Voice of the Athlete: John Reeves

We had the opportunity to interview John Reeves, a US Air Force airman who will complete his 2nd Spartan Tribe Trifecta (that's a Sprint, a Super, and a Beast in the same year) this year. He dedicates his life to serving his country and wants his lasting legacy to be helping all the men and women he works and trains with to become better versions of themselves. Let’s listen to the Voice of the Athlete: John Reeves.

Question: How long have you been in the US Air Force, and what does it mean to you?

Voice of the Athlete: I have just passed 18 years of active duty. I joined shortly after September 11th, 2001. Initially, I was planning on doing six years and getting out. But I have just reenlisted for the third time, which will bring me past 20 years. It has been an incredible ride, and there is a lot to do and accomplish.

Wearing the uniform is a source of pride for me. Being part of something larger than yourself is meaningful. I believe I serve with some of the best Americans in the world, and that motivates me to be better.

The military has treated me and my family very well. There have been plenty of good and bad days, but at the end of it all, I can honestly say I learned many skills.

Question: What do you think is a common thread between the mental toughness required for military personnel and elite athletes when it comes to physical training?

Voice of the Athlete: If we are speaking purely from a physical training perspective, I don't think there is much difference. There are several similar traits of those in the military and elite athletes, whether you are looking to pass PT tests or attempting to run the Boston Marathon, or qualifying for the Olympics.

Air Force PT is a three-part physical test of endurance, strength, and cardio fitness. Upon entering the US Air force, you must pass the Air Force PT test to graduate from boot camp. It must also be passed as part of any promotions during your time in service.

To learn more about the requirements for Air Force basic training, visit https://www.sandboxx.us/blog/air-force-pt-test/ To learn more about qualifying for the Boston Marathon, visit https://www.baa.org/races

I think that everyone with two legs is considered an athlete. There are incredible athletes, both civilian and military. Regardless of the end goal, mental toughness requires resiliency and quality to want to succeed at achieving a long-term goal and bettering oneself. When you are hungry to achieve a goal, it's essential to ask for help. This is how you improve and get better. But mental toughness is also about reaching out to another person to help them reach their goals.

Question: How about mental training?

Voice of the Athlete: I believe mental training may be more important than physical training. Whether looking to reach a personnel best in the weight room or on the track, if the mind isn't focused, that makes the goal so much harder to achieve. You need to convince the mind to be a successful athlete.

A big part of the physical training program we have in my squadron revolves around the mental aspect of training. We all get together for one hour for a "shared suffering." The exercises aren't designed to be difficult. Instead, they push each member to their limit. It helps them bust through the barrier holding them back. Many times it is realized that there wasn't a barrier, to begin with, and it was all mental.

Question: What is your biggest source of motivation on days when you don't feel like training or eating right?

Voice of the Athlete: Like every athlete, I have days when I wake up and don’t feel like training. When I don’t want to put in the work in the weight room or hit the track for a speed workout. Some days, I would rather have a greasy burger than the meal that was prepped. That's just human nature.

But those are the days when you have to understand the goal. Motivation will only get someone so far. Discipline is where we learn what we're about. Discipline is hard, even harder to maintain.

Question: How do you stay focused under pressure?

Voice of the Athlete: This is easier said than done. It's just about focusing on the end goal. Sometimes the best thing to do is to take a step back, take a breath, and get back into it. I always tell myself, "one step in front of the other," and repeat until I reach the finish line. It also goes back to mental training and toughness.

Pressure on an athlete can be a defining moment. I always loved watching guys like Michael Jordan in pressure situations. He rarely ever missed. He just had that look like he was going to make the shot in the toughest situations. Plus, as an athlete, to really push yourself, you should always desire to have the ball in the fourth quarter with the game on the line.

Question: Have you ever had limiting beliefs that you had to work through to take your performance to the next level?

Voice of the Athlete: I think we all have them, if we're being honest with ourselves. Everyone has believed they weren't good enough. But it is more important to listen to the voices that tell you that "YOU CAN!" Sometimes those voices are internal, sometimes they come from friends, coworkers, or peers. Not listening to the negative noise is hard, but it’s important to recognize it is just noise.

Question: What actions do you take daily to be the strongest, fastest, and most resilient version of yourself?

Voice of the Athlete: It is about pushing myself physically each day. Some days I have to remind myself that it is only an hour, and I push myself. Some days aren't easy. It's about getting 1% better every day.

But the daily physical training has made me become a much more resilient version of myself. In the past 18 months, running and weight training have guided me through the aftermath of a Category 5 hurricane in 2019 and through a global pandemic in 2020.

Question: How did you decide to take on the challenge of being part of the Spartan Tribe Trifecta?

Voice of the Athlete: Participating in Obstacle Course Races is what really took my training to another level. I did a local OCR when I was living in Arizona and was immediately hooked. The following winter, I started with the Spartan Races. It was a different challenge for me, and I loved it. This is where I started running more, including trail running.

After my first Spartan, I knew I wanted to complete a Spartan Trifecta (that's a Sprint, a Super, and a Beast in the same year). I completed my first trifecta in 2016. The Beast I completed that year was in New Jersey (about 1.5 hours from where I grew up). At the time, I was living in Arizona and was no longer accustomed to the weather there. I was running up mountains with inclines of 4,000 ft in the cold rain and wind, where the trails were all muddy.

There were times when I wanted to quit. It was crazy to do 16 miles with 30-some obstacles in this condition. I ended up finishing in the top 10 in my age group, which was amazing.

Learn more about the Spartan Tribe Trifecta and how you can take on the challenge: https://www.spartan.com/en/obstacle-course-races/trifecta

Question: What legacy do you want to leave? How do you align your priorities with this legacy?

Voice of the Athlete: I don't know about a lasting legacy, but I want to ensure that the men and women I work with and for every day become a better version of themselves. I'd rather be remembered in five years for making someone a better person, worker, or leader, or for inspiring them to start training because of me. This is more important to me than being known for a project I was involved in. I always try to make my priorities known and explain why I am doing them.

Question: What's the best piece of advice you've ever been given?

Voice of the Athlete: "Being lazy is disrespectful to those who believe in you." I heard this on a guided run I was listening to during a training session one day. Ever since then, I have always stored it in the back of my head. I bring it forward every time I want to stop. Many people look to you for motivation and inspiration. Don't let them down by being lazy.

Maybe the plan is to run 10 miles, and midway through, it's too hot, too cold, or there's another reason. Then I quit. Does it matter? Maybe not. But maybe someone sees that I quit.

Question: What advice would you give your 12-year-old self?

Voice of the Athlete: "Don't listen to the noise!" High school is a tough place. It may be surprising, but I was a shy, 140 lbs kid with braces and big glasses in high school. I know I listened to the noise that people talked about. There are always kids trying to push you down to build themselves up. Some adults do the same. Don't listen! Keep your head up and keep moving forward.

Question: Who inspires you to be your best self?

Voice of the Athlete: My wife, Steffi, and my daughter, Sofie. They are my inspiration for everything I do.

Voice of the Athlete: John Reeves Takeaway 1: Motivation will only get you so far. Discipline is where we learn what we're about. Discipline is hard and even harder to maintain. Takeaway 2: "Being lazy is disrespectful to those who believe in you." Takeaway 3: The power of sport. Running and weight training guided him through the aftermath of a Category 5 hurricane in 2019 and through a global pandemic in 2020. Keep training.

Thank you to John Reeves @john.m.reeves for being the Voice of the Athlete and sharing your journey as a US Airman and the path to completing your second Spartan Tribe Trifecta. You have the mental strength of a champion who leads other champions.

Visit: https://mentalaccelerator.com/resource/voice-of-the-athlete/voice-of-the-athlete-david-restrepo