I remember one of the first prevention presentations I sat in with an employer-client and a slide with a picture of Cal Ripken Jr., the legendary Baltimore Orioles shortstop known for his great play and ability to endure long seasons without missing a game (a major league baseball record 2,632 games in a row).
The slide was drawing similarities between professional athletes, and what they must do to succeed and “Industrial Athletes”... the people we worked with everyday, at that time, who relied on their bodies to get the job done - electricity running, water on, gas flowing - whatever the job might be. I guess you could say, “Athletes”, or at least the athlete’s mindset has always been central to our approach. The courage to set goals, the resolve to endure the pursuit thereof, and the strength to see them through are almost always key components of success… and from the beginning it’s something we’ve tried to facilitate with nearly all our clients, regardless of area of the business. It’s a model we knew… a model that worked… and our model was not so different.
But it wasn’t until the 2010’s that our “athletes” who competed in the more traditional realms (fields, gyms, tracks) really started to make their mark. Countless stories of strong, happy people. We’re honored to have played a small part in their health, in their stories, in their journey. The stories of a select few are below.
Amazing Grace
She was in the 7th grade when she first came in around 2008 with lower extremity pain and in search of a PT that could help. Recognizing her drive as a young athlete, we knew it wouldn’t stop there and she quickly found her way into a training group, a young female lacrosse player and a group of older male wrestlers. To most kids, this might have been an intimidating and insurmountable obstacle. As she’s later shown us again and again, obstacles were just new challenges to overcome and achieve, something she’d do enroute to a Division I lacrosse career at Brown University, academic excellence that would land her in Columbia’s Medical School and at the time of this writing in the Orthopedic Surgery track, and across the Boston Marathon finish line. Grace’s drive has inspired us, but the way she approaches life with class and well… grace…is simply amazing.
Vertical Trajectory
No matter what his Dad, a founding member of the youth track program, did, Trevor just had no real interest in running. His heart was more into snowboarding and the aerial acrobatics that accompanied, but when he found himself near the pole vault pit sometime around his freshmen year, he quickly found a way to combine what was in his blood (track and field) and in his heart. Although always a gifted athlete, he had never really taken sports too seriously to that point, but as success often does, it breeds a desire for more, and Trevor got focused… really, really focused. In the nearly twenty years that we’ve been formally training athletes, his work ethic is amongst the highest, and his trajectory as an athlete took off leading him to Lehigh University where he became a 7x Patriot League Champion and holds the school record in Indoor Heptathlon, Indoor 60 meter hurdles, and Outdoor Decathlon. Trevor continues to navigate hurdles and knock out new personal bests as he navigates Wall Street and a successful finance career.
Many reasons to be proud
For the first few years, she was the little sister in the waiting room as her older brother completed his training sessions with friends, quietly remaining patient for her chance. And when it came in her early middle school years, she didn’t look back. There are so many reasons to be proud of Belle…. Her .484 batting average, State Title, Honor Society and All-State team selections, Her high school campaign that landed her at Georgia Tech, but highest among them is the kindness she exhibited throughout the entire process. When signing day 2016 rolled around, nothing made us prouder than seeing Belle smiling in the seat she earned.
Setting the Pace
As a fourth grader we knew there was something special. In team runs and local 5k’s he’d run out front, setting the pace, periodically looking over his shoulder to ensure no major threats. Ryan’s pace, and its ability to wear down opponents on the wrestling mat, would prove to be among his greatest strengths. From the age of ten, all the way through his college years, our team would do all we could to both push the boundaries of that pace, and help him to harness its power in the most pivotal athletic moments, some that led him to be the most “winningest” high school wrestler in our area’s history and a successful career at Lehigh University. Ryan’s pace and approach to his sport and life is inspirational. He’s been a true “student of the game” and learned a lot over the years. We couldn’t be more grateful that he’s chosen to come back to BaseCamp and pay those lessons forward as a coach for the next generation.
Leveling Up
I’d imagine, when your Dad is the coach of a state championship team there’s a certain draw to one day play on that court. I’d imagine as a 14 year old, trying to make that team, there’s a certain level of pressure, not just to perform to the highest of standards, but to overcome any obstacles in your path including any perceptions of nepotism. It can’t be easy, but easy and achievement are usually on the opposite ends of the spectrum. When Kyra began training with us she was just a kid, driven to overcome, excel and achieve. At every twist and turn on the journey she leaned in. When a global pandemic sidelined opportunities, she found others using each as a springboard to change her body and mindset into a more refined athlete, one constantly in pursuit of leveling up, and one by the time she was ready to move on from “Dad’s team” had in so many ways, made it her own. As a three time sectional and county champion, conference MVP, state champion and first team All-State selection, Kyra left her mark as one of the most accomplished athletes to train with us. Now, as a coach herself, we’re incredibly excited to watch and support as she relies on the lessons learned to help the next generation on a similar path.
-Eric E.
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