Discover the joy of winning!
"You're never too old - or too young! - to discover the joy of winning"
Dear Mircea,
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On each end of my mantelpiece stands a trophy I won as an athlete, though they were awarded more than 70 years apart.
There is the school shield I won at age 13 (1st in the 100 yards), and then the gold medal for the Over 80s sprints at the British Veterans Champs, aged 86.
That's quite a gap in between so let me explain...
After my first athletic triumph at school, life sped by. University, the War, the Navy, jobs and family. It was only when I reached 50 that I felt I had the time to resume running.
I joined the British Vets Athletic Club just in time to compete at Crystal Palace, London, in the first ever Veterans' International Championships, although I finished way outside the medals. But with just three years of training I became the British Veterans 100m champion and also chairman of the British Federation of Vets.
What do I attribute to my success? I learnt that the first step to becoming a successful athlete in this modern era is to train your brain before your body. Dedication and a passion for competing is crucial but as they say, "knowledge is power" and the world of sport is no different.
I opened my mind to the sports science research available and armed myself with the weaponry required to improve every aspect of my performance.
I made it my business to keep up with the latest training techniques and sport science breakthroughs to ensure I was constantly improving as an athlete. Such is the level of the competition these days you cannot afford to leave a single stone unturned.
Since this change in approach I have gone from strength to strength, both on and off the track.
What drove me all the time? A schoolboy love of competing and a desire to stay fit and alive!
All this week, we're going to be celebrating our love of competing and learning, so please keep an eye out for letters from some of my colleagues at Peak Performance and Sports Injury Bulletin. In the meantime, we've also put together a marvellous offer just for you!
Kind Regards,
Sylvester Stein
Founder, Peak Performance
http://www.pponline.co.uk/prewp/solus/sports-science-library1.html
