Elite Athletes & Overlanding

[RemarkableOverland]

Hi team!

This is my first post on OB, and it's to tap into this amazing network of people all over the world.

My wife is a retired olympian and has discovered a passion for overlanding she never expected to have. We're interested in hearing from others in the overlanding community that were/are elite athletes, and which aspects of overlanding you have come to grow and love.

If you're out there, let's connect!

 

[LONO100]

By no means am I an Olympian, nor do I consider myself elite, but I am an athlete and I think athletics and venturing overland go together because of a common theme. Pushing yourself passed the limits and going into the unknown.

 

[RemarkableOverland]

By no means am I an Olympian, nor do I consider myself elite, but I am an athlete and I think athletics and venturing overland go together because of a common theme. Pushing yourself passed the limits and going into the unknown.

Just to be clear, I wouldn't even consider myself an athlete .

I love what you said, though. In both scenarios, we're trying to find out what we're capable of and where our limits are, where to focus and improve so that next time, we're better equipped to handle whatever situation presents itself.

 

[NorCalRam]

To me both are very similar. Dedication and preparation to perform as best as possible.
I often center my trips around hikes or some outdoor activity so there is some athletic activity there.

 

[Murphy Slaw]

I used to be a very competitive beer can lifter.

But I retired.....

 

[rho]

I've found a lot of elite and high performing athletes into long duration, off the grid travel. Myself included... Most of my friends who have RTT's on their trucks and are kitted out for travel are not doing it for 4x4 trips but rather mountain bike trips and camping and riding for a week out in Moab or Washington or Downieville.
I'm a mountain biker myself, and I started racing back in the late 90's in my teens, and then sort of kept up with it through the years. I never got past the semi-pro stage of racing because I flat out don't have the genetic gifts/build to excel at it, I eventually found a niche in endurance racing. Both doing 8 and 24hr solo races and doing 8/12/24 hour team races. My Career, family, transition and lack of time brought an end to most of the racing I was doing, but I've been giving some thought about doing some major endurance stuff again like the Tahoe-Sierra 100 and to try to qualify for the Leadvile100. But its been a challenge because I don't have time to put in 20+ hours a week of training to perform at that level anymore.

 

[Lil Bear]

I myself love playing sports and various other activities. Am I an athlete....nah. I do however try to stay healthy and in shape. Before getting into overlanding I liked to hike and backpack. Now I still like to do those things but I can do it from other places I couldn't before, cause I can drive to spots lol!!! I would like to get me a good bike that I can ride trails with. I really enjoy bike riding. I also kayak, which is extremely fun and gives you a little bit of a workout.

 

[Autism Family Travels]

I used to be a very competitive beer can lifter.

But I retired.....

Beat me to it, I am far from retired from professional drinking however! ha ha ha. Careful pushing past the limits in that one though, the outcome is BRUTAL! I have been there on more than one occasion.

On a more serious note, I raced mountian bikes in Yellowknife when I lived there. Podium'ed a couple of times, but now it's just for fun of riding out doors.

 

[USStrongman]

The term Elite athlete is vague. I am a retired "elite" athlete, ranked in the top 20 in the world for four years, at my sport. But... my sport has absolutely nothing to do with overlanding. One of the tenants to overlanding that is preached by many is to never go alone. In my sport, its all I did. Trained, nutrition, supplementation, travel... by myself. I was responsible to myself only. Sure some people surround themselves with trainers, physicians, therapists, sponsors, etc. Not my sport for most of us. Alone... just how I like my travel.

 

[Autism Family Travels]

What was your sport?

 

[LONO100]

What was your sport?

From his username, I'm going to guess strong man competition.

 

[Autism Family Travels]

That totally fits with overlanding. You need to carry things like water, food, firewood, lift a friend out of a ditch.

 

[USStrongman]

Thats what my roof rack and winch are for!

 

[Autism Family Travels]

Roof rack only gets it to camp. Ha ha ha.

 

[RemarkableOverland]

The term Elite athlete is vague. I am a retired "elite" athlete, ranked in the top 20 in the world for four years, at my sport. But... my sport has absolutely nothing to do with overlanding. One of the tenants to overlanding that is preached by many is to never go alone. In my sport, its all I did. Trained, nutrition, supplementation, travel... by myself. I was responsible to myself only. Sure some people surround themselves with trainers, physicians, therapists, sponsors, etc. Not my sport for most of us. Alone... just how I like my travel.

Thanks for sharing. My wife also competed individually, and it was all she did for most of her childhood. She had a hard time transitioning out, and overlanding/camping was a huge help. Were you always an overlander/camper, or or did this hobby come after your sport?

 

[RemarkableOverland]

I've found a lot of elite and high performing athletes into long duration, off the grid travel. Myself included... Most of my friends who have RTT's on their trucks and are kitted out for travel are not doing it for 4x4 trips but rather mountain bike trips and camping and riding for a week out in Moab or Washington or Downieville.
I'm a mountain biker myself, and I started racing back in the late 90's in my teens, and then sort of kept up with it through the years. I never got past the semi-pro stage of racing because I flat out don't have the genetic gifts/build to excel at it, I eventually found a niche in endurance racing. Both doing 8 and 24hr solo races and doing 8/12/24 hour team races. My Career, family, transition and lack of time brought an end to most of the racing I was doing, but I've been giving some thought about doing some major endurance stuff again like the Tahoe-Sierra 100 and to try to qualify for the Leadvile100. But its been a challenge because I don't have time to put in 20+ hours a week of training to perform at that level anymore.

All these mountain bikers! I must be missing out...

When you meet these other high performing athletes out there, is it often because their sports naturally led them to overlanding/camping (like mountain biking), for the love of nature, or something else?

 

[rho]

All these mountain bikers! I must be missing out...

When you meet these other high performing athletes out there, is it often because their sports naturally led them to overlanding/camping (like mountain biking), for the love of nature, or something else?

For a lot of the folks I know through cycling, the search for trails and going to races led to us doing more camping and to more van-life and overland type travel. I've been camping and 4wheeling for a decades though, and endurance racing, mountain biking, distance running, fourwheeling all kind of feeds into the same need to get out there and MOVE and explore and see stuff and be outside.

In my experience, us athletic folk find each other and we tend to gravitate towards one another because we can't sit still and there is that constant need to get out there and do stuff.
The flip side to this is my partner is a totally opposite from me and shes fairly stay at home.

 

[USStrongman]

Thanks for sharing. My wife also competed individually, and it was all she did for most of her childhood. She had a hard time transitioning out, and overlanding/camping was a huge help. Were you always an overlander/camper, or or did this hobby come after your sport?

It all started by wanting to go tot he mountains with friends, but I was too big with little flexibility to ski or snowboard. Plus I weighed 350-365lbs at the time. I went snowshoeing instead. That got me out of the gym and outside. Living in Seattle made that a ton easier too. That led to hiking, even though in the first year or two I wouldnt go far, I just didnt have the wind for it, my joints were not happy and I weighed well over 330 lean pounds. After I broke my neck and left the sport, I continued and was able to go further, though I was still 320-330lbs. I enjoyed getting out so much, in the warmer months I would go north into Canada and hike Grouse Mountain, Whistler, etc. If I couldnt hike as far as I wanted, I could drive further and hike further, thus offroading in my Ford Expedition, which turned into car camping, which turned into going further. Thus, my first Jeep JKU.

 

[old_man]

Made made a living racing motorcycles and it paid for my college. I climbed mountains and hiked every weekend for decades doing professional photography. Overlanding has allowed me to get to places I can no longer hike to since I am almost 70 and have had 19 orthopedic surgeries caused from being an adrenaline junky.

It is all about getting out and doing, not reading about it or watching someone else do it, or playing a game about it, but actually doing it. That has been my motto my whole life.

 

[FishinCrzy]

I used to be a very competitive beer can lifter.

But I retired.....

So, you competed in the 16 oz. curls?