Who on earth Is Ken?

good question…

First and foremost, I’m a proud husband and father of three amazing children. We could stop there, but you’ve come this far.

I’m a graduate of Princeton University and a former running back on the Varsity Football team. Today, to keep the lights on I work as a Sales Executive in the tech industry for a great company in NYC. When not co-creating children with my wife Sonia, I still love to train and participate annually in a Decathlon to prove that I’m not entirely washed up.

Today at 33, I still carry the intrinsic belief that my best years are still before me. In my late 20’s however, my reality felt much different. Newly married, with a young daughter and an exciting sales job at a promising start up, I had a lot to be thankful for. The truth was the responsibilities and demands that came with all those new roles were starting to pile up and as a result of this, new pressure cracks in my wellbeing had begun to show that I hadn’t been aware of. Trying to “do it all” at a high level I was growing increasingly tired, stressed, irritable and frustrated with the feeling that, despite my best efforts, I was falling short across the board. What was most difficult for me, was that at times I knew I was not bringing the best version of myself and full energy at home to those who mattered most.

Sensing that I was at transitional point in my life that could go one of two ways, I made a critical inventory of my priorities and values and became determined to make a change. My primary focus: I was going to bring a better version of myself home each day to my wife and kids moving forward. That was non-negotiable. Coming from a long line of fixers I set to finding a means to correct the problem. If there was a book on stress management, sleep, meditation, relationships I read it. Specifically, I was looking to understand from individuals who seemed to accomplish so much how they managed to do it all and keep their sanity.

Slowly, but surely through dedicated work I began to add new approaches and habits to my life that would pay positive dividends personally and professionally. I’d be lying if I said it didn’t feel like two steps forward, one step back at times, but there was clear progress. Among those habits was recommitting to athletic training. From my playing days in college, I didn’t need a book to tell me that when working out and exercising I flat out felt better physically and mentally. What I began to discover was that in implementing these new positive habits when done in conjunction with committing even a modest amount of time to my own interests the other areas of my life began to improve as well.

Over the course of the next few years of my reinvigorated training I began to get the feeling that athletically I still had quite a bit left in the tank. Looking for an arena to test myself in, at age 31 I signed up for a modified Decathlon. Think NFL Combine meets Track Event all in one grueling day. Short on free time, but committed to performing well I began to research what today’s elites athlete’s were doing to train efficiently and perform at the highest level. What I found was that a monumental amount had changed in the world of athletic performance and human optimization since I’d last played. Excited about the new Nutrition, Recovery, Training and Mental Performance concepts and ideas I was exposed to, I kept having the same recurring thought “Man, if I was a professional athlete I would be doing all of this”. Then it hit me. Don’t I owe it to myself and those who count on me to approach my role as father, husband and colleague with that same commitment and strive for greatness? That monumental shift in perspective would dictate my approach to next few years of my life.

What I love about sport and fitness is that there is almost always a clear measurable outcome. In theory if I was sleeping better, training more effectively and more efficiently it should show up in my performance, and I was excited to see that it was. In fact, beyond even some of my loftiest expectations I got back into a level of physical shape that in many ways exceeded that of my playing days nearly a decade earlier. What was more exciting, was that it became clear that many of the same approaches that made for a better athlete were in fact making for a better person. Sleeping better, eating healthier, having more energy, looking better, and more disciplined, I was carrying around a much improved positive outlook and it was touching all areas of my life. Most importantly, that carried over to when I walked through the door after work.

As friends and family began to take notice I was excited to share the bits and pieces of what I had learned and had implemented. Over the course of opening up, which admittedly I’m often hesitant to do, I found that there are countless people like myself who felt burned out, stressed and unsatisfied with the way they were showing up every day. That’s when I began to think, “how can we bridge this knowledge gap and begin to scale this out to people who need it and are willing to put in the work?” That’s where the vision for this podcast was born.

By looking through the lens of sport, my goal is to interview thought leaders in the fields of athletic training, recovery, mental performance and human optimization at large in an effort to help expose you, the listener, to those who are helping today’s athletes succeed at the highest level. My hope is that, through the discovery of new ideas and concepts, you’ll find something that may help you reach your own athletic goals, but more importantly, show up as the best version of yourself in the roles that matter most.

Admittedly, I’m still very much a work in progress, but I hope you’ll join us for the ride.

Sincerely,

Ken Gunter