It all started with a simple email from Aaron, owner of Island Athlete, wanting to meet up and chat. First off, just the name ‘Island Athlete’, I thought was GENIUS! (I later found out his wife came up with the name. Yea, my wife has the brains of the couple too.) Of course, I am always down to meet up with people to talk stories especially when it comes to coffee and breakfast.
We decided to have our meet-up at Moke’s Bread and Breakfast which is becoming the spot to check out in Kailua. Boots and Kimo’s is a bit much for me. It’s really not worth the wait and it’s so crowded. Note: If you do want to go Boots and Kimo’s, order take out and take it to the beach.
But I digress…
I stood outside of Moke’s Bread and Breakfast at 9AM waiting for the Island Athlete himself. What is this guy like? What are we going to talk about? Is he from Hawaii? Does he think this is a date? I know I’m a handsome guy.
I did my share of research on Island Athlete and I was very intrigued by his style of training, especially when I saw pictures of people doing get-ups with a sandbag, not a kettlebell or dumbbell, a frigging duffel bag sandbag.
The the meet-up commenced.
Aaron came walking down the sidewalk and we greeted each other. It was like old friends meeting up again. But there was still something going through my head, is this guy from Hawaii? He sorta fits the Kailua vibe.
When we ordered our coffees, he had no idea it was his first test and that he passed it with flying colors by drinking it straight black.
We began sharing a few stories about our training background and I finally figured out he was not from Hawaii. Fooled me, but he was actually from Austin, TX. TEXAS!
It’s always cool to find people with a passion for coaching people. He considers himself a coach, not a personal trainer, which so be it. I don’t like the term personal trainer, I think about dog trainers; sit, stay, rollover, heel, NO!
We are coaches, and to be more exact strength coaches.
As our conversation continued, it was obvious we had different but similar training styles but overall our approach to coaching were the same. We coach to empower people to feel stronger about themselves through being active. We enjoy invigorating the souls of others through exercise and motivation. It’s what we do which is what many personal trainers overlook.
You don’t want a trainer to tell you what to do, you want a coach to show you what to do and guide you.
By the end of our meeting it became clear there will be future collaborations between The Aipa Project x Island Athlete. We are already brainstorming, and to quote Aaron:
“to change the future of fitness in Hawaii, provide elite level programming and coaching to athletes, and give back to the community and people of Hawaii through seminars, work outs, and fitness events followed by a BBQ of course!”
Sounds solid to me!
I’m really looking forward to making an impact with Island Athlete and the combination may be just what Hawaii is looking for and need. But in meeting with Aaron, I learned an important lesson that I think we could all benefit from.
Don’t be afraid to get out there and meet people, especially with those who share similar passions with you. There are so many people out there you could connect with to make a difference in the lives of others. The more people you can connect with the bigger the impact you can have in this life and the life you leave behind.
Aloha!
Be Ku
AIPA