What’s Important to Me
I believe the key to happiness is built on the fundamentals of training hard, working hard, playing hard, and loving often! My wife Kim and family are my top priority! Athletics such as triathlons or 5k’s help hold me accountable for staying in shape and living a healthy lifestyle.
How’d I get into Triathlons? In the late 80′s I felt like the slowest runner of all time. My middle school would host running events, where I’d typically be the last person to finish. I couldn’t play basketball or football, and even baseball was a struggle. I was about 11 years old when I took up running. I started with 1 mile, upped it to 2 miles, before I knew it I was among the fastest distance men in High School. Later down the road, I found myself contending for a varsity spot on Eastern Michigan’s Varsity Track and Cross Country teams.
After college, I settled down, began my career, and stumbled into the sport of Triathlon. I was watching the Hawaii Ironman and thought “Yeah I could do that.” I started racing Triathlons in August of 2000, and the rest has been history. A couple years into the sport, I met a person that would end up changing my life. This person is 3x World Champion and Ironman Aaron Scheidies. I’m on of Aaron’s guides for Triathlon events (Aaron is legally blind). Aaron and I have travelled the world for triathlons. He has opened my eyes!!! I owe a lot of my success in this sport to Aaron Scheidies.
MultiSport be it swimming, running, or biking, will continue to play a significant role in my life. I need athletics to keep me balanced and focused so that I can be a great husband, friend, co-worker, and teammate. I look forward in sharing the positive side of athletics with all of you. Anyone who invests time into their own sport is a winner in my book. I look forward to seeing you on the field, road, or pool of competition.
Matt West