Our June Iron Ager of the Month is Shawn Hoyt.
Shawn is in his mid 50’s and is on a mission to prove to himself and others that we can get better as we get older.
In April, he completed the Boston Marathon after a 23 yr hiatus. In addition to running, Shawn rucks, lifts weights and competes in OCR races and triathlons. Shawn is training to complete is first, full Ironman distance triathlon this year.
From Shawn, “Why am I so focused on my fitness and my mindset as I get into my mid-50s and beyond? The reason: to inspire myself, and others, to become the best versions of ourselves as we get older. To embrace the mindset that age is not a limitation, it is an asset. To decide, every day, to make a positive impact in the lives of others. To push myself outside of my comfort zone and put in the hard work, consistently, to achieve my goals, so that I am best able to inspire and support others to achieve theirs.”
“As I have gotten older, this mindset has become more and more important to me. I am more focused now, more disciplined, more consistent. I am also more brave and more willing to challenge myself to new things. I started doing triathlons in my 40s and doing obstacle course races in my 50s. I set PRs (personal records) at most of my racing distances in my 40s and in the 5K in my 50s. To this day, I challenge myself to place near the top of my age group in the races I run. There are certainly obstacles: sore knees, injuries, longer recovery times. But I stay positive and know I am capable of bouncing back each time. As they say, the setback makes the comeback even sweeter. I remember as I compete that the pain I am feeling is temporary but the pride I will feel from accomplishing my goal will last forever. ”
Learn more about Shawn on his website.
Follow Shawn on Instragram: @shawnhoytstayactive
CLICK HERE to nominate someone (or yourself) to be featured as an Iron Ager of the Month.
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