Wholistic Fitness

“Due to having faith, one relies on the Practices,
Due to having wisdom one truly knows.
Of these two, wisdom is chief,
Faith is its prerequisite.”
– Nagarjuna

photo above; i would not have believed it had i not been there. Olympian and World Champion Greg Hockensmith got hooked up with me to help him high altitude train for an ascent of Mt. Fuji next month. this dude cranks; no pun intended. with very little assistance from myself and Supporter “MG”, Greg hand pedaled his unique off-road mountain bike straight up intermediate ski runs from 9,500′ to 11,500′ in 4 hours and 40 minutes. i was absolutely stunned by inspiration from Greg’s powerful tenacity up the ski slopes.

“It is important to realize that simply being a great cyclist is never going to make someone rich or extravagantly famous, even after having the greatest of victories, but it is through spreading the story of triumph and success that I hope thousands of others will be inspired to create greatness in their own lives; on and off the bike.”
– Greg Hockensmith, 4-Time National Champion

photo above; Greg at the legal summit of Agassiz Peak with Doko Oosliid (Mt. Humphreys) in the background. there is a “scenic chairlift” that deposits tourists off here during the summer. you should have seen the expression on the gathered crowd of, well, typically unfit Americans. here they were, munching on Doritos and sucking down Cokes riding a chairlift up the Sacred Peak, and along comes Greg, hand propelling himself up fiercely steep and rugged terrain, sweat-soaked with his heart rate hammered in the red zone for four and a half hours to get to where they sat munching. Classic WARRIORISM baby!!! How BAAAAAD do you want to stay Awake, baby!??!

Photo above; there was not slowing at all during our ascent, save for a few precious moments like this one. here, Alpine Lupines frame the great Olympian as he enjoys the Pranic Empowerment of working out upon the Sacred Peak. Greg’s appreciation of the wilderness sang through his egoless word choices. He spoke of very simple things; that it was a privilege to sweat and push ourselves, that a loss of motivation to workout means that we are too high in our minds, that the most important podiums are cultivated within and outer results mean very little compared to the process of self cultivation through physical and mental discipline.

“Hills make all men brothers.”
– Biblical

as you can probably tell, Greg and i hit it off just like the two Spiritual Brothers we are. as timberline approached, Greg became vulnerable to the Kachina Spirits whose abode are the high mountain spaces upon the Sacred Peak. the Dharma came quick and easy through Greg and we shared that which is most important about working out; a common Love nurtured from a lifetime of sweat-based devotion to personal growth. i know by Direct Experience what life is like when paralyzed. i also know by Direct Experience what a life of chronic pain is all about. there can be no ‘give up’ in those of us so Blessed by traumatic inJury.

oh, how did Greg ever get DOWN from 11,500′ on the Peak?…

very,
very
VERY
FAST!
(in fact, i was so scared when Greg just flew down from the summit, i ran point blank down a Black Diamond Ski Run to intercept him and sprained my ankle in the process!…Greg? he was fine and flying and screaming downhill. it was Coach that came up gimpy after THIS Noble Workout on the Sacred Peak!)

GREG HOCKENSMITH

* 2002 Time Trial World Champion

* Gold – 2003 European road race open championship

* Gold – 2001 European team time trial open championship

* 4 time National Champion

* Arm powered bike distance World record holder – 252 miles in 17 hrs. 52 min.

* 2004 Paralympian

* World class competitor, mentor, motivator, business owner, and avid student of life

For the past 16 years, Greg Hockensmith has exemplified the spirit of sport, perseverance, and accomplishment. It has been this drive and desire to succeed that has endured with him in his handcycling career, a sport in which he has been a dominating figure for the last 5 years, and most recently, landed him a Paralympic birth in the 2004 Games in Athens, Greece.

However, as usual, the path of greatness is never an easy one. Greg was injured in a traumatic car accident that left him paralyzed from the waist down at the age of 16. Determined to not let this slow him down, it was sport that he felt was not only the great “equalizer” but also a way for him to excel. At a very young age, Greg had tremendous success as a wheelchair racer, and then it was wheelchair basketball that enabled him to go to college where he played for the Temple Rollin’ Owls in Philadelphia. While traveling the country and competing, Greg managed to earn his Bachelor’s and eventually a Master’s degree in neurophysiology. By the late 90’s, it was his new found love of handcycling that inspired Greg to move across the country to Arizona where he knew the year around sun shine and strong cycling influence of Tucson would fuel his passion. By 1998 he had won his first big race, a 367 mile stage race from Fairbanks to Anchorage in Alaska. Since then, Greg has won numerous National titles and domestic races, has won at least 3 International Gold medals, one world record, and a World Championship.

COACH’s Note:
i don’t need to go into just how screwed up are the politics of getting and keeping Heroes like Greg sponsored enough to maintain his equipment and training. if you would like to help Greg get to Bejing through donations or hiring him as a Speaker, send me an email. i am working on a Scholarship program to help him afford WF Online training and i could use your help!