As part of my new web series, The Role Model In You, here is my most recent interview. The Role Model In You series discusses how individuals were influenced as a child to lead a healthy lifestyle. It covers who influenced these individuals, the changes they made in their life to be healthy, and the message they would like to convey to the youth of today. Our guests include doctors, soccer stars, Super Bowl champions, NBA players, Olympic gold medalist, entrepreneurs, celebrities, and just regular people looking to share their story. I hope you enjoy it!
1. Your name, title, and age? What do you do (or did you do) for a living?
Howard Brodwin, Founder, SportsandSocialChange.org, Age 44
Cause Related Marketing and Corporate Social Responsibility in Sports
2. Who was the person that inspired you as a child to eat healthy and stay fit? What was their relationship to you?
Both of my parents were the most influential people in my life to keep me active and healthy. We were definitely an active family, participating in sports together and they encouraged me to play sports throughout my school years. We also ate healthy at home, but it never really seemed like anything out of the ordinary to me as a kid – it was just good food.
3. What did they do to inspire you?
They definitely encouraged me to give everything my best effort, and win or lose, that was most important. If you put in everything you’ve got (and don’t cheat), you can walk away satisfied with or without a trophy or medal. Throughout my childhood and teenage years, I saw my parents face a variety of challenges, but they never let anything get to them. They stayed positive, focused and always found a way to keep going.
4. How did their lesson change your life?
I took those lessons to heart and do my best to live like them everyday. Life is going to kick you around sometimes – that’s how it goes. You have to be able to pick yourself up, dust yourself off and keep going in the direction you believe is right. If you stay committed to what you want to accomplish, and give it everything you’ve possibly got, you’ll be successful. Any great athlete will tell you that sometimes you have to empty the tank to get the finish line, and that’s when you really see what you’re made of – and that’s where anyone can be “great.”
5. Do you convey their message to kids in your life presently?
Absolutely! I’ve been coaching youth hockey for the past 20 years and I make sure every player understands that effort matters more than skill. I can teach them the skills and we can perfect them through practice, but the effort has to come from within. And that effort has to be more than just physical – everyone needs to be “present” mentally as well as physically, at practice and in the games.
6. What would be your main message to children today to lead healthy lifestyles?
Good habits start NOW. Being healthy today leads to being healthy for the rest of your life. Kids aren’t often thinking about what their lives are going to be like in 20-30 years, but if they don’t get in the habit of taking care of their bodies now, they won’t be motivated to do it when they have the responsibilities of a job, a family, a mortgage, etc. I can’t really hammer this home with the 10 year-olds that I coach, but as they get older – and sometimes get lazier – I try to make sure they realize that who they are now is shaping who they’ll be for the rest of their lives.
7. Do you have a web site you would like to promote….web address only?