SPORTS MOTIVATION...Tips from the pros, women of triathlon, Ironman stories and more

Sports motivation can be found in many places and sometimes it takes so little to inspire other to realize their true greatness.

There are so many people on the edge of greatness yet risk living their entire lives dreaming of what might have been, and before they know it the years have flown by in the blink of an eye. Often sports is the great motivator for so many people and sports motivation can appear in many forms.

FOREVER A SPECTATOR

So many people have the belief they are doomed to be spectators on the playing field of life and feel they will always be watching others excel.

Often it does not take much for a person to be inspired to enjoy the excitement and satisfaction of realizing just how much they are capable of on so many levels. It's as if they are waiting for that one instant of sports motivation that strikes a chord with them and gets them fired up.

Even going back to the school years it was always others who made the team and you were the one in the stands cheering for them and perhaps even being a bit envious. Even as kids we begin to realize how special it can be to be an athlete in your own right.

One of the biggest reasons that triathlon is the fastest growing sport in the world is because it is for "everyone". It explains why the sport has provided the necessary sports motivation for so many people to embrace a life of health, fitness, and accomplishment they thought was simply out of their reach.

People all over the world have discovered that it's not necessary to be a high performance athlete or super-fit in order to be part of this amazing sport that is taking the world by storm.

All that's really necessary is a desire to make the effort to take on the challenge that triathlon represents.

The desire to learn how to swim perhaps, brushing up on the biking skills you first learned in grade-school, or maybe learning things you never knew about dieting and training that will forever change the way you look at health and fitness.

If only....

Often all it takes is to be touched by that one word or action that opens the door that leads into new beginnings. With athletic aspirations perhaps just below the surface, a little sports motivation might be all that is needed.

BELIEVE IN ME

Often all a person needs to inspire them to personal accomplishment and greatness is for someone to believe in them. "Believe in me" ....three words that can change the course of a persons live forever.

It's right there...right in front of all of us every single time we wake up in the morning. Each of us has the opportunity to take life in an entirely new direction, and to embrace each day as the first day of the rest of our lives.

There is no doubt in my mind that so many people live on the edge of greatness and are capable of so much yet may live their entire lives without tapping into this ability they have within that remains dormant without some sort of catalyst to bring it to life.

Sports motivation does not have to be a complicated process. It can be a very simple happening that inspires a person to make an about face in the way they are living their lives.

TRIATHLETE SPONSOR

You many find that getting started in triathlon can be an expensive proposition if you are determined to have the very best, top-of-the-line triathlon clothing and equipment.

As a result you may decide that finding yourself a sponsor to help defray some of your cost might be a good plan.

For example if a bike shop supplies you with a bike you might agree to wear their brand name on your cycling clothes when you take on your first Ironman.

Is this wise or not? There are several things to consider before finding yourself a triathlon sponsor.

TIPS FROM THE PROS

Who better to provide inspiration than those who have struggled to the top of the triathlon world at one point in their lives?

Inspiration can come from a friend, family member, or even a pro triathlete you have never met.

DO YOU DOUBT YOURSELF?

Often people are dealing with issues that seem to be impassable road-blocks that will always hold them back. For instance a smoker might try everything possible to give up the habit yet it seems beyond them.

The one sure way to quit smoking is to find something you really want to do that is hindered by the smoking habit or any other unhealthy habit that might be holding you back from realizing your true potential.

That's exactly what happened to me and when I found myself at the start of my first Ironman years later I realized I had no reason to doubt myself because of how far I had come.

Do whatever it takes to achieve your dream and you will never have reason to doubt yourself.

Inspiration for me came the day in the Summer of 1976 when I was laying on the couch smoking about my 35th cigarette of the day when I happened to be channel surfing and landed on the final moments of the Olympic marathon in Montreal.

To this day I'm not sure why, but when I watched the first marathoner enter Olympic Stadium all by himself it truly struck a chord deep inside. That was my first brush with the power of sports motivation.

I wondered at how amazing it must be to run so far and be just seconds away from the finish line. I wondered what it would be like to do it.

I wondered if I could do it. In that moment I decided I wanted to try and the next week I gave up a 15 year smoking habit and became a runner. Six months later I crossed the finish line of my first marathon in 3:28.

That day in July over 30 years ago when I was inspired into action changed my life forever. It was that day that brought me here, writing this page for you.

What will it take to change your life? Maybe just visiting Ironstruck and becoming turned on to something you always thought was far beyond you will be all it takes. Maybe just reading this page will be all it takes.

Maybe witnessing the transformation in a friend or relative who has taken up the sport of triathlon will be all it takes to inspire you to your own greatness and provide that special sports motivation that will change your life.

WHAT'S YOUR FEAR FACTOR?

It takes courage to step out of the protective shield that the often humdrum of everyday life encases us in. It's safe to avoid change and convince ourselves that we can make it through life without leaving the confines of what we perceive as contentment.

For many people there is an underlying feeling that something has gone undone....that perhaps they have not yet truly discovered all there is to know about themselves. They have yet to unleash the true depth of their power and ability that is there waiting to be discovered.

Along the journey there are sure to be moments that you will deal with fear. Fear of swimming in the open water, fear of hitting those fast speeds when free-wheeling down a steep hill on a state of the art triathlon bike, or perhaps fear of failure.

Regardless, conquering fear may not be easy, but certainly is possible.

Much of it has to do with beginning to believe in yourself and just how much you are truly capable of.

TRIATHLON FAMILIES

Triathlon and the Ironman is much more than "just a sport". It's a "happening". It has transformed people all over the world and has inspired them to take their success gained on the Ironman highway into every part of their lives.

There are entire families who have taken up the sport of triathlon. It's not uncommon to come across a mom and dad who have reached the Ironman finish line and for the kids to all be part of the triathlon "Kids Of Steel" program.

Triathlon families who all have the same love of the sport are able to share a life of excitement and optimum fitness.

WOMEN OF TRIATHLON

Since the very beginnings of triathlon and the Ironman in particular back in the early 1980's in general, women have been getting faster and faster and in many cases are racing on par with the best men pros.

There are women pros who can certainly swim as fast as the best male triathletes and many can run almost on par with the the best.

There is no doubt that the women of triathlon are a force to be reckoned with.

KONA IRONMAN 1984

I often wonder what course my life would have taken had my sports motivation not come in the form of the Olympic Marathon back in the 1976 Montreal Olympics. Being moved to action by a marathoner entering Olympic Stadium at the end of the race that day changed my life forever.

There is just simply no accounting for what will move a person.....What it will take for a person to become "Ironstruck" in their own right and inspired to take take steps that will change their life forever.

That day in 1976 eventually led to my first Ironman in Kona Hawaii,1984.

In short....triathlon and the Ironman has changed many people for the better, "forever". Regardless what it takes to get you started, it will be a journey well worth taking.

This is why triathlon is the fastest growing mainstream sport in the world and why it will continue to flourish for decades to come and will continue to be a source of sports motivation for many people around the world.

Becoming An Ironman

Senior Fitness

Ironman Experience

Believe In Me

Triathlete Sponsor

Triathlon Experience

Ironman History

Some Tips From The Pros

Do You Doubt Yourself?

What Causes Fear

Lifestyle family fitness

Women of Triathlon

kona-1984

Older Triathlete

lost generation

From Sports Motivation Back To Ironstruck Home Page

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