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Over the years, there are people that will make huge impacts on our lives. One person in particular that has been a huge part in my athletic career is Scott Jones. I still remember my first training session with him near the end of my junior year of high school and how nervous I was. My mom had met Scott through a tennis boot camp that she had done in our community. He was working as a personal trainer at the local fitness club. I had problems with injuries all throughout my freshmen, sophomore and junior years on the cross-country and track team whether it was my knees, shin splints, or a nagging pain or issue here or there. Nothing kept me from competing on the team and running, but always having something hurting wasn't really all that much fun. Scott told my mom that he could fix that and help me get better at running. All I thought with a personal trainer was that I was just going to get my butt kicked. Although he has kicked my butt, a lot, he was more than just a personal trainer but also a life coach for me and has left a much larger impact on me for all aspects of my life, not just in athletics.
Scott pushed me hard, harder than I knew my body could go. I hurt in places I never had, but he believed in me and sometimes that's all I needed to hear. I wanted to get better and make it to state and knew that Scott would help me get there. I am the type of person when a coach tells me to jump I ask how high or how many times. I wanted to do my best and impress him every day and show him what I was capable of doing as well as prove to myself that I could do it.
He not only brought out a hard worker in me but he showed me that I could do the things I set my mind to. I also got to work with his wife Lauren who knew a lot about nutrition and was helpful in aiding me in that area to fuel myself correctly.
I made state my senior year in high school and led the team to its first year qualifying for state in 9 years. I also broke the mile record at my high school that track season and set new personal records in all of my events. My swimming even improved. I do not think that I would be where I am today, at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, training for modern pentathlon if it weren't for him. I know that I had to put in the work, but having him push me the right amount and give me that belief and power to do the things I didn't think I could do has taken me so much further than just my track and cross-country teams in high school.
Scott recently started up a company called Athlete On Fire. AOF has daily podcasts that showcase athletes from all levels and walks of life. The show is made to inspire people to take action and give stories of the journey that athletes have taken in business, their sports, and life in general. I was fortunate enough to be an athlete showcased on a podcast. The link is below and I urge everyone to take a look at the other athletes that he has interviewed as well. The stories are amazing and I love being able to hear about others journeys and hardships they have overcome to get to where they are. Everyone has a story and Scott is really passionate about this and sharing those stories with other people.
Sammy's podcast:
Athlete On Fire
http://athleteonfire.com/
