STRONGMAN MOTIVATION – TRUE BALANCING ACT!
By Robin Wright, Founder & Director, BCEAA
When I reach the final stages of planning and organizing a strongman event, I stop to reflect whether it was all worthwhile. These events require a great deal of time, preparation and promotion that often draw on my personal reserves. It can become a balancing act while trying to maintain my family’s budget. Thankfully, I am blessed with a family that supports my strongman efforts although my wife may find it difficult to tolerate me a day or two prior to an event when stress levels reach their peak!
it is not till after the show, that I realize the reward; when
athletes come to me and say they had fun and can’t wait till
next year.
It
makes it all worthwhile and fuels my energy to carry on with the
sport that I have grown to love over the years.
When I do have the time and energy to train. I actually have a
great time doing it!
Oddly enough,
I still surprise myself by what I am able to achieve….
despite the fact that I am undertrained and a bit frayed around
the edges!
When I first began strongman in Western Canada, the sport was
not well known.
There was one-off events but nothing stable or constant.
Now after five years, our organization has continued to
grow as more and more guys discover this “best-kept secret”!
Strongman offers a true test of the human spirit along
with sportsmanship and camaraderie.
Recently I have observed a trend amongst certain strength athletes who suffer from burnout. Unfortunately they enter into the sport with the notion that they need to overtrain to achieve their goals. In addition they end up spending lots of money on travel to compete as much as they can. This often leads to burnout especially when executed too quickly. Like most things in life, there are no shortcuts in strongman and pacing yourself is important.
My advice to anyone who participates in this sport or any sport
is to maintain balance in their lives.
Train in a manner that is sustainable, eat healthy and do
your best during competition while still having
FUN. Prize
money for this
sport is normally small and it does require a passion to be
strong and competitive.
The upside is the confidence and sheer joy of fulfillment
that is shared by those who participate,
not to mention the friendships that evolve over time.
If you find yourself feeling burned out, maybe it is time to stop and ask yourself whether you are still having fun. Often making a few adjustment to maintain the balance that best suits you will go a long way and will allow you to ultimately continue to enjoy this sport for years to come.
