The impact that sport has had on me as an athlete I find easy to put into words, however the impact that it has had on me as a person goes much deeper than what I can put into an article. Being an athlete is how I’ve described myself my whole life and I am proud of it because I have put endless hours and work into trying to be the best version of myself. My sport has done more than just made me a goal-driven and motivated person, it has also helped me through mental illness and some of my biggest personal battles.
I started Canoe-kayak as a sport when I was 15 after years of being a hockey player, lacrosse player and cross country runner. I fell in love with the sport right away and I loved the challenge of it just as much as I loved being outside everyday doing it.
When I was 13 years old I was diagnosed with obsessive compulsive disorder better known as OCD and anxiety. At the time it consumed me, I wasn’t able to properly function at school and it affected every aspect of my life.
Sports is where I felt free from a mental illness that trapped me. I was on a ridiculous amount of medication and seeing therapy on the regular, but my passion for my sport is what drove me to get up most days. It was always something I could look forward to as it was always my escape from my anxiety and the best part of my day. I am 21 years old now and my days of medication and therapy were a long time ago, that doesn’t mean that my mental illness has magically disappeared. I wouldn’t say I suffer from anxiety or obsessive compulsive disorder anymore, but I would be lying if I said I don’t deal with it on a regular basis. How I deal with it now is by staying focused on my goals and myself.
My OCD has caused me a lot of problems in my life, but if I can find a positive out of it all, it is that it does not allow me to give anything less than my best in anything I do. Not only do I enjoy the sport I do, I enjoy pushing myself to new limits, striving towards achieving goals as I believe in order to have success in what you do, you need to enjoy the steps along the way. Training has it’s not so pretty moments, but at the end of the day when I am in my boat doing what I love there is no place I rather be.
Bret Himmelman, Canadian Canoer
Any individuals in sports and fitness who would like to share their voice, please submit to hank@hankfittraining.com