On my fridge hangs a picture, a bit crinkled and torn from Shape magazine, of Olympic swimmer Dara Torres. (There she is at left, in a photo courtesy of the got milk? campaign)
If ever there was a Badass, it's Torres.
Sure, she has a killer bod. She's tall and lean, and her six-pack is like premium imported beer. But what's most impressive to me is her determination and strength, mental and physical.
She started swimming as a teenager and immediately began breaking all kinds of records, and at the University of Florida she won 28 NCAA swimming awards -- the maximum possible. Then she became the first U.S. swimmer to compete in four (FOUR!) Olympic games, racking up the medals.
She retired in 2000 to start a family. But she decided she wasn't finished being a Badass. So she began her comeback six years later, and arrived at the 2008 Beijing Olympics at the age of 41, determined to prove wrong all the doubters who said, "No way. She's too old. Can't beat all those young swimmers."
She showed the naysayers, and then some. She won three silver medals. Total Badass.
So why do I keep her picture on the fridge? Well, one look at those abs reminds me to eat just one or two -- not five -- York peppermint patties out of the freezer. And she's a Gator, so I admit total bias on the front. But it's about more than that. It's about keeping the goal in site.
I turned 32 this summer. And believe me, you don't want me on your swim team. But when I turn 40, I want to still have the strength, determination and drive of a Dara Torres. (I'd like her abs and legs, too, of course...and I'd also like a pair of cherry red Jimmy Choos. Life doesn't always deliver. But I digress...)
Yet she is my Badass role model because she is constantly challenging herself and her body to do better. For her, "better" is the Olympics. Which is a rather hefty challenge.
Your "better" doesn't have to be so monumental. It can be one inch off your waist, a few extra pounds. It can be an 8-minute mile instead of 9 minutes. Dessert once a week instead of seven. You just need to have a goal, a finish line in sight. And then when you reach it, find a new goal and get to that finish line, too.
If I didn't have a goal, I don't know that I could muster the moxie to roll out of bed early all those weekday mornings to head to the gym. Without a goal to keep you moving, what are you working for?
A few years ago, my finish line was literal -- the end of the Chicago marathon. I trained with my friend David, just to see if I could finish it. It was my new challenge. And I did finish, and within my goal of running it in less than 4 hours and 30 minutes. It felt amazing.
Then I found a new goal: Get stronger, build muscle, win the fitness competition at my gym in Tampa, where I lived at the time. For 16 weeks, it was THE thing I worked toward. It was hard and there were days when I doubted I could do it. But I did it, and I won. (There's the pic to prove it, used to promo an abs class I later taught there.)
Next goal: Get certified to teach Spinning. I did it...And so goes the cycle.
Today my goal is to finish my personal training certification, and I am thinking about another fitness competition. I also have a few real Badasses in my life, friends whose fitness and health achievements inspire me. I'll tell you more about them in future posts.
If you've got your own Dara Torres, tell me about it at shancola@aol.com. If you have already set a goal and gotten there, I want to know.
