From The Archive: The Athlete In The Arena

In light of our recent post on Instagram it occurred to me that some of you may not know where the name “Arena Ready” came from, or what inspired it. To that end, here is a blog post we wrote nearly six-and-a-half years ago in August of 2012… word for word, in its original & unchanged format.

The words still give me goosebumps.

"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat."

--Excerpt from "Citizens in a Republic," Theodore Roosevelt, 1910

We've always loved this quote -  we feel it speaks to anyone who has fought hard to achieve something, whether or not they won.  It's a beautiful description of how a life of purpose feels.  This quote took on new meaning when Sarah saw it on the wall of her grandpa's office shortly after he passed away.  He was her hero, and he was never proud of anything other than her best. He inspired her to achieve things she might not have otherwise considered.  We believe that is what a hero is fundamentally, someone who can set an example of what's possible.

Arena Ready exists to investigate and understand the limits and capabilities of people individually and collectively to improve their own lives and the lives of those around them. Success is not an overnight phenomenon, it's a result of showing up every day to do the best you can on that day.  It's the combined efforts of a community to improve the way its members approach their lives.  Most importantly, it's individually defined - to succeed, you must know what you consider success.

We believe there is too little authenticity in the world today - by focusing on appearances, people too seldom focus on substance, and these artificial fronts weaken everyone - only through honest evaluation and effort can anyone ever know where they stand, and where they can go.  Everyone sees the world through their own interpretation - we see a world of limitless possibilities.  We see potential in everyone, and if possible, we want to help people achieve that potential.  We've been blessed to experience world class coaching throughout our careers spanning multiple sports, and we hope to pass on the lessons we've learned.

The Arena is intense.  It's your life, and this is a battle.  We believe it's a battle worth fighting, and we stand in your corner.

Coach Lavinia sporting one of the original “AR Quote” t-shirts many years ago

WOD For 01-09-19:

With a Partner, AMRAP 22 Minutes:

1000m Row

44 Med Ball Sit-ups @ 20/14 lbs

33 Burpees Over the Rower

22 Chest-to-Bar Pull-ups

*Only one person working at a time, switch whenever you like.

*Can you and a teammate start fast, hold on, and make 3+ rounds?