Have you noticed, all top athletes in the world have a coach?
You may even wonder why.
What does a coach provide that athletes need to succeed?
Let me show you.
Here’s how my coach helped me train for Mount Everest.
October 2009, with less than six months until my Everest expedition, the last objective left on my Explorer’s Grand Slam project, I just started my training program.
Why did I start so late? Well, I had an injury earlier in the year and had to undergo an ACL reconstruction surgery in my right knee in April. The rehab process started with one week completely immobile in bed, then another couple weeks supported on crutches, then gradually learned to walk normal again on knee braces.
During those first few weeks, I watched how the muscle on my leg shrank so fast. Not only did I lose a lot of strength, it was a long road to be able to walk just like a normal person! I diligently started rehab as soon as recommended. After a long five months, I got a green light from my doctor that my knee was strong enough to start fitness training again.
Even before my injury, I knew I was not strong enough for Mount Everest. Now, freshly recovered, I was at best a “normal” person, not even strong enough to climb other smaller objectives that I have done in the past. I had no idea how I was going to climb Everest.
Frankly, I didn’t even think it’s realistic to climb Mount Everest next spring. But I didn’t want to give up so easily.
The best decision I made was to call David Memont of Strength Discovery, the best fitness coach I know. Without hesitation, David said, “I can train you. I’m confident that you can be ready for Everest next spring!”
That’s all I needed to hear to start!
David understood how to train strength, power, speed, agility I needed for climbing. And I thought that’s the value of a good coach.
I was wrong.
Sometimes we get excited about our goals, but we are not really that excited about ourselves. We are not sure if we can do it. We don’t really believe in ourselves. A coach is someone who believes in you, sometimes more than you do. A coach is someone who holds your vision for you when you forget about it.
The hardest part of the training is not about how to run, how to lift weights, but about how to keep going with the best effort consistently even if you think the chance for success is so low. It’s about training even when it’s dark, cold and stormy outside; it’s about staying focused and executing the training plan accurately even when you’re exhausted or when life throws you a curveball.
As David said to me, the weakest part of an athlete is not the physical ability, but the mental strength. I didn’t understand that until I summited Mount Everest the following spring. I was the smallest, weakest, slowest and the least experienced one on my team of 25. I watched 9 of my teammates give up halfway through the expedition, not one of them stopping due to sickness or injury. I realized physical condition is not the deciding factor on this mountain.
A coach is the partner who will get you through the hardest part on your journey; someone who believes in you more than you believe in yourself and empowers you to bring out talent and strength you didn’t know you had.
How does this relate to you?
You are already successful, and you feel you are on track towards your goal. Everything seems in your control. Why do you bother to need a coach?
If the path seems so smooth, that means you have a lot of unleashed potential! You need someone to show you how you can be your best version of yourself, like David did for me. That’s what I want to do for you.
Let’s have a chat! Let me help you discover an even more exciting future you can create for yourself. Schedule a free initial coaching session right now.
