Happy Friday!
How was your long weekend? Hopefully full of fun and activity!
If you’ve read any of my messages, you know I believe strongly in the power of sport and recreation to positively transform your life.
This past weekend I have been honoured to spend time with my wife’s aunt who is in town competing in the Canadian Masters National Swimming Championships.
In fact, I’m at the pool right now cheering her on during the final day of competition. The experience my family and I have had this weekend prompted me to write this post.
While at the event, it has been fantastic to see the athletes compete, but the thing that impacted me most was the atmosphere of support, encouragement, and joy of competition the athletes exhibited.
Being a national championship, there were obviously some great swimmers competing, but you can find that at any sporting event.
The great things about this Masters competition were the massive range in ages and abilities, as well as the atmosphere. These swimmers were here because they love their sport and were excited to compete.
They didn’t have to be here. They came at their own expense from all across the country, taking time away from work (for those who were still working) and family.
What does it mean to be “old”?
Every competitor had to be over 40, but there were many people in their 80’s and 90’s, with the oldest lady being 97 years old!
Now, the 97 year old wasn’t very fast, but think about it…
She is 97 and travelled on her own across the country to compete in a national swim meet. She competed in multiple events over the three days, and finished them all with great energy and enthusiasm.
It was inspiring to witness. The cool part is, she actually had multiple people competing in her age group!
My wife’s aunt is 68 years old, and a “spring chicken” by comparison. She’s been doing great in her events, and my kids were excited to see the medals she’s won.
As a shout out to her hard work and dedication, we are proud to say that she won several medals, including a couple gold, and is officially a national champion in her age category.
WooHoo! Pretty darn good for a kid of 68 years!
A Message for Your Future Self…
When you think ahead, will your future self be able to do things like this?
I’m not suggesting that you need to be competing in national swimming competitions as a nonagenarian.
My point is for you to think about how you are setting yourself up for future success.
Will you be active, enjoying life, experiencing new adventures, socializing and excited about your future?
One thing I enjoyed while spectating at the pool was hearing all of the young families in the stands cheering “GO GRANDMA!” Or “GREAT WORK GRANDPA!”.
I thought it was awesome that kids and grandkids were cheering for their parents/grandparents at a sporting event. We need more of this in today’s world.
With the negative slide in activity levels, health, wellness, and stress across the world, events like this show us a future that’s bright and worth living.
Remember that what we do today directly impacts our future results (positively or negatively).
The small daily activities and habits we have sow the seeds that grow into our future accomplishments.
The great news is that you don’t have to be (or even want to be) an athlete to start improving your future prospects.
Many people mistakenly believe that if they haven’t been (or aren’t) fit by a certain age, that it’s too late.
My wife’s aunt didn’t swim for 45 years, and decided to get back in the pool later in life. She’s found a community of great people, and is loving the experience of training, competition, and feeling better than she has in decades.
What Does this Mean for You?
The most important part of the process is to simply decide that you want your future self to be healthier, happier, and more physically capable.
This state opens the door to success in so many other areas of life.
So, if you’ve been thinking about “losing a few pounds”, or “getting into shape”, I strongly encourage you to look closer at WHY you want these things?
Is it simply to fit into your designer pair of jeans, or is there a bigger purpose?
The bigger purpose will help you put your journey into perspective, provide more joy, and make it much more likely that you will fit into those jeans over the long term!
For me, I want to be able to experience all kinds of fun adventures across the world with my wife, children, and future grandchildren.
I want to be a role model for them and be able to keep up with them as they grow up.
I want to age with dignity, grace, and to navigate life on my own terms.
Sure, I realize that there will be some things outside my control. However, it’s important for me to take ownership of the things I DO have control over.
Next time you find yourself in this situation, I encourage you to step back, take a deeper look at what’s important to you, and what you want your future self to be like.
This includes the mindset, habits, and daily actions that will determine my health, happiness, and fitness over the rest of my (hopefully long and vibrant) life.
This is what drives me to stay active.
People often struggle to motivate themselves to exercise. Experience has taught me that these situations are a sign that the person doesn’t have a purpose or strong reason to be exercising.
Here’s an image that I’ve used in many of my presentations. It’s always a good one to spark internal contemplation. Hopefully it helps create the spark of change in your life.
If you are ready to take control of your future health and fitness, I would love to help. Just email or call to see what that might look like for you. Committed to Your Health, Happiness, and Performance.
Tim Borys
Author, Speak, Coach, CEO
FRESH! Wellness Group
P.S. Would you like a free coaching session? I’m opening up a few pro bono spots to chat with people who’ve never worked with me before.
No strings attached. Just email and we will set up a time. First people to message get the spots.