I believe in the power of sport, of fitness, of every kind of sweaty pursuit. I believe in its power to bring the best of out of each of us. Not to say that if you don't exercise you are less of a person or worthy of anything less. What I do know is that how you do anything is how you do everything. When we choose to get out of bed in the morning for whatever sweaty pursuit: triathlon training, walking the dog, following along to that 30min DVD routine in the basement, jogging on a nearby trail or going to Orangetheory Fitness -- we make time for ourselves so that we can truly show up to whatever else our day requires. And we all know how busy life can get.
My journey to the sport of triathlon is not like most people I know or idolize. Unlike most of my training partners, I didn't grow up playing a sport. I tried several sports growing up and stayed with each just long enough not to develop any real talent. It wasn't until college when I committed to rowing crew that sport became a way of life for me. I learned that consistency & mindset, above all else, is what creates an athlete. 2017 will mark 10 years since I've stepped foot in a racing shell, but those two qualities of sport are still truer than ever. In the 10 years since my first triathlon, I've made my fair share of training & racing mistakes. I've been on the podium & near last place. But I've lived to line up on another start line & I've fallen more in love with feeling alive while pushing beyond pre-conceived boundaries.
I am also privileged enough to be a witness to transformations through fitness on a daily basis & it is what fuels me. The common denominator of them all: these sweaty souls consistently choose to commit to themselves, regardless of the weather, their to-do lists, family or work stress. Thriving amidst the chaos. Ya feel me?
Committing your whole self to the steady consistency & positive mindset is what yields results, on and off the race course or in and out of the gym. Everyday is another opportunity to create your best life. It is merely a series of choices that begins with what gets you out of bed in the morning.
I owe 2016 a deep bow of gratitude for bringing the best out of me on the race course. Because those revelations extended far beyond the finish line (see above: how you do anything is how you do everything). I made new kinds of commitments to myself at the start of this year; ones that included lofty goals and oh-so-radical aspects of self- love. I'm proud to say this year opened my eyes to a new definition of possibility.
In 2017 my hope is that you will all be the facilitators of your own dreams & everything you want out of this one life you're given. Uncover your own magic. The help of co-facilitators along the way is what makes an experience that much sweeter, but don't wait on someone to choose you. Choose yourself.
Cheers to the final days of what's possible in 2016 & the darn sweatiest 2017!
XO.
V
