Tag Archives: competition

Fitness

Proper equipment a must in some events

By DAVID TEPERA | Posted: Wednesday, May 6, 2015

Back when I was attending college, one of my professors encouraged me to compete in an upcoming triathlon. I was a very strong swimmer and a decent runner, so I decided to give it a try.

I was in need of bicycle, so I bought one at a garage sale for $50. I figured, like running shoes, your speed is up to the person wearing them. 

Since I was in college and working part-time, I only trained by myself. I was one of the crazy people racing down the feeder roads. My bike made all kinds of funny noises, but I didn’t give any thought.

Race day finally came. I was in great shape and ready to compete. The swimming event started and I was flying by the other competitors. Next, came the running portion, and I was still feeling confident, producing a great stride and keeping up with the front of the pack.

Well, then came the finale of the 50-mile bike ride. It was easy to find my bike amongst the other 1,000 because it was the only one with a kick-stand. I was a little embarrassed, but strapped on my helmet and took off with hopes of a medal. 

I didn’t get 100 yards and people were already speeding by me. I couldn’t believe it. How was this happening?

Then, a very much older man caught up with me, patted me on the back and said, “hang in there sonny,” and left me in the dirt. Now, I was plenty mad because almost everyone was passing me. Plus, I couldn’t hear them coming from all the noise my bike was making. 

At the end of race, I asked someone if I could test their bike. Oh my goodness, it probably weighed less than five pounds. When I peddled it, it took off like lightning.

It was obvious, if I wanted to compete in more triathlons, I would need a bike of this caliber. I asked the young man how much a bike like this would cost. His reply, “probably all these bikes are anywhere from $1,200 to $3,000.”

This was 1986 and I was a broke college kid. I grabbed my $50 bike, loaded it up in my $600 truck, and left with my tail between my legs.

So, what’s the moral of this story? If you want to compete in specific events, then you’ll probably need to invest in proper competitive equipment. 

By the way, I gave that old $50 bike to a homeless man. He was one happy fella.

Inspiration

Compete in the workplace as a Business Athlete

By DAVID TEPERA | Posted: Wednesday, December 17, 2014

Did you ever compete in sports as a kid, high school, or college? Do you compete in anything today? Well, if you have a job, then you should consider yourself a Business Athlete.

You see, no matter what your occupation, you are competing with someone else in your company for a better pay raise or promotion.

Maybe you own a business and there are other companies in which you are all competing for the same clients.

Whatever your situation, you’re competing to be more productive and efficient to create better sales. And, that will affect your bank account and way of life.

You may need to burn the midnight oil to do some extra studying, possibly get to work earlier and stay later, or tackle the extra projects to get ahead.

If you really have a competitive spirit and want to move up, make more money, and have security, then be a better Business Athlete than anyone else in your division or company.

Find that competitive spirit you once had in your youth. That’s the importance of playing sports at a young age. It prepares you for the competition of life. You know what it’s like to practice, push yourself, and fall down to get back up.

We’ve all struck out at bat, gotten thrown out at first base or hit with a pitch, but you also know how it feels to hit a homerun, score at home plate, throw someone out, and catch a fly ball.

Bottom line, you know the feeling of successes and failures in competitive sports. You can have that same feeling again as an adult in your workplace. Become a Business Athlete, leave everyone in your dust, and have the secure, profitable wonderful life you want.