Holy Toledo! It’s Media Day in Ohio

Training for the “Big Push” was grueling. My routine consisted of weight-training four days a week. My weight-training schedule was two days on and one day off for approximately two hours a day. I was training once again as a world champion athlete. Of course, I work out and stay in shape as a regular part of my life but this was taking it up a notch. I spend a lot of time on the road as a motivational coach, inspirational speaker, school speaker, sports speaker and safety speaker.  Some of the hotels I stay in have work out equipment and some don’t. Often those that have a gym don’t have equipment designed for a wheelchair athlete. Still, as a Paralympian and motivational coach I know how to improvise so I always make do. After all, “There’s Always a Way” and I Never Give Up! when it comes to fitness and eating right. Alert and full of energy so I am ready for whatever comes my way!  For the tour I wanted to gain as much muscle mass as possible since all of the miles on the road would lean me up and be a tremendous strain on me mentally and physically.

This extra muscle mass would also serve as protection for my body. Making sure I put my miles in on the road was another part of my training. I logged approximately twenty to thirty miles per day for two to three hours a day. My goal was to have an overall average of 50 miles per day so in the end of the tour, I would have traveled over 2,500 miles as I zig-zagged my way across America from one city to another. I hadn’t worked this hard since my days training for the Paralympics. I used the same methods to inspire myself and keep going that I teach as a motivational coach and inspirational speaker. Just keep moving forward because “There’s Always a Way.”  A body in motion tends to stay in motion and of course the reverse is true. Think like that and you’ll always be a winner. While doing my weight training and roadwork I used nutritional guidelines I had received from consulting with nutritionist, Keith Klein to make sure I had the proper nutrition and fluid intake ( such as half Gatorade and half water regimen) to keep me well energized before the Tour.

Prior to departure I also consulted with a registered dietician and nutritionist who deals with nutrition for Iron Man triathlon athletes regarding intake for the Tour. She prepared a nutritional guideline and fluid intake balance for me to use as I pushed an average of fifty miles a day. All this preparation gave me the necessary physical, mental and nutritional base to undertake such a monumental task. Still, I’d need all my self-motivation, inspirational faith and the discipline I learned as a champion wheelchair athlete to carry me through.

In my journey, I hoped to gain a new, first-hand perspective on America’s health crisis.  It was my goal to get each individual American thinking about fitness and taking action. Just think about it. If each of us could just make getting fit even a small part of their day it would grow into a mighty wave and change everything. With each turning of my wheels, I felt closer to my goals crossing America as a wheelchair athlete and bringing all Americans closer to getting in shape and understanding why keeping active and moving towards your fitness goals is so important.  As a Paralympic wheelchair athlete and a former member of the President’s Council on physical fitness & sports appointed by President H.W. Bush & President Bill Clinton, I had to opportunity to speak to thousands of school, organizations, corporations and government entities about the important role that fitness should play in your life. I had to the honor of being 1 of 20 people who was personally appointed by the president.  I was also put on a special project with the PCPFS and Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) to improve fitness for children and youth with disabilities under President W. Bush’s administration. I’ve seen the miraculous changes getting in shape and living healthy can make in a person of all different types and ages.  I truly want to motivate everyone to embrace a lifetime positive attitude and to never give up in their journey towards good health.

 Holy Toledo!

On this day during the tour, we were honored to meet city council members at Toledo City Hall. Councilman Michael Ashford presented me with an official glass on behalf of Mayor Jack Ford.  I was also presented with a Proclamation from City Council representative Peter Gerken. Once again, the great folks from the media were on hand:  Channel 11 WTLO (CBS), Channel 24 WNWO (NBC) and the FOX affiliate. The Toledo Blade was also at the event. I told them about the goal of our “Big Push” across America which was to educate, motivate and inspire all Americans to get fit. I was doing this “Big Push” in preparation and to hone my skill for the “Fitness 4 All 50 State Tour”, a nonprofit corporation established to help educate, motivate and inspire our nation’s youth, parents, teachers and American people about the positive effects and importance of physical fitness and proper nutrition.

 
Local governments and the community seems to really be embracing what the tour is all about. It humbles and gladdens me to know the impact our fitness tour is having. I’m just one man but I’m picking up fitness partners all along my tour. Every person that makes the decision to be healthier and fit is one more revolution on the wheels toward our fitness Revolution!  That gives me a lot of inspiration and helps me stay self-motivated to carry on. The road is going to be long and tough, every bit of the pain and perseverance it takes, but it’s all worth it. Every person that I get a chance to speak to gives me more fuel for the journey. Every time someone gets motivated to get fit and live healthier we all win.  When I was the motivational coach for Kansas State Football, I tried to instill in the guys a sense of how important each individual’s effort was for the whole team.  Each player giving a little more, when combined as a whole, could make all the difference towards winning the championship. That’s how it is with fitness in America and the world. If each of us would just put in a little effort towards being more fit it would become a great movement, a revolution – and we would all be champions. So give it a try, just improve a little each day. You don’t have to move a mountain tomorrow. Just make a small improvement then another one and before long you’ll discover that you’ve moved that mountain!