Growing up, my grandmother always reminded me that I have a choice: Play now and pay later; or pay now and play later. Understanding the deeper meaning of this simple phrase in life naturally required some hard-learnt lessons. Although this phrase certainly refers to the importance of a solid career strategy and work ethic, that same work ethic certainly also applies to sports and fitness.
Constantly pushing myself, learning new things, exploring outside of my “comfort zones” to see what I can accomplish, are all things that are deeply rooted in my nature. However, with sports (and extreme sports in particular), sometimes we find our limits when we try to push them. In other words, I am no stranger to injury and the challenges that come with it. However, those events often provide new ways to learn how to improve both what you failed to do that caused the injury, and how to improve outside of that through exercise and targeted training.
Furthermore, my work ethic also extends to a strong desire to contribute where I can. As mountain biking has been a long-time hobby and my main passion, I enjoy volunteering to contribute to trail work to build and maintain the places I enjoy riding.