OCR – My Story, by Steve Manns

Here is my story that changed my life and started on the path to health, fitness and OCR.

I am 42 and have two teenaged sons. My oldest boy is an ice hockey player and his younger brother is involved with gymnastics. Like them, I was always active as a child and young adult. However, as I grew older and my responsibilities for others increased, I took less responsibility for my own health and well-being. This took a toll on my physical condition and, ultimately, general attitude. My fitness journey started almost two years ago at a point when I was unhappy with my life, how my clothes fit, and how I looked in pictures.

While searching for a way to improve my situation, I was introduced to the Paleo Lifestyle. As I continued to research the science and sentiment behind the method, I decided that this made perfect sense for me. I radically changed my eating and exercise patterns. I dropped 30 pounds (14kilos) in three months. This eventually developed into a passion that I wanted to share with more people.

The next stage of my life lead me to Spartan Races. These competitive events are the ideal outlet for me to help myself while helping others. My enthusiasm for fitness is now fueled by a thirst for competition and sport, which these obstacle course races provide. Additionally, they have also given me the opportunity to use my knowledge and expertise to coach and encourage other like-minded people who have the same attitude towards a healthy lifestyle. I began Spartan Racing as a novice and within one year, I am now regularly in the top 1-2% of all finishers on any given weekend.

As I became more committed to this new and adventuresome sport, eventually I took the next step and became a certified obstacle course coach. At this time, I am a certified International Sports Sciences Association (ISSA) certified Personal Fitness Trainer and a certified Spartan Group X (SGX) Coach.