"I have been in sports and athletics all my life. I played the typical teams sports, however, I excelled in the endurance sports, culminating in qualify for the Boston Marathon, six times.
Marathon training was taking a hard toll on my body so I started to add weight training to build more endurance strength for the longer and harder. This was in my mid to late 30’s.
An injury at 41 forced me to be side lined and my running and racing career was over. I did take up bike racing to get that competition and speed rush.
One day I was looking in the mirror before heading out on ride and really didn’t understand how could still look like the skinny geeky kid from high school. I was in phenomenal shape, cardiovascularly speaking with a resting heart rate of 37, but very little muscle definition.
At 45, I joined a gym for the first time and started lifting weights, with a purpose. So that I didn’t hurt myself, I started reading anything and everything about weight lifting I could and really focused in on technique. My passion for running and cycling was now being overtaken by my passion to lift.
At 50 my wife asked me if I wanted to do a Physic Show. (Dang, women can read your mind.) Within six months I was on stage at my first competition, nervous at first, but talking with the other competitors, most of whom were half my age, I decided that this was going to be something fun and enjoyable. I have only done the one competition but want to be an example for the younger generation and redefine the definition of “old”.
I have been lifting and training for 13 years and can say it has changed my life. Where ever I go, I walk with confidence. I have much younger people get completely blow away when I tell them my age. I’ve had a few wives elbow their husbands and say “I want you to look like that."
People think I must be gifted or talented to see the gains and changes weight lifting has done. I would respond that I might have a gift or talent, I don’t know, I do know that I have heart and determination. I might still be working 50 - 60 hours a week, at my 9-5 job, but that daily 60 - 90 minute workout, that ME TIME, is what gets me through the day.
Everyone wants to know your “Why” My WHY is Me. Through dedication and hard work. Doing my “ME TIME”, it has translated into the strength and energy to help other."
