Could you imagine in the span of a few years you could accomplish over 30 world fitness records including 52,003 sit-ups in 32 hrs 17 min., 30,000 jumping jacks in 7.5 hrs, 13,013 leg lifts in 5 hours 45 min., 1,000 sit-ups with a 45 lb. pound weight on your chest in 39 min., cycling over 500 miles without a bike seat, and finishing 5,428 crunches in an hour on your 47th birthday?
These are just a few of the accolades completed by my friend, mentor, and trainer Steve Sokol. To put it lightly, he was an inspiration. I would watch him work with clients of all fitness levels, all ages and even though he could out train almost everyone, (on the planet!) he was humble.
The world lost Steve last Monday to an automobile accident. In the last week, hundreds of friends, clients, (who were also friends) family and fitness associates spoke up about Steve. So much has struck me about what a committed and dedicated man Steve was, but what was a common theme was the “pebble in the pond” effect he had on so many lives. Yes, he held 30 world records, yet his every day commitment to his health, family and integrity, day in, day out was what inspired people. Steve walked the talk. He never asked anyone to do anything that he wasn’t willing to do himself.
Even the tiny things Steve said and did so many of us will remember and carry on because of his faith in himself and in all of us. Even greater than his love of fitness was his love of his family. He knew beyond anything he could claim in The Guinness Book of World Records, the honor and commitment he held towards his wife and son were greater. He was an example of what it is like to love passionately and live beyond boundaries.
No, he wasn’t born with an Olympic gene pool; he actually had a severe illness when he was young. He found a love of cycling when he decided to ride to work at HP way back when because gas prices were soaring. His mind was strong and his will even fiercer.
Not all of us can ride 500 miles on a bike without sitting down, shoot, I complain about how sore I get in 30 miles while I AM sitting down, but we all have within us honor, strength, commitment and humility.
In honor of this amazing man, I hope to inspire you to be your own pebble in a pond, one whose ripple effect continues over a lifetime.

