Where do you look for inspiration?
Who do you look to and think, “if I train hard enough, I may just be like them”
It’s a very personal question I know, but one that from time to time needs asking.
All of you who read this blog are active, you train, you strive to improve. If you’re not, then chances are you found the site by mistake.
But each of us is on our individual journey through the world of physical culture for a slightly different reason. We all started out for different reasons and we’ve all had different influences along the way.
But I’ll bet that throughout your entire journey so far there have always been a small handful of people in the back of your head that inspire you to keep pushing forwards.
Personally I’ve always been inspired by the older guys.
First and foremost is Jack Parker, my original coach, my old karate instructor. Jack always seemed to so full of energy, power and strength. As I grew from an 11yr old weed into and 19yr old, fit, athletic black belt, I could never touch him. In that time, I grew physically, mentally, I developed a reputation for the speed and timing of my strikes, I strength trained, I ran. Yet Jack was always Jack, and he was always better. Even now, I’m 35, Jack is in his 60’s, he’s still in the kind of shape I want to be in. I’d guarantee he’d run rings around any 19 year old even today.
Back when I was working in the Hotel trade in the Lake District as young man, there was a gentleman there who still comes to mind. Mr Charles ran the restaurant, he was around 50, tall, lean and the epitomy of what Maitre’d should be.
He would be first in and last out of the restaurant every breakfast and dinner service, he’d run rings around the young waiting staff. Plus he lived 4 miles away and almost every day he’d either run or cycle to work. Twice a day.
I remember when Mr Charles had to go for knee surgery, it was a simple keyhole job but he was back on the restaurant floor within days, and I’ll never forget the look in his eye as he told me he could no longer run to work, he’d have to just cycle.
There are others as well, but more often than not, the people that fire me up to keep pushing are the older guys who are still doing it. I want to become one of those. If at 86 I can have even a fraction of this awesomeness:
I’d be happy.
So who inspires you?
Next question then…
Who do you inspire?
Obviously this is my job, but many of you just train for the pleasure of it.
But as this study shows, we make up a mere 50% of the population. 50% of Irish folk are considered physically inactive.
Two of my guys have put their heads together and come up with the Get1Active idea.
The idea is to inspire one other person to become active. Just one. They then inspire someone else and so on. Essentially it’s a pyramid scheme but for activity, health and fitness.
They’ve a facebook page just set up, it’s only a day old so there’s not much on it, but myself and others will be contributing on a regular basis. Click on over and have your say, get the ball rolling, become someone’s inspiration.
Here’s another take on the subject, Zach Evan-Esh talks about finding your spark:
Regards
Wild Geese Fitness Training 
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