The events of 2020 have moved our lives around in a way that nobody could have predicted. A common yet lasting side effect of this shift has been our inability to get back to our “beforetimes” routines. The athletic community has been resilient. Most of us kept up with our training. Some of us even found more time in lockdown to get back to training after taking a long break. Some of us had to be more resourceful and find creative ways to workout and train, because there was no more access to public areas. But I think we can all relate to feeling a bit rusty in the more "regular" parts of life: while calling to make appointments; or finding time to go out and run errands after work; or even just to make plans with friends whom we haven’t seen in two years. Some of us might have had these troubles even before the pandemic. Sometimes the source for these setbacks are injuries or personal life events that we have no control over. In times like these it is often easy to get overwhelmed, and subsequently forget how to find the discipline and motivation to get into the swing of things. And very often we find ourselves foregoing one thing in order to keep the other. In this webinar, Michael Casista, a swimmer turned triathlete, explains how he manages a high-pressure job that requires frequent traveling, training for high intensity athletic events, and still finding time to make friends and train with them! We all need to feel our lust for life again. Born in Toronto, Ontario, Michael Casista has lived in Kingston since 2004. Michael started competitive swimming at age 10. By the time he graduated from Queen’s University Mechanical Engineering, Michael had been coaching the Triathlon team, and played on multiple varsity teams, including Water Polo. After taking a break from competitive swimming to focus on his career in the aluminum manufacturing and consulting industries, Michael returned to swimming in 2013 to go to the World Masters Swimming Championships in 2014. In 2015, he started Triathlons again and did his first Ironman in 2018. In 2021, he got back into training with friends, and met a whole bunch of runners and cyclists that had always been interested in triathlons but were scared of swimming. In the months of July and August 2021, Michael opened up a weekly swim clinic at his house through the months of July and August to get people of all capabilities and fitness levels, comfortable with being in and around the water, in different conditions. The upcoming Lust for Life webinar will open for registration next week. Follow us on Instagram to stay tuned!
