7 minute read
Life is just one big journey of self exploration while trying to find our place. Staying focused for longer periods of time was never one of my strong suits. I rarely started something and followed through, at least without opening a couple projects on the side. Actually I used to have trouble finishing anything before upgrading, or changing it completely.
There are so many exciting things we can do and try, places to go, people to meet, conversations to have! I still get undecided at times, or is that just being very open minded?
Running away or toward something
When I go out for a run I usually decide on a route. It starts in one direction with an idea where I turn around, and start circling back. Getting there is usually a set of random thoughts while observing the surroundings. I see something new, like an opening to a route I haven’t taken before. Sometimes even changing my entire idea, just because there is a red light at a crossroad. This way I end up in a different part of town completely.
Interested
I love observing peoples spark in their eyes, when they talk about something they love. If you’re passionate about something, I don’t care what it is, tell me all about it!
Being open minded means that we are willing to listen and consider new ideas, suggestions, and opinions.
“By all means let’s be open-minded, but not so open-minded that our brains drop out.” – Richard Dawkins
When open mindedness is combined with a lot of imagination, and a sense that people are inherently good it really gets tricky. The mind comes up with a story of how picture perfect something can happen. But life in most cases is not like a movie where everything happens fast, and seemingly effortless. Therefore setbacks can grow into big problems. Problems can result in procrastination, or even giving up. And when projects like this pile up, sometimes life can become unbearable.
In these moments, the only thing we can do is pick ourselves back up, change direction and keep going. Shake it off in the healthiest possible way. Preferably by a lot of movement, training and developing a new vision.
Brief history
The only constant in my life has always been sports, for the past twenty five years especially wakeboarding. Once I switched from professional alpine skier to becoming a full time wakeboard athlete, my life turned into one big party. Five a.m. wake up calls were changed to going to sleep at six. An orderly life of rigid training & order turned into a free spirit. Becoming a youngster that does not really care about anything except traveling, hanging out with friends and trying new tricks.
Krk soon became my summer base camp, and by summer I mean April to October. Thailand or the Philippines in mid February to cut the winter in half. In my prime season back in 2011, I started in Turkey mid March, ending it in December at the world championships in Abu Dhabi. Exciting life of exploration, joy and pure happiness.
At that time my wakeboard camps were kicking off quite nicely, making the season beginning at Hip-Notics cable park a yearly ritual. In the next years while competing, I also started coaching a team of young wakeboarders, traveling all over Europe.
Changing jobs
Once my career as a semi-professional athlete started tanking, seasons kept getting shorter. My body was handling injuries with less stamina, winters became longer. Since then I have been a part of at least a dozen different jobs. Everything from working at a friends Golf shop, being a ski & snowboard instructor, to building pump tracks and bike parks.
Interesting for one winter until I moved back to the seaside, and again searching for something new in the fall. Until becoming a fully employed nine to fiver, for almost two years working with a friend, as the head of design and web page development.
Moving on..
Throughout the past two decades of riding I have been – in the words of dr. Peterson: “Navigating between chaos and order”. Almost like a never ending loop of healing completely, back on top of my game and getting injured. Recovering, changing, learning something new about my mind & body, then pushing forward always looking for the next Flow hit.
Wakeboarding in the early two thousands was like snowboarding in the nineties. A lot of partying, or any real sense of order. Some of my injuries as a youngster were caused simply by being foolish. Thinking I am invincible so there is no need to warm up, or consider any focused pre-season training.
Most injuries later in my career though, occurred through a random set of circumstances. As if I was moving in the wrong direction, life was setting me straight by slowing me down, making me rethink. Both shoulders dislocated, knees twisted, my back hurt, muscles torn, concussions, with one being very severe. And these are just the big ones, intermittent pain became my companion in the early stages.
Before getting my personal trainer and nutritionist license, I’ve gone through many physical therapies, recovery programs and all kinds of massages. I was always curious and interested in all aspects of healing as an athlete, trying to get back on the water asap.
Studying ways to prevent injuries, working on balance and mobility techniques became my passion very soon. Learning from personal trainers, physio therapists & fellow injured riders. Reading books on neurology, psychology, flow states and meditation made me realise there is much more to training, than just lifting weights. There are many different factors influencing our mind and body, it is never just a simple workout, or a to-do list.
Becoming the best version of ourselves
Once I upgraded my empirical understanding of rehab and injury prevention with actual knowledge of how the body works, a lot started making sense. Some of my injuries remain a mystery, especially the circumstances leading up to them. But I do have a clear vision of how to prepare the mind and body for peak performance.
Daily rituals, lots of movement, different styles of training. Especially developing a strong core which is the basis for balance. Adding the best fuel with the right nutrition – plus meditation, breath work, quality sleep and other holistic approaches to level up. Basics really, being incorporated in a set of daily habits, in the amount of how much you really want something to come to fruition. Without disrupting this process by big life events, highs and lows, I believe this is the right recipe for living a good life. Changing and evolving daily, one step at a time.
