Remember that crazy Backyard Ultra race in Germany a few weeks ago? The one where they run 6.7 kilometers (or ~4.167 miles) every hour on the hour until only one athlete remains. Yeah, that one. The Last Soul Ultra.
Mark Dowdle, the guy who ultimately outlasted everyone by completing 94 loops…yeah, over 391 miles, almost didn’t make it to the start line.
That’s right. Dowdle arrived at the start line just 15 minutes before 3,2,1…go.
Why?
Well, Dowdle had committed to giving a keynote speech prior to committing to run in this race in Germany.
Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, Dowdle’s flight was delayed. This caused him to miss his connecting flight out of Chicago to fly into Germany.
His team scrambled, found another flight into Amsterdam. Then, they chartered a private jet to get into Germany. From there, his driver frantically drove to the Last Soul Ultra.
It’s crazy to think Dowdle was dealing with travel, logistics and everything that comes with it and was able to outlast the 160 other athletes to win the Last Soul Ultra.
It’s a crazy story, but not why I decided to write about Dowdle and his travel itinerary.
No, it’s about his keynote speech. You see, Dowdle actually gives keynote speeches when he’s not running. Dowdle works with sporting teams and organizations who want to hear his perspective on doing hard things. It’s one of the ways he funds his way to compete in these Ultramarathons.
That got me thinking…are there any current CrossFit athletes who do the same thing? I’m not talking about the one-off speech. Are there any CrossFit athletes who do public speaking as a way to earn additional income?
I’m not even sure there are former Games athletes who have done this. Am I wrong?
We talk about the unknown and unknowable. The grit that is required to become one of the fittest men or women on Earth…if not the Fittest on Earth. I’ve heard numerous athletes say how you do one thing is how you do everything, referring to how CrossFit has impacted their life.
It seems like the perfect pairing. Take what an athlete has learned in their journey to become a Games veteran and turn that into a public speaking gig. It seems like the perfect off-season gig to earn extra income, spread the word about CrossFit and create a future once their Games career is over.
