I have a bracelet I wear on my left wrist that says “Better Everyday”. I received it from an amazing strength and conditioning coach who lives in Vancouver, Canada named Peter Twist. The guy has been a pioneer in the realm of strength and conditioning for greater than 25 years and is most known for his part in developing countless athletes for the NHL, a role he maintained for 11 years. I recently got to meet Peter Twist at a personal training conference I went to in the middle of August. That is where he gifted me my bracelet, along with 100+ others who did the workout he coached us through. Despite receiving countless other bracelets at that event, I continue to only wear his. His personal message of triumph despite a horrific diagnosis is why I continue to wear it.
After taking me and everyone else in the room through an amazing workout, Peter had us all cool down as he shared his reason for the “Better Everyday” bracelets. He told us of a particular day he was snowshoeing up a Vancouver mountain with friends and family when he just decided to charge it as hard as he could. One other friend was able to keep stride with him and the two of them steadily left the rest of the group feeling as if they could go forever. Life was great he shared with us. He was in the best shape of his life. His relationships with family and friends were solid. Business was rocking along. He was a 10 out of 10! Two weeks later he was diagnosed with a baseball-sized tumor settled precariously close to his brain stem. Stage IV nasopharyngeal cancer was the diagnosis and he was given a death sentence by two oncologists and a slight chance of survival by a third. He chose to listen to the third prognosis and was subjected to intense concentrated radiation all over the right side of his head, neck, and shoulder. The guy was inspiring to hear as he recounted all of the mental, physical, spiritual, and social support elements he made sure to have in place to aid him in creating the best chance of survival. Three years later he is still in remission and has pretty much resumed his 10 out of 10 life.
Here are the takeaways I want you to hear. Peter never took his health for granted. He was literally in the best shape of his life 2 weeks before his diagnosis. As he shared, if he had not been with such a horrific form of cancer, he would be on the other side of the ground right now. So, take your health seriously. As he also quoted to us. Challenge does not give you a heads up and let you know when to expect it. You have to be prepared for challenge! Each day ask yourself, “what does “Better Everyday” look like for me today?”