Swimmers and Horse-Riders have similar traits, certainly more than simply just two disciplines in the Modern Pentathlon. Allow me to introduce you to P.A.C.K.E.D, an acronym for:

• P - Passion

• A - Achievement

• C - Commit

• K - Kinesthetics

• E - Enthusiasm

• D - Dedication

Athletic training, performance and competition refines our skills, on and off the field (or in the pool), nourishes the dimensions of PACKED for life.

1 - Passionate

Athletes have a passion for what they do. They have purpose. They’re focused. Determined to get better. Every day. They set goals and pursue relentlessly. 

A passion with a purpose is intrinsic motivation, the secret ingredient that helps us overcome obstacles.

Sport is the best way to refine our skills. It drives us to develop focus. It nurtures resilience and the motivation to succeed. To stay the course. Every athlete aims to maximize their ability. To push boundaries.

Mental toughness, born from resilience, is perhaps the most valuable skill an athlete can develop to realise their potential — A trait that Swimmers and Equestrians have in abundance.

The Greatest athletes are the first to arrive at practice, and are the last to leave.

When you spend your time doing what you love, something that may seem like work to others, you’ll never work a day in your life. This is passion. 

2 - Achievement Orientation

People with High Achievement Orientation are those who feel a need to get better, to improve every day. They have an unquenchable thirst to push themselves to new levels, beyond their limit at times.

For example, an achievement-oriented person will:

• Undertake challenges

• Welcome feedback

• Learn new skills

• Advocate excellence

• Step out of their comfort zone

• Curious to explore the unknown

• Appetite for risk

• Initiate and drive innovation

Anyone with a high drive for achievement also has an insatiable appetite for knowledge. They see knowledge as a gateway, a roadmap to the future. The sum of each splash, every jump, holds the key.

3 - Committed

Commitment is defined as the state of dedication. Commitment is simply a choice, evident by our:

1. Effort — Measured by sustained attempts to work hard consistently

2. Body Language — Confidently getting back up when things go wrong

3. Competition — How and if you show up when it counts

4. Off the field — The decisions you make during down-time can elevate or deflate your uptime performance

Swimmers and Horse-Riders are compelled by an inner drive, a higher state of mind, commitment to “find a way” to succeed.

It is not the most talented athlete who succeeds, rather those who work the hardest who get where they want to be.

10 percent talent and 90 percent hard work

Hard work develops belief. Hard workers will do everything within their power, and more, to reach their goal. Throw talent into the mix, like a Michael Phelps, and you get an unstoppable force.

It’s what you do in the dark that puts you in the light - Under Armour

4 - Kinesthetic

This is the ability to feel and sense our movements, to develop awareness of where our body is in space. 

A kinesthetic sense of one’s body, relative to a previous motion or another body, enables an athlete to develop and nurture their physical proficiency.

Athletic knowledge is multi-dimensional. What Swimmers learn in the pool or Horse Riders learn in the saddle is no different than how David Beckham learned to bend a Football.

5 - Enthusiastic

Napoleon Hill said:

Enthusiasm in life is an essential ingredient for success. Enthusiasm energizes refreshes and motivates the person endowed with it.

Enthusiasm, positive or negative, can have a huge impact on the outcome of a workout or competition. This applies to Horses, Swimmers and Riders alike.

You can do anything if you have enthusiasm … Enthusiasm is the spark in your eye, the swing in your gait, the grip of your hand, the irresistible surge of your will, and your energy to execute your ideas. Enthusiasm is at the bottom of all progress. With it, there is accomplishment. Without it, there are only alibis. — Henry Ford

I’ll say no more.

6 - Dedicated

Dedication is proportional to the desire to achieve. In sport, few traits will guide us towards our goal than dedication. Being dedicated is essential to excel at the highest level.

Dedication is measured by the will to work towards a goal over time. It’s underpinned by commitment, an inner drive. When you’re dedicated you’ll work hard, even when you don’t feel like it. 

Maybe it’s my fault. Maybe I led you to believe it was easy, when it wasn’t. Maybe I made you think my highlight started at the free-throw line, and not in the gym. Maybe I made you think every shot I took, was a game winner. That my game was based on flash, and not fire. Maybe its my fault that you didn’t see that failure gave me strength, that my pain was my motivation. Maybe I led you to believe that basketball was a God given gift, and not something I worked for… every single day of my life. — Michael Jordan

Don’t make excuses.

Show up every day.

No matter what. 

Final Thoughts

Children who participate in sport learn about the importance of practice, the power of repetition - repeating the same tasks, over and over again - in order to excel.

Sport teaches us resilience - not to quit in the face of adversity.

Sport also teaches us how to learn from failure, a key life skill.

From an organisation perspective, participation in sport refines our mental agility, from buying and packing our kit to organising our life and social commitments around training.

Plus, sport is a way to:

• Have fun

• Keep fit

• Build confidence, and

• Develop relationships

Whether a recreational endeavour, or an elite venture, sport offers a plethora of advantages. It’s an education, one that instills essential skills for daily life.