The Everyday Athlete

My wife, Summer Sides, is a fitness professional. She started when she was 15, went to college for Fitness Leadership, got a masters in Exercise Science (Kinesiology), and has worked in more fitness areas than most people you’re likely to ever meet. From the average corporate call center employee to brilliant researchers, from senior populations to teens and kids, and from the basic beginner to elite level, competitive athletes, she has worked with them. She’s worked at the standard national chain gym, corporate fitness centers, and elite sports performance academies. She has been a personal trainer, led small and large group fitness classes, developed programming, and written educational curriculum for national certifications.

She believes that every person can be an athlete in their own way. We are all everyday athletes.

Sure, the everyday athlete may not be as glamorous as the “superstars.” They may not have a million followers on Instagram or get endorsement deals from Nike. They may not make millions of dollars each year or be idolized by the public. But they are every bit as important.

They are real.

They are human.

They are you and me.

The everyday athlete does it for the love of the sport. They do it because it fulfills them, not glamorizes them. They measure growth in personal achievements and getting out there, not on breaking records or receiving awards.

We should all have the passion to approach our lives the way the everyday athlete does.