I think the legendary running coach Bill Bowerman summed it up rather neatly. “If you have a body, you are an athlete”. Which is undeniably true. For anyone who wants to label themselves an athlete, they can go right ahead.

Ah yes, you see, that isn’t so simple. It cannot be easily wrapped up in such a cute all encompassing package.

To be a Daily Athlete requires much more than just having a body. Everyone can have a body, but are they actually using it to the full extent? What are they doing every day to improve it? Have they broken it down, studied it, trained it, molded it, shaped it, beaten it, bruised it, healed it, and after all that, created something special with it?

No, they have not.

A Daily Athlete understands the difference and instead chooses a special lifestyle. One that many would categorize as “obsessive” or “overly competitive”. Others see these traits as downfalls, but a Daily Athlete sees those same qualities in a whole different light.

When they hear those same words, they think of persistence, passion, hard work, inspiration, motivation, determination, thoughtfulness, ambition, focus, and drive.

And they also understand that in order to be successful, they need to maintain those qualities on a daily basis.

Its purpose is simple really…sort of

For every athlete who is competing at a high level, be it university/college, a club program, or professionally, they will all come to one conclusion, eventually.

It’s a daily grind if you want to be successful. 

Every athlete will go through moments of inspiration, motivation, determination, and joy. But those don’t exist in every moment of every waking hour. Sometimes they can be erratic and inconsistent. If you only know how to survive on these moments, you are going to starve. The greats understand that it’s the “gaps” or the moments in between that define a champion. What are you doing during the dull moments? What small things are you doing today that will prepare you for the big moment? How are you making the most of the obstacles in your path? What system do you have in place to find motivation in the dark days?

The thing is, most athletes already know the importance and relevance of these questions. They know they matter because they have experienced these “gaps”. They know the feeling that comes when they are tired, beaten, and demotivated. But the problem in our current society is that they don’t get to see what others are experiencing. We watch a sports movie and get bombarded with a “training montage” that results in the protagonist’s success. They watch the 30 second Nike commercial and want to be just like Lebron. And probably the most relevant issue right now, they open Instagram and get to scroll through the never ending feed of people’s lives. They see former teammates post one picture from their last game, and they create an entire story based on this one beautifully crafted, handpicked and filtered image.

But the problem with all of this filtered world we live in is that we don’t get to see other people’s struggles. We don’t know the full story. So instead, we assume. We create excuses and we chalk other people’s success up to luck, natural talent, and favoritism. And by doing so, we diminish the value of good old-fashioned hard work.

When I wrote my first article I didn’t think that it would grab so many people’s attention. But the more I reflect on it, the more I understand why it did. It’s because it was a story that every athlete can relate to. And it came from a position of honesty, authenticity, and sincerity. It also didn’t come from an NBA all-star or a legendary hall of famer. It came from someone in a similar position. Someone who was part of the grind. Someone who understands what it means to be a Daily Athlete.

Not everyone is going to become a legend in their sport. It’s just not possible. But what I believe is that everyone is capable of making the most of their athletic experience. You all deserve the right to be able to look back one day and be fulfilled. To be thankful for the lessons you’ve learned and the dedication you have shown. But to get there requires consistency, effort, and intention. These are daily requirements and they can be difficult. At Daily Athlete, I think every athlete can at the very least, take comfort in knowing that they are not alone.

That is why we created the “Daily Athlete“.