Focus. Endurance. Determination. Having the grit to keep going when you want to give up. What does it take?
We asked five world-class athletes to share their stories along with their thoughts on what it takes to BE A CHAMPION®.
Here’s what they said:
Rich Froning – 9-time NOBULL CrossFit® Games Champion
Training for something as strenuous as the NOBULL CrossFit Games demands unwavering dedication, adequate supplementation and the willpower to overcome both the physical and mental road blocks. Rich Froning, the nine-time NOBULL CrossFit Games champion, has worked for years to become who he is today.
Today, Froning focuses more on being a family man than the fittest man. He balances his time with his wife, Hillary, and their 3 children. In addition to his CrossFit gym where he trains himself and hundreds of other athletes throughout the year, he’s also recently started a buffalo ranch and has launched other business ventures.
Fun fact: He wrote a book in 2013, entitled “First: What It Takes to Win,” that chronicles his journey while training for back-to-back CrossFit Games.
On building a champion: Froning states that a champion is someone who shows up and puts in the work, no matter how the odds are stacked against them or how good or bad they feel. You may not win every single day, but you’re going to come out a champion in the end.
Becky Sauerbrunn – National Team Co-Captain
From playing in three World Cups to becoming one of the co-captains for the National Team, soccer player Becky Sauerbrunn has proven she has the dedication and endurance to get the job done. When she’s not competing on a global scale, the fierce defender plays for Portland.
Fun fact: She fostered two kittens named Missy Elliot and Olive Oil and ended up falling in love with them, so she adopted the furry mates.
On building a champion: To Sauerbrunn, the role of a champion is about the journey of setting a goal and accomplishing it. But she says it’s not necessarily about winning, it’s how you treat yourself and others around you along the way.
Josh Turek- World-Class Paralympic Basketball
At 11 years old, Josh Turek went to a children’s wheelchair basketball camp where he was introduced to the sport that would change his life. He played basketball with his family throughout this childhood but never tried the organized version with other wheelchair players until the basketball camp. Turek fell in love with the sport and continued playing through school and into college. During his senior year at the University of Minnesota, the passionate athlete was recruited for a professional wheelchair basketball team in Italy.
Following the 2020 Olympics Turek retired, while on top, as a 2-time Olympic Champion after winning gold in the 2020 games. He believes a large part of his success and duration in the sport was knowing how to supplement the right way.
Fun fact: In his spare time, Turek enjoys racing his car at a local track.
On building a champion: Turek explains that being a champion is getting the absolute most out of yourself and achieving your definition of success.
Drew Brees – TV Analyst & Former New Orleans Quarterback
Being a native of Austin, Texas, Drew Brees grew up playing a variety of sports, including baseball, tennis and football. He continued his football career at Purdue University as quarterback, and went on to sign with San Diego in his first five years as a professional football player. Today, Brees has earned a Pro Football World Championship and MVP title with New Orleans and is focused on leading his team through each game. Off the field, he’s a soft-spoken intellectual who is just as passionate about another team he represents – AdvoCare. He began using AdvoCare products in 2002 and has since become the National Spokesperson.
Fun fact: Brees wears the number nine because it was Ted Williams’ – his favorite baseball player
On building a champion: For Brees, being a champion means working your hardest to be the best version of yourself at all times, and to bring out the best in others. He says it’s about treating people the way they deserve to be treated and being a great leader.
Jenny Arthur – World-Class Weightlifting
What began as an early morning workout with her younger brother’s football team has turned into a life-changing endeavor she’ll never forget. Originally from Gainesville, Georgia, Jenny Arthur grew up with seven siblings and played a variety of sports. She says she stuck with weightlifting because she loves the challenge that comes with it. Because her training schedule can be grueling – she is in the gym 18-24 hours a week – Arthur focuses on maintaining a healthy lifestyle (without getting too strict) to help fuel her body.
Fun fact: She is the sixth of eight children.
On building a champion: Arthur’s definition of a champion can be summed up in three simple words: never give up.