Dear Friend,
I rarely publish anything about my personal life, but I’m hoping you will share my excitement about this new development.
About five weeks ago, I decided that I need to focus more on my physical fitness. I enjoyed being a competitive athlete during college (volleyball), so I thought the best way to incentivize myself to work out consistently was to compete.
So, I registered for the Maryland Senior Olympics – open to anyone 50 or older.
I chose Track and Field because sprinting, jumping and throwing are skills we need to maintain to carry strength and speed as we age.
I registered for:
Standing Long Jump
Running Long Jump
50 Meter Dash
100 Meter Dash
Shot Put
I got clearance from my doctor, engaged a coach, and began training.
To my astonishment, I won first place in the standing long jump – a gold medal!
In Maryland, to qualify to compete at Nationals, you have to place in the top four competitors from Maryland in your age group. I qualified for nationals in all the events (except possibly the Shot Put, as I have not yet seen the results from that event yet).
Why did I decide five weeks ago to prioritize getting in shape? This decision was not made suddenly or on a whim. In the past year, I have lost too many dear friends, mentors, and esteemed colleagues. In addition, I have many friends who are dealing with very serious and even life-threatening health issues. The recent death of brilliant freedom fighter and lawyer Warner Mendenhall hit me particularly hard.
If I am going to continue to be a leader in the battle against the encroachment of CCP-style surveillance and control worldwide, I need to be strong – very strong – in body, mind and spirit. Otherwise, I could get knocked out of the game by a sudden, serious illness.
Activists can tend to neglect themselves, pouring out every bit of time and energy to advance their cause. I have been no exception. So often I have let immediate deadlines, or long-haul flights to Europe, take precedence over working out, eating right, or sleep. But I have to keep in mind: this battle is not a sprint, but a marathon.
Thank God, I am still healthy. But if I were to continue to deprioritize my physical health, how long could my body remain strong?
If you have read this far into this newsletter, I want to thank you for caring about me personally. And for sharing my joy at the small achievement of winning a gold at the state level and qualifying for Nationals in multiple events.
The real test of strength will be at Nationals (Tulsa, July 2027), where I will be competing against elite athletes from all over the nation. The prospect of this will help me focus on consistent exercise, including cardio and strength training. I will engage coaches to make sure I can do all of this correctly and safely. My doctors, chiropractor and physical therapist are already onboard.
I would encourage anyone who feels their fitness slipping to take the initiative to turn this situation around, while you still can. Take care of your health before you get sick. If you are over 50, you can participate in the Senior Olympics in your state. In Maryland, there are no tryouts required. I believe the rules are similar in other states. You just register to compete in your age group. I would encourage you to check it out. Competing is fun, healthy, and opens a whole new world of new friendships and healthy challenges.
To your health, and mine!
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