If you ever thought chasing after living the life you've always wanted was tough.....read this!
Shine looked at the numbers to see what it really takes to become an elite athlete fit for Olympic glory.
5. Sessions per day martial arts expert Travis Stevens trains in order to prepare for London 2012. A typical schedule: 7-8:30 am, Weight training. 9-10:30 am, Judo. 11-11:30 am, Sprints. 2-3 pm, Cross-training. 6:30-8 pm, Judo. 10-11 pm, Running.
12,000. The calories swimmer Michael Phelps eats every day to replenish the energy he burns training. That's more than enough to feed a family of four.
100. Chin-ups executed by gymnast Shawn Johnson during conditioning sessions when she was in eighth grade.
Related: Raising an Olympian: Shawn Johnson
4. Years in advance that Olympic hopefuls schedule their workouts (sometimes eight). Do you know what you are doing next week?
85. Miles per hour skeleton racers achieve hurtling headfirst and unprotected down curving tracks that can drop as many as 50 stories in a few minutes.
35. Hours per week British triathlete Jonny Brownlee works out--rain or shine. That breaks down to an average of eight hours swimming, 10 hours running, 17 hours biking, plus hitting the gym for weight training.
25,000. Dollars that a gold winner medal on Team USA receives. Silver earns $15,000 and bronze nets $10,000. And, if you don't win or get sponsorship? Zero. The United States government does not support athletes financially or with health insurance, unlike some other countries. The USA Track and Field Foundation estimates that fewer than 50% of competitors ranked in the top ten in their event earn more than $15,000 a year from sports.
10. Miles per day world record holder Janet Evans swam per day, six days a week in her bid to return to competitive swimming after a 16-year hiatus. That's 330 lengths of an Olympic size-pool.
1. Year that Maria Sharapova's mom had to spend waiting for a visa to travel from Russia to the United States to see her then-seven-year old daughter who was already training in Florida.
90. Percent of players on the current U.S. Women's Soccer Team who have had at least one surgery for a sports-related injury.
Holy Moly! Talk about focus? Champions certainly do put in their 10,000 hours plus! To become a champion sure does require consistency in training and in doing. Thanks for such a succint list. Gotta get back to my 10,000 hours!
ReplyDeleteIt is truly amazing how many people have one little conflict or issue pop up and they quit on their goals and dreams. Then they try to convince you that "it wasn't worth it anyway", "we're comfortable", or "we are happy with what we have". People have begun to give up on excellence! Thank the Lord for the LIFE business to show people what it is like to dream again and pursue something worthy of their time! None of us have an excuse! Like Orrin Woodward says, "You can have a million excuses, or a million dollars but you can't have both!"
ReplyDeleteGod Bless
Jeremy Pethke
Wow! Between you, Marc, and Orrin my struggles don't stand a chance =) Thanks you guys for your humble spirits and service to this community!
DeleteIt's so amazing to read about the sacrifices and true commitment of athletes, especially olympic athletes, because we tend to think that this kind of excellence comes easy or is reserved for the lucky ones. When I look at the statistics you presented, it gives me even more resolve to stand strong, commit to my own excellence and pursue the purpose God has put in my heart no matter what. All success requires sacrifice, overcoming obstacles, many hours of practice and a community to see you through. I'm thankful for the community you and Kristine are building, the excellence you are creating in your own lives and the information we have to set us on the path! Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeletePeggi I totally agree. What a reminder that excellence is a CHOICE! Sure does me good to read these stats too!
ReplyDeleteWow, it's so inspiring to read that others who dream BIG, put in the big hours. The commitment it took them to accomplish something big, must have required a big dream and lots of training. I love the fact that, yes, we own our businesses individually, and must put in the BIG hours to accomplish big things, but we do it together. We are "running" 10 hours a day together, and encouraging each other to reach our dreams and goals. All those hours of training we put in is multiplied 1000x as we do it together. We can all get the gold medal if we train together as a team helping each person to strive for excellence...resolved to live the life we have always wanted. Ok triathletes, who is ready for 10 hours of CD listening, 17 hours of reading and 4 plans this week? GREAT POST!!! Thanks for the inspiration Coach. :D
ReplyDeleteThank you for the REALITY CHECK Marc! So often we look at the "end result" and rarely get to see what it "costs" a person to enjoy their victory. I have never really been interested in the Olympics until you suggested we start examining what "winners" look like. What they have to do to win. And that prompted me to look into what kind of training they needed to do to just get IN the Olympics. Your article drives that point home even more! I am more determined than ever to PAY THE PRICE to LIVE THE LIFE I'VE ALWAYS WANTED. Marc, thank you and Kristine for your encouragement, mentorship and love!!!
ReplyDeleteAnd people think showing 4 plans a week is tough! My goodness! We drink coffee, eat deserts and listen for most of our grueling 45 minute appointments! Thanks for sharing! This puts our struggles in perspective!
ReplyDelete20 Mile March to 1 Million!