Space exploration is full of obstacles –
and so is life.
I’ve faced plenty of them.
I’m Joshua Kutryk,
Canadian Space Agency astronaut.
I always dreamed of flying.
At 15, I applied for a scholarship
to get my glider pilot’s licence.
I trained hard for it, studied for weeks…
but I didn’t get it.
At the time I was crushed.
But I got back up.
A few years later, I got selected
to attend the Royal Military College
but not as a pilot.
I was again extremely disappointed.
I studied engineering by day,
but I trained as a pilot by night.
Eventually, in my final year
I had the opportunity to re-apply
to the pilot program
and this time, I got in.
I went on to become a fighter pilot.
Then came astronaut selection.
The toughest challenge yet.
Tests, interviews, pressure –
over an entire year.
I tried in 2008 and 2009,
made the finals… but I was cut.
That one really hurt.
I can remember to this day
that sense of disappointment.
It felt to me like the world had ended.
But I kept going – built
my career, earned more degrees.
I grew.
In 2016, the Canadian Space Agency
opened applications again.
I jumped back in – nervous,
but determined –
and went through the whole process
all over again.
And I made it.
Perseverance isn’t about never failing.
It is about refusing to stop.
Whatever your goal is – keep on going.
You never know how close
you are to breaking through.