Sports are in my soul. That's what drives me.

Craig Sager once declared, “Sports are in my soul. That’s what drives me.” These words, simple yet powerful, speak not of a pastime or a profession, but of something far deeper—an eternal fire within. To say that something is in the soul is to place it at the center of one’s being, the core of identity, the wellspring from which courage, joy, and perseverance flow. For Sager, known for his bright suits and brighter spirit as a legendary sports reporter, this was no idle phrase. It was the truth of his existence: the games he covered were not only his work, but the very force that sustained his life.

In every age, the ancients honored that which “drove the soul.” The Greeks spoke of thumos, the spirited drive within men and women that urged them toward action, honor, and purpose. The Romans praised animus, the animating spirit that gave a person strength beyond flesh. When Sager said that sports were in his soul, he was aligning himself with this timeless idea: that greatness comes when one is not moved by external rewards alone, but by an inner compulsion, a sacred passion that no force can extinguish.

His own life stands as proof of this truth. During his battle with cancer, when his body was weakened by relentless treatments, Sager did not withdraw from the world of sport. Instead, he stood on the sidelines, microphone in hand, his body frail but his spirit fierce. His colorful jackets became banners of defiance, declarations that though flesh may falter, the soul’s passion endures. In those moments, he embodied his own words. Sports were not just around him—they lived within him, and that inner fire drove him to continue, even against the shadow of death.

History gives us other echoes of this same spirit. Consider the tale of Pheidippides, the Greek messenger who ran from Marathon to Athens to deliver word of victory. Though his body failed him at the end, his soul was aflame with duty, and that fire drove him beyond mortal limits. Or think of Wilma Rudolph, who overcame polio as a child to become an Olympic champion. The body was once weak, but the soul was strong, and that inner strength propelled her to glory. Both, like Sager, lived by the truth that what dwells in the soul cannot be extinguished, no matter the trials of the flesh.

The emotional weight of Sager’s words lies in their universality. Not all are athletes, not all reporters, not all destined for arenas and stadiums. Yet all can know what it means to have something in the soul that drives them—a craft, a calling, a love, a purpose. Without it, life becomes aimless, a ship drifting on calm seas with no wind in its sails. With it, even storms cannot break you, for the force within is greater than the obstacles without.

For the seeker of wisdom, the lesson is clear: discover what lives in your soul, and let it drive you. Do not mistake hobbies for passions, nor fleeting desires for eternal callings. Listen deeply within, as Sager did, until you know the fire that sustains you. Then, nurture it, protect it, and allow it to guide your path. For when your soul is aflame with purpose, every hardship becomes bearable, and every triumph becomes radiant with meaning.

What then must we do? Each day, ask yourself: what is in my soul? What is it that makes me rise in the morning with energy, or face the evening with peace? Once you know it, give yourself to it fully. Do not be half-hearted, for the soul does not thrive on lukewarm devotion. Instead, live boldly, as Sager did, and let your passion be visible in all you do, so that others may be inspired by the flame you carry.

Thus Craig Sager’s words stand as a timeless teaching: let your soul, not the world, be your driver. For when your soul is filled with passion—whether it be for sport, art, service, or love—no illness, no hardship, no trial can extinguish you. The body may weaken, but the soul, once set aflame, drives you to live fully, and to leave behind a legacy that outlives death itself.