Great Family, Great Coaches=Great Accomplishments: Why 2014 was my Greatest Training year

This blog is long overdue. But I had a great 2014. Why? Because, I set both personal and professional goals and I achieved high levels of performance in both. I managed to successfully train for the SFG (StrongFirst Kettlebell) Level II Instructor and 12 weeks later successfully became certified as an SFL (StrongFirst Lift) Instructor. Oh yeah, and later in the year, I competed in 3 natural bodybuilding competitions, nearly winning a pro-card in the process. On the surface these look like individual accolades because I received the trophies and certifications but it’s the behind the scenes support and guidance that positioned me to get there.

The biggest reasons why I succeed can be
found from the values my parents imparted
on me.

Yes, I am self-motivated. So doing things I don’t necessarily want to do are things I tend to think are the most important things to do, so I do them (twisted way to look at it, I know). I like to believe I get this self-motivation trait from my mother and father. And I get it, maybe it’s not so easy for you for various reasons. But I like to think if it were easy, it wouldn’t be much of a challenge (if you want a participation medal, talk to Pittsburgh Steelers, linebacker, James Harrison). However, this success could not be achieved on my own (and anyone’s success is always a direct result of others assistance and/or contributions). I owe much of my success to my family and the coaches involved that supported or directed me along each individual journey. Hopefully, my achievements are something they can be proud of because I always aspire to represent them the best I can.

You'd think I trained more and ate
less to get these results. But I ate more 
and trained less. Funny how that works. 
Find a knowledgable coach! 

There are many ways to quantify success. Maybe, your goal was to climb Mt. Everest. Or maybe your goal was completing a marathon. Maybe, your success is more modest and simpler, maybe you were pain free or didn’t miss a training session for an entire year (sure, that sounds simple but it’s not easy). Or maybe you want to be the next American Ninja Warrior (I wasn’t aware an American could be a ninja). Regardless, whatever the goal, if it’s important to you, your inner circle understand it’s important to you. If you’ve ever triumphed in your personal goals, be sure to thank your family, friends and coaches that got you there. Thanks Mom, Dad, Becs, Brian, Mike and Evan . Best of luck in your training!