Issue #130: Winning Surf Titles at 50
Good morning. It’s Friday, February 17th. Michael Jordan turns 60 today. We've already talked about Brady and Lebron defying their age to stay on top of their sports, but what about another all-time great who turned 50 last week and is still winning championships? Check out our story below.
“Love does not consist in gazing at each other, but in looking outward together in the same direction.”
Weekly Insights: How To Love
Inspiration: Surfing Pipeline at 50
Friday Flex: Plank, Bicycle, and Spiderman
Brain Games: People On A Boat
Love makes you tough. In one study, participants with a romantic partner experienced 44.7% less pain when exposed to heat and a picture of their romantic partner vs. baseline participants. (Study)
Weekly Insights
Click HERE to check out previous issues in the Thrive25 archive.
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Inspiration
What does it take to become both the youngest and oldest World Surf Champion?
Just 2 years after turning pro (and finishing high school) Kelly Slater won his first title. 19 years later, in 2011, he won his 11th. 🐐
Incredibly, he’s still on the World Tour this year - after turning 50 last week - and even won Pipeline Hawaii in 2022.
So how does he still do it?
Nutrition: Way back in his early 20’s, Slater became focused on his diet - even reading all the ingredient labels of his food. He was an early adopter to the benefits of healthy fats - eating a ton of avocados, coconuts, and chia seeds (he’s now a brand ambassador for The Chia Company). Also a big fan of fasting and cleanses.
Most recently he started to take food allergy tests and draw bloodwork so that he can personalize the right diet for his body. But admits that it’s also about reading your body and eating few enough ingredients that you can actually tell what affects your body - good and bad.
In terms of supplements - he mentions COQ10, GABA (see Issue #19), and 5HTP (tryptophan).*
*I also take COQ10 and rotate in 5HTP. And, just like Slater, I start my day with hot lemon water - hasn’t helped my surf performance though.
Movement: Crazy enough Slater was born with scoliosis and will throw out his back, neck or even a rib. He said he used to make fun of surfing legends like Tom Carroll who talked about their body being all connected - how your ankle affects your back. But now realizes that connected physiology is all true and he has to really take care of his body.
He focuses on yoga, pilates, stretching and jujitsu. He also always travels with his Hypervolt massage tool when he can’t get the real thing.
Mental Health: Nearly any competitor will tell you Slater is the GOAT because of his competitiveness and mental strength.
Slater might not be able to control the waves, but no one is more prepared going into a competition. He focuses on what he can control - his diet, his body, his board design, his knowledge of the wave and his competitors.
Even with all that control - Slater has gone to therapy and believes we all need that kind of support and a shoulder to cry on. He is a speaker for Surfers Against Suicide - having lost multiple friends.
A few final quotes from his recent interview with GQ:
"Number one importance for people: Put your own personal health ahead of everything."
"If I could teach anything to little kids coming up? I say think of 30 years from now. When you're 30, think of when you're 60. When you're 50, think of when you're 80."
"I know when—if—I make it to 80 or 90, I want to be looking out for myself. I don't want someone taking care of me or feed me or any of that—I wanna have a good, long life and be healthy."
It's like he wrote the Thrive25 Brand Book!
For the full GQ interview click HERE.
Want to see his Surf Ranch - check it out HERE. (Bucket List)
Friday Flex
Ending the week with some core and a full body stretch. What's your goal for how long you can hold that last weighted plank set??
Click HERE to view the workout on our YouTube channel.
Workout and video courtesy of Connor J. Obrochta. Check out all of Connor's workouts on Playbook!
Brain Games
#1: 2-min Break - Boating
You see a boat filled with people. It has not sunk and no one jumped or fell into the water, but when you look again you don’t see a single person on the boat. Why?
Why: Sharpen focus, logic and reasoning skills
Credit: Reader's Digest
#2: 10-min of Focus - Try the Harder Way
COVID has changed the way we work and interact with each other. For some of us that work at home, meeting new people or seeing people in different situations just doesn’t happen. Even those at work struggle - I mean, we weren’t allowed to connect for 12+ months, it's hard to get back on the saddle. But it’s extremely important.
Over the last 4 weeks - we’ve discussed how to increase our intelligence by seeking novelty, challenging yourself, thinking creatively and doing things the hard way. Networking helps to naturally develop each of these areas and then some. So go out and strike up a conversation with someone new at your kids’ game this weekend or say Hi to that person in the elevator instead of looking at the floor. It will help your brain. 🧠
Why: Open yourself up to new opportunities for cognitive growth
Credit: Scientific American
**For answer, scroll to the bottom of the post
Thanks for another great week! And the winner of our 80's Love Song poll (in our newsletter) to send you into an awesome weekend - see you on Monday!
Check out the latest workout videos on our YouTube channel
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** Brain Games Answer **
#1: All the people on the boat are married
Why Thrive25
We’re 40-something dads that felt our bodies and minds start to slow down and we’re not ready for that. We found too much information on every subject. So we started Thrive25 to transform what we’ve learned into something useful for the rest of us to spend just 3-5 min a day to optimize our health & longevity.
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The information in this newsletter is for informational purposes only and may not be appropriate or applicable based on your individual circumstances. Thrive25 Labs LLC does not provide medical, professional, or licensed advice. Please connect with your healthcare professional for medical advice specific to your health needs.