Magic Water!

 

"If there is magic on this planet, it is contained in the water!"

I was deep in a recent swim set starting to wrap my head around the fact that I have to swim an EXTREMELY long distance this coming fall when the idea of how magical water is hit me! 

Most of my magically successful (sounds like a cereal commercial) endeavors in life to some degree are represented by water being somewhere in the surrounding environment!

When I was a kid I grew up in what some would truly, undoubtedly believe was paradise. We lived on a river and across the street was a spring fed quarry that became our daily swimming hole for years! From the age of 2 all the way till my teenage years we lived in the water...

I actually think at some point my sisters and I started to develop gills because of our total immersion into the glorious liquid! 

So, you ask, what is so magical about water! 

Growing up I joined my communities competitive swim team! My jam was 100% the backstroke and nobody could take me off that high. Well maybe our Russian born coach who constantly yelled at us in the thickest of accents which most of the time I had not one clue what she was saying. 

If anyone has been on a swim team you know that the practices are long and the meets are even longer! So you have no choice but to gravitate towards developing friends to pass time! 

I met two pretty cool kids at the time whose names were Joel Kirkland and Matt Kirkland (last name sound familiar?). We were thick as thieves as what else is a young boy suppose to do passing time between events. 

So for those that are not familiar with the last name Kirkland...this blog is 100% geared towards my step-father as he battles Alzheimer's...guess what his name is...KIRKLAND! 

Yep...Matt is his son and Joel is his nephew. 

So years before life blessed me and more blessed my mom with Al coming into our existence...I got to know the family to a certain degree.

7 degrees of Kevin Bacon anyone? Most certainly a small world gravitational pull! 

Fast forward a few years and once Al moved in with us he would frequently join us at our magical watering hole. 

One day we were basking in our glory, playing tag in the water and simply living our best life when Al stepped up on the diving board and nailed a PERFECT 10 one and a half dive. It was like watching the Olympics and all of us kids had our jaws dropped to the bottom of the quarry in AWE!

Maybe not so magical to you but I will never forget that day and life is all built upon remembering the GREATNESS we observe. 

I decided to take a break from swimming in high school even though I had the opportunity to take it to the next level...the burn out was real! 

After college I happened to fall into what I would argue is the most incredible sport that is in existence!

TRIATHLON...

From sprint triathlons all the way up to Ironman...I raced for 20 years and each of those years I pushed the ultimate limit of what is possible. 

Part of fighting neurodegenerative diseases in life is to incorporate exercise/movement into our daily routine. While it will never guarantee a perfect shield it definitely will have a cognitive growth pattern of fighting like hell to prepare! 

Water has been a magical force in my life! 

Water is roughly 850 times more dense than air so when we swim its all about developing efficiency in movement. 

What makes you day? What makes your year? And what makes your life/story successful? 

EFFICIENCY! 

Water has taught me that the harder I fight the slower I go! Yet the stronger, more efficient and more knowledgeable I become...WELL...the skies the limit! 

Where do you find MAGIC in your life? 

Can't wait for my big swim in September but I couldn't be more excited about the person I will become over the next 7 months preparing in the magical elixir!

Thanks for your time! 

Always crush life! 

Make It Count!