As we prepare to take some major steps forward at The Distance Project, I wanted to write a short piece exploring our roots, as well as clarifying our long term vision.
The Distance Project started as an idea, scribbled onto a sheet of paper, and posted onto a refrigerator in a Portland apartment. The paper said “The Distance Project-Make it Happen.”
At the time I had been training athletes for just over two years. I worked with people in nearly every public park in Portland and Freeport, as well as on the waterfront, at the state parks, on mountain trails, and in their homes. I also worked at a local gym where I taught classes and provided 1-on-1 coaching. To say that these were lean times would be an understatement. I remember counting dimes most mornings to buy coffee, missing meals all too frequently, and staying just a breath away from homelessness while trying to get the business off of the ground.
It was not long after being struck by the initial vision for The Distance Project, and taping that note onto the fridge, that I opened up our training center here in Yarmouth. The space is now home to between 30-40 athletes, and each day it is packed with the energy, attitude, and spirit of impassioned people going after their most important goals.
I have always been fascinated with Malcolm Gladwell’s book The Tipping Point, as it reminds us that each day is sort of like a lottery ticket. We can be one revelation, one inspired idea, or one very small step away from experiencing a seismic shift in our lives. The scribbling of that note, and the clarity which it represented, was surely a tipping point moment for me.
As our Distance Project community continues to grow, and we prepare to move into a new building in Freeport, I wanted to begin a clearer conversation about what The Distance Project is, where it is going, and what I would view as a successful manifestation of the spirit and vision with which the center was formed.
Behind every kettlebell swing, deadlift, or box jump is a person working towards personal growth. Increased athletic performance, improved body composition, and a higher level of physical preparedness are the inevitable results of building stronger people. And that is what we do at The Distance Project.
We are working to build champions. People who are strong in every facet of their lives, and who are fearless about creating personal change.
We are working to create tipping points. Moments of confident vision and powerful insight that allow for the manifestation of dreams.
We are working to build a team. A group of people who are as tight as a family, and as committed to supporting one another on their goal paths as they are to their own progress. Our goal is not simply to make The Distance Project bigger, our goal is to always make it better. From our coaching and programming, to our relationships with one another, to our atmosphere of positivity, community, and mutual support we aim to become one of the best training centers in the nation.
We are training for all of life, and we are committed to the fearless and consistent raising of the bar.
A personal tipping point occurred this past weekend, as I gave thought to how we might expand our impact and spread the powerful energy that fills our training center each and every day to a larger audience. Expect to see a lot more posts, articles, and activity on the blog as we break in the new year together!