Okay so I thought I would formally introduce myself by telling my story! I grew up in Amherst, NS, Canada and currently live in British Columbia. As a kid I was involved in every sport I could get into. I played hockey, baseball, track, softball, cross country, and basketball. I wasn’t really that good at anything but I think I had a big heart and a little bit of work ethic. I chose basketball to be my number one sport and focused a lot of my time on it. Throughout high school I improved with little guidance. Pretty much everything I know about the game I picked up from coaches I wasn’t able to spend much time with. That was okay for me because I am a self-learner. I’ve been able to apply what I learned in high school throughout my life so far…
After high school I was accepted to the Royal Military College of Canada. This was a huge jump for me. I went from doing what I want…(being disciplined for things I enjoyed) to doing things I didn’t want (and having incredible discipline for things I hated). I made the basketball team…and I think that was the only thing that got me through the first two years. I basically sucked at life for the first two years. I couldn’t find balance. I had trouble meeting people and making friends. I was forced to stand on parade for hours, run obstacle courses, not sleep, take 12 courses at a time, and be judged 24/7. I lived with 1000 people who were just like me…brain-washed. We had to be brain-washed…if you weren’t you couldn’t survive. Luckily for me, I had basketball.
I played in the OUA (my favorite conference in Canada) and we were terrible! But that was okay for me. I mean I really wanted to win…but just being on that stage was amazing. We practiced everyday and played every weekend. It was a great escape from the College and I got to do the thing I loved! Throughout my 4 years a lot went down on the team (too much to get into here). I ended up having to play a ton of minutes before I was ready to and my game suffered because of it. The most important thing about being on the team was being able to learn balance from the guys who had being doing it for years. I made some changes…
In third year I decided to be awesome…that was what I did. I brought my grades up (WAY up), became a better basketball player (I just let it happen), became respected at the college (my hard work was getting noticed), and became bilingual (a pre-requisite to graduation). I’ll say once again…how I did this…I just decided. I learned about balance and was able to prioritize my life. It worked and I was (and still am) very thankful!
Fast forward to 4th year! Amy is in the picture!!! Amy changed my life! She taught be about pressure, stress, balance, patience…basically all the important stuff. I am a better person because of her! Since we have been together: I had an amazing 4th year (earning the Department of National Defense Award of Merit), I have taken time for myself and have learned about family, I have learned about me and who I am and who I want to be, I learned about change and evolving (two important things in my life)…and I became smarter, a better basketball player and a healthier person in general. We got married in 2009!
Since graduating from RMC (Bachelor of Science – Double Major in Chemistry and Psychology) things have dramatically changed for me. I got out of the military (because I knew it wasn’t for me…I think I can offer the world more than what was available in the Canadian Forces…), I have been accepted to Naturopathic Medical School (my real calling), Amy and I got married (best and most important day of my life!), and we started our own business (DAMY Health…our baby). We love what we do and have a really bright future…We can see it…oh…and we decided it was bright!
Since becoming a Strength and Conditioning Coach and starting DAMY Health with Amy (a Holistic Nutritionist, Personal Trainer, and Lifestyle Expert) we have made big time decisions for our life. We love British Columbia, we love Health and Wellness, we love to travel, and we love Balance. We love our family and we love sharing our advice and experience with you all via blogs. I hope you enjoy our blogs and programs!
David
