UNBROKEN [14.17]
June 30, 2017
Market: New York
Athlete: Everett Watson, Bank of America Merrill Lynch
I first heard about The D10 while interning at Bank of America Merrill Lynch. People talked about these competitors who, years into their careers, would test themselves and compete in this challenge to be the strongest, fastest, quickest – to perform at the highest level and do it all for charity.
I returned to my senior year at Stanford recovering from an injury that had ended my rowing season year before – it took two separate surgeries to repair the damage. As I worked back into the sport and pushed to get back to that level of competition; I didn’t have it. The kick that I used to have, I couldn’t find. It could have been a lack of focus, lack of desire, or even just lack of ability– I still don’t really know. I just couldn’t bring myself back mentally or physically to where I had been before the injury. After months of recovery and training to return, I sat down with my coach and decided that, for the first time that I could remember – I was no longer a competitive athlete. That sucked. But it also didn’t. It wouldn’t have been fair to push through it when I couldn’t give 100%. That’s not how rowing works, and that’s definitely not how teams work. And I finally had time to focus on things I wanted to experience without the responsibilities that come with being a collegiate athlete. Fast forward one year, and I was beginning my career on Wall Street.
Finally getting to work on the desk, but missing those days of training. I missed the goal of training for something: pushing myself physically, and that feeling of continued and measured improvement. I decided to take on the challenge and join The D10 in 2016. I reached out to Xavier Russo, my teammate, and we formed a team with our colleagues, Ian Hildebrand and Obum Obukwelu. Together we got it moving, and all of a sudden every training session I went for the extra rep, the extra minute, extra lap. It was crazy, like I’d found something I didn’t expect to ever see again. We were competitive with each other – in fundraising, in training, in diet, you name it. It was a shift back to a mindset that I had been missing. The months of training grew us closer as a team. We were in constant contact, updated on progress, training together, and keeping each other accountable. As corny as it sounds, I was an athlete again and I felt like one.
Halfway through my training last year, my aunt was diagnosed with breast cancer, and it really resonated how much cancer is prevalent in all of our lives, and something that one day we have to conquer. I realized this was more than just competing or fundraising – it was about doing MY part to help make my reality less of someone else’s. The pride I took in the competition doubled, and it took on new meaning. On Game day, we were ready. We showed up and were brought into the D10 family. The challenge, the camaraderie, the pain, and the grit – I knew this was just the beginning of my D10 experience. There is no way to truly know what this means, other than to go out and support the cause for yourself. So hopefully one day, I’ll see you out there.
Bring It,
Everett Watson