Market: Boston

Athlete: Max Osbon (Osbon Capital Management LLC) 

Muhammad Ali said, "I hated every minute of training, but I said, 'Don't quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.'." He reminds us that real training comes months and years before the big day. This July 23rd will be my fifth time competing in The Decathlon. By this point I'm committed to living The Decathlon life.

The big Decathlon day should be one of the best days of the year. When else can you get so many like-minded people together? Not just to fight it out for ego's sake (who doesn't love a challenge?), but for a good cause we can all believe in. It keeps us all focused. Knowing that an 800m run or a serious set of pull-ups is always less than a year away means that training is constant.

When you find yourself competing with type A athletes, the pressure can be overwhelming. It’s always important to remember the fun factor of being part of this group. When you join in, your participation raises +$1 million each year for cancer research. What could be better? That fact makes you train harder, move faster, and push yourself further. It's 100-times easier to show up for those early morning workouts time and again when you know you’re training for a cause in addition to a personal goal.

After you finish the 500m row, the halfway point of the day, all you want to do is call it and throw your shoes in a bag. No one ever does — we’re all in this together.

When it's all over, you can celebrate like a champion knowing you've trained hard, competed with the best and are now officially part of something bigger than yourself.

All the best things are worth working hard for.

Bring it,
Max