortable being uncomfortable.

The preparedness to look fear in the eye and have a crack, knowing one way or another, it is going to hurt along the way.

Recently I met a young Australian who epitomises all the qualities of an inspirational leader.

Om Satija, a 22-year-old physiotherapy student, is now into day 11 of a 5000 kilometre run across India.

His goal is to run around 50 kilometres a day, across 14 Indian states, competing against the heat, traffic, mountainous roads and — as much as anything — himself.

The courage required for this journey is staggering. We’re not talking about a marathon — we’re talking about running more than a marathon a day for three-and-a-half months. The physical toll will be immense.

Courage isn’t the absence of fear; it’s moving forward despite it.

When my mate Pat Farmer first told me about Om, I thought here’s another young bloke with a wild idea.

No one knows better than Pat that ideas are easy, it’s following them up that is the biggest challenge. His ultra-marathon pursuits over the years have been breath-taking.

I was intrigued to hear of this crazy plan and within minutes of speaking to Om, it was very clear that this wasn’t about just about adventure or social media posts, this was about something deeper.

His quest was about vision, connection and a cyclonic drive to help other people.

Individual vision is the starting and ending point of achievement. It’s the target that keeps a person moving. It’s what gets you out of bed in the morning. It’s what helps you bounce back when things go wrong.

In Om’s case, his dream will be the thing that drives one foot in front of the other when his body and mind are screaming for him to stop.

What was once a half-serious suggestion from his brother, has now grown into a life-changing mission.

Like anyone, Om could have laughed it off and stayed living in his comfortable life. Instead, his first step to growing the seed planted by his brother, was to drive overnight to meet Farmer. He slept in his car and showed up at 5:30am ready to learn.

What started as a casual interest, quickly transformed into the hunger and commitment required to now accomplish something special.

The question that runs deep in every dream is why we do it. The WHY is crucial.

Listening to Om’s story, I was struck by the reason why he’s running across India.

This wasn’t just a bucket-list tick. When he was 10, crossing a bridge in Rishikesh, he saw people suffering from leprosy. Forgotten, invisible, neglected, that image was burned into his soul.

Years later, he visited Udayan Kolkata, a school for children from leprosy-affected families. Udayan is full of bright, beautiful kids, full of potential, but trapped by a stigma.

Every kilometre Om runs will support these children. Every blister, every moment of doubt, every sunrise run he ran before work in preparation, all serves something bigger than himself.

There is something powerful being able to harness your gift and passion for the service of someone else. Om reflects this at 22 better than most do in a lifetime.

What inspires me is how Om represents a new generation of young Australians. Kids from all backgrounds who don’t just talk about making a difference, they act. They serve. They build.

We so often hear of a culture of complaint and entitlement, but young people like Om are the antidote to these perceptions.

Starting nearly a fortnight ago from Kanyakumari, Om will run north through Bangalore, Vizag, Kolkata, Agra, Delhi, and finally to Srinagar. By May he hopes to be done. The route itself is daunting, let alone the mission.

Om isn’t chasing records or recognition. He’s chasing transformation. He wants to discover who he becomes when comfort vanishes, when his body breaks down, and when the only thing left is the promise he made to himself.

That’s real courage. That’s vision in action.

The other thing Om’s mission reminds me of is the power of connection. It is said in life it’s not what you know, but rather, who you know. There is truth in this. Connection is powerful and at times helpful.

When Pat Farmer asked me to speak with Om, I couldn’t get on the phone fast enough.

From there I spoke to Steve Waugh, who is one of the founders of Udayan in Kolkata.

In 2001, Steve took the Australian cricket team to visit the school and home for children whose family suffer from leprosy. Without doubt, this was one of the most moving experiences of my life. Twenty five year later and a 22-year-old Australian boy is running across India raising funds for the same organisation. Go figure.

I was able to connect Om to Matthew Hayden, an ambassador and director of Mahindra Motor Vehicles Australia. They soon sponsored the cause.

Through the process I introduced him to Josh Ferguson, another remarkable young man I have written about before. They are now bonded by the complexities of ultra-marathon running and support each other through the toughest parts of the journey.

The point is that life is like a big jigsaw puzzle, and the best leaders I have met build their life puzzle, not just with experiences, but also with people.

They have the wisdom and courage to treat others with kindness and respect and because of that, they tend to receive equal amounts of unexpected opportunity in return.

I feel blessed to meet people like Om Satija. He is a real-life example of what Theodore Roosevelt said: “It’s about being the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; striving valiantly.”

By daring greatly, this young Australian is not only living that quote, but he is also inspiring thousands along the way through his deeds.

Every great journey begins with a single step. But it’s vision that determines where that step leads. Om has chosen service over self. Courage over comfort. Connection over isolation.

That’s not just inspiring. That’s transformational.