Sports as a life experience
Some sports we practice alone, some we do as part of a group. But, in this case, it is not how, but the reason why we practice a sport that matters. Carlos Soria often talks about how he met his wife on a mountain. Also, he always wanted his daughters to feel at home in nature, in a setting that brought so much joy to his life. This is a reason why: Understanding this popular mountaineer's fascination for climbing, for difficult challenges, for what, ultimately, is an essential part of his life.
There may be nothing more rewarding than sharing a part of yourself with your loved ones, and for them to feel part of something you have built with your effort and - especially - your passion. It is not unusual to see brothers succeed in the same sport, or children following the steps of their parents or grandparents. The story of the Gasol brothers, the Márquez brothers, Sainz Sr. and Jr… are stories of talent, because in sports, success comes with dedication, effort and lots of support.
It doesn’t matter what sport we're talking about, the only requirement is to practice it with as a family. We all remember the day when we stopped falling from our bike as soon as set foot on a pedal, or the day we started swimming without floaters.
But it seems that, once we managed on our own, we no longer needed our family’s support. But, what if we did? What would happen if we turned initiation into a daily challenge? The possibilities are limitless: Today you could be learning to ride without your stabilizer wheels, tomorrow to shift gears and the day after, who knows, you could be in the leading pack of a bicycle race broadcast on national TV.
Sports have already been invented. The question is not changing their rules, but their purpose. It is not about practicing a sport, but about sharing the effort. That is what helps build stronger family ties, leaning on one another, learning from each other, overcoming limitations. In sports physical limitations are mental. In many cases, it is our parents', grandparents’, siblings’ or cousins’ achievements that inspire us to get up and do what we like, to stand out and to make it to the top.
Going out for an early morning jog, riding our bike to move around, playing tennis on weekends, swimming… we can easily integrate these activities into our family lives. Practicing sports with our family is, undoubtedly, a healthy and gratifying plan, not only physically, but also personally. And who knows, a whole life plan might come out of it. History has already proven that it can.