If you have a body, you are an athlete

Over his career, legendary Oregon track coach, Bill Bowerman, trained 31 Olympic athletes, 51 All-Americans, 12 American record-holders, 22 NCAA champions and 16 sub-4 minute milers.

During his 24 years as coach at the University of Oregon, the Ducks track and field team had a winning season every season but one, and won 4 national championships.

But even with this remarkable list of achievements coach Bowerman’s influence and excellence transcended sports.

Along with Phil Knight, Bowerman was one of the co-founders of Blue Ribbons Sports, or as you might know it today, NIKE.

His obsession for improving the function and efficiency of running shoes inspired the first products that set the young Oregon start-up on its way to world dominance.

Out of the endless sums of wisdom one can derive from Bowerman, one quote has always resonated with me above all the others.

When coach was talking about creating the best running shoes on earth to be used not only by his elite athletes but any regular runner who wanted to buy them,he said “If you have a body, you are an athlete.”

For myself, these words encompass the importance of sports and competition in our lives.

I think far too often we associate the word athlete with a professional athlete.

If you’re reading this, I assume you practice, train, or compete in some type of sport whether it’s organized sports, weight lifting, CrossFit, tennis , golf — you name it.

Whatever it is, you are an athlete and for each of us being an athlete means something different but equally as important.

Because in your given playing field, in your arena, you define who are.

Now, I’m not saying you are defined by the success you have in a sport or that the level of expertise you reach equates to to the level of achievement you reach in other aspects of your life.

Save that thinking and responsibility for the pros.

What I’m talking about is something much deeper than that.

Sports help you discover how much work you’re willing to put in, how much pain your willing to take, and how far your body and mind are willing to go.

Being an athlete sets the tone for every other aspect of your life.

It exposes your heart and soul.

It magnifies the amount of blood,sweat, and tears you’re willing to put into your mission.

More so, being an athlete breeds a sense competition our society so desperately lacks these days.

And I don’t mean competition against someone else or another team.

No, I’m talking about the competition that matters the most, and that’s you.

Because for 99.99% of us there will always be someone else in the world who can lift more weight, who can bring in more sales, is better looking, makes more money, accomplishes a greater feat.

You see, what sports have taught me, and can teach anyone, is something essential to living a fulfilling life.

And that is, “we’re either growing or dying.” ( A quote from the other founder of NIKE, Phil Knight)

In sports, you’re either getting better or worse.

In your career you’re either creating more value or you’re not.

In your relationships you’re either building each other up or your tearing each other down.

At the most basic of human levels and whatever your purpose in this world is…you’re either making the world a better place or you’re not.

So the next time you walk into the arena think about that.

Are you growing or are you drying?

Ask this question when you drive up to the office tomorrow morning, at dinner with your wife or husband, while you’re laying in bed at night wondering why the hell you’re on this planet.

My parting words to you are this:

Be proud of being an athlete.

Reflect on all the ways it’s improved your life and made you a better person.

For me, its one of the defining aspects of my own life and something I will never take for granted.