What's Your Fitness DNA?

What's Your Fitness DNA?

How to understand the apple doesn't fall far from the family tree

Why do you like Fitness? Why are you passionate about the topic? Obviously, you were blessed with the gift of health, fitness, maybe even athletics. So is it possible that DNA mapped your path in life before you were born?

When Mary Lou Retton catapulted to international fame by winning the All Around Gold Medal in women's gymnastics at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, becoming the first American woman ever to win a gold medal in gymnastics she visualized her winning and success for years prior to her great achievments. Practicing time and time again for this event in her head became the fuel for her relentless drive to become a top gymnist,  motivational speaker and corporate spokesperson and also travels the world as a "Fitness Ambassador" promoting the benefits of proper nutrition and regular exercise. Mary Lou serves as national chairperson and sits on the Board of Governors of the Children's Miracle Network. Mary lou is following what I would call her DNA.

Dana Torres, otherwise known as the even dozen
won three silver medals in Beijing, bringing her career total to 12. That ties her for first with Jenny Thompson for the most for a U.S. female Olympian. Her meet started on the first day of finals, when she anchored the U.S. 4x100m free relay team, and ended on the last, when she anchored the 4x100 medley relay team. She also won a silver in the 50m free, losing the gold by just .01 of a second. Torres already was the oldest U.S. swimming gold medalist at 33 in in Sydney. At age 41, she's the oldest Olympic swimming medalist in history. She's also the only swimmer to win a medal in five Olympics. She is another athlete that "inherited" her drive and DNA.

In another example, it is a sheer coincidence that the world has never been the same   before the golfing phenom of Tiger Woods. A golfer whose amazing youth and amateur exploits were followed up by equally amazing professional exploits.

Woods was imitating his father's golf swing at age 6 months, while still in his crib. At age 2, he appeared on the "Mike Douglas Show" and putted with Bob Hope. At age 3, he shot 48 for 9 holes, and at age 5 he was featured in Golf Digest.

And then the really impressive stuff started. Woods won the Optimist International Junior tournament 6 times, starting at age 8. He won three U.S. Junior Amateurs, the first to do so. His first of three straight U.S. Amateur titles came in 1994.

He turned pro in late summer 1996 and played 7 tournaments on the PGA Tour, needing to finish in the Top 125 to avoid having to go through Q-School. Woods won twice and posted 5 straight Top 5 finishes.

In 1997, he won the Masters for his first major. Woods won just once in 1998, but in 1999 he began a string of consecutive Player of the Year awards that didn't end until Vijay Singh won the title in 2004.

He won 8 times in 1999, then 9 more times in 2000. Woods' 2000 season is arguably the best ever on the PGA Tour. He became the second golfer to win three professional majors in one year and broke Byron Nelson's more-than-50-year-old scoring average record.

In 2001, when he won the Masters, Woods became the first golfer to hold all four professional majors at the same time.

Tiger Woods holds or shares the record for the low score in relation to par in all four professional majors. He's won the U.S. Open by 15 strokes, the Masters by 12 and the British Open by 8 strokes.

A swing change slowed his winning a bit in 2004, and his record streak of consecutive cuts ended at 142 in 2005. But he roared back with two majors in '05.

Woods took a couple months off in 2006 following the death of his father, and missed the cut in his return at the U.S. Open. But then he won the next two majors and reeled off wins in the next eight tournaments he played.

In 2008, Woods won a dramatic playoff victory in the U.S. Open, then revealed that he was playing with a torn ACL and with a fracture in his leg. He underwent surgery shortly after and missed the next eight months. The 2009 WGC Accenture Match Play Championship marked his return. He is a perfect example of following his destiny, God given talents, and DNA.

As an Author, NSA speaker, advertising copywriter, Fitness and Weight loss Expert, Nutrition Specialist, and Wellness Coach, I am convinced that I inherited "Fitness Entrepreneur DNA." I credit my mother for my way with positive, encouraging words, and the early memories of my father who died when I was 13 for my zest for life. My ability to inspire from the platform, paper, face to face, or even by phone was ingrained in me by my parents and significant events that happened to them before I was born.

Resources:

NBC Sports.com, www.marylouretton.com/new_site_biography.htm, about.com/ golf

By, Natalie Pyles

Author, NSA Speaker, Fitness and Weight loss Expert, Nutrition Specialist, and Wellness Coach