KD360 Episode 1: True to Self
I can remember the feelings I had that morning. I had been spending the previous week or so centering myself mentally for a new start, to get back on track and towards my goals. Between anxiety and bouts of mild depression, I had suffered a variety of physical health issues, the most notable was significant weight gain. I opened up about my mental health struggles and knew that by doing so, I’d be putting myself in position to be aware of what I was seeking to correct. The first order of business on this Monday morning was doing a weight check and I felt good about what I’d be seeing (like a low 200 lbs). The results: 274 lbs. “Damn”, I thought to myself. Just like that, the feelings of helplessness came back and I shut down. Back to square one…
I come from very humble beginnings, the oldest of three sons where my brothers and myself followed into the footsteps of our father into athletics. My father was a track star, me a soccer player, and my younger brothers were both football/basketball players. Our family understood the language of sports and competition, we spent all our free time predominantly at sports related events. It was next to love, the glue that kept our family together.
I also grew up in the arts, another skill I inherited from my dad. Art and sports consumed my life, it’s what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. But I knew it wasn’t soccer that’d be what I wanted to define the rest of my athletic life. College was approaching and I made a determination that if I wasn’t offered a scholarship to continue playing soccer, my senior year would be the end of my competitive soccer despite it being my best season yet. Even though my game and fitness was maturing, the sport was burning me out. Most importantly, there was another sport I long wanted to transition to.
My Dad knew this, and made a deal with me before he passed that if I went to college, he’d help fund my training. He wanted me to have a back up plan, which he didn’t establish completely himself after his track career ended. It made sense to take my passion for art and try to obtain the skill to monetize it, so once I didn’t get the soccer scholarships I was seeking, i enrolled into art school majoring in graphic design. It was a long five years…
After school, I was at a crossroads for a few months. I wasn’t working, I was pretty much sedentary due to my mental health complications and lack of direction that it affected my physical health. In actuality, the seeds for these issues began back in college and was crippling even then. With my Dad no longer around, our deal was null and void, but I wanted to be a man of my word and not pursue a new avenue in athletics without getting through school. I didn’t really grasps what I was putting myself through, trying to endure something knowing my passion should be directed elsewhere.
I couldn’t keep going like that. After I began working, I decided I needed something to ease me back into fitness.
So what is KD360? KD3, for those aware, are my initials Ken Dixon III. 360 represents a full revolution. In combining my nickname given to me by my friend, KD3 and the idea of a 360 revolution, I decide to launch a digital project here on the Medium platform as I return to athletics. In the process of this project, I’ll reveal my future sporting pursuit as I’m presently engaged in another sport to help ease me back into peak performance and fitness: Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu & Submission Grappling. KD360 will feature not only text, but a collection of photography, video, interviews, tutorials, and general life information like recipes, books, etc.
The good and the bad will be documented through this endeavor. Coming to this point where I was comfortable being open to document this journey wasn’t easy. It was a slow process, but I came to understand that the universe is willing to meet you half way. If I wanted the world to be true to me and my pursuits, I first had to be true to myself. KD360 will be my official hub of my athletic journey. This is the soft launch of KD360, the full launch will be February 10th filled with exclusive content and my upcoming plans. I hope to have you all follow my journey and overcome the challenges ahead. Let’s do it.
