Friday, June 26, 2009

It's not always the headlines that make my day...

I train a lot of athletes. I have worked directly with 23 current NCAA student-athletes, several more who have "retired", and numerous high school athletes who are striving to take the next step. I do summer conditioning for entire teams, and enjoy seeing these kids grow in strength and speed.
I enjoy going to their games, watching them play, and reading about them in the papers the next day.
But as much as these successes mean to me, they pale compared to what I believe are the true reasons I became a trainer in the first place:
1. The 60-something retired gentleman who had chronic knee pain. After working through a six-week routine religiously he has been pain-free for almost 8 months.
2. The 37-year old housewife who struggles with Multiple Sclerosis and fibromyalgia. She walks for three miles now without fatigue, when she used to get winded climbing stairs.
3. The diabetic retiree who had balance and core strength issues. He has worked hard on a program to improve his stamina and balance.
And my most recent challenge -- the 18-year old who is recovering from a brain tumor. For years he has not used his right side because it was difficult. I would not let him rely on his left side, forcing him to use the weaker, imbalanced arm.
After two weeks he has a grip with his right arm that he hadn't had. And we are starting to work on more functional activities. Hopefully, he will soon be able to do many things that most of us take for granted.
None of these would be possible if my clients did not have the drive and desire to improve their functional living. I just provided the tools and the guidance, but they stayed with the program and are seeing the results.
That is what makes my day.

No comments:

Post a Comment