WEBVTT
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Alright, welcome back everyone to another episode of On the Path.
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Thank you for tuning in last week and listening to the episode with Gracie Johnson.
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It was a wonderful episode to understand that no matter where we are, we can worship God, whether we're traveling for a tournament or we're just out of town no matter what, we can always find that time and remember who's really important and why we're here.
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So thanks for tuning in.
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If you haven't, make sure you go back, listen to that episode as well as this one, and you'll get great insights from many different athletes.
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So continue to tune in every week as I continue to post with a new athlete, and then remember to share with your friends and family as well.
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I'll take a quick second to introduce my guest this week.
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This week we have Holton Bundy with us.
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Holton is from Iona, Idaho.
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He's 21 and a freshman here at Southern Virginia University, studying business management.
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Holton is on the swim team as well as the baseball team.
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A fun fact about Holton, he served a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Guayaquil.
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Guayaquil, Ecuador.
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Yeah.
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And he loves to hunt and fish.
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So that's Holton.
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We're happy to have you here.
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Thanks for being here.
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Glad to be here.
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We're gonna hop right into the questions and we'll get started with this one.
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When you feel anxious or overwhelmed before a race, how do you turn to Christ in that moment?
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Hmm.
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Um I think for me, swim, swim is such a it's just a sport of preparation, you know, like you really um you really don't win until you do win.
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You know what I mean?
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Like there's a lot of just you fail, you fail, you fail, you fail, you fail, um until you you finally, you know, uh hit the time you're looking for.
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And so it's a lot of just preparing, preparing, preparing, and then finally reaching that goal.
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And so I think for me it's uh preparing before beforehand, you know.
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Um preparing like doing all the you know, it's not just like a last minute, you know, effort to turn to Christ in that moment, you know, it's uh preparing beforehand by you know doing what you can and trying to keep your focus on him so that in that moment that's already what you're you know, it's already what you're doing.
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So yeah, for sure.
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And what exactly tell us a little bit about your preparation for a race, maybe a couple days leading up to what are you doing to prepare for this big race?
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Um I I do a lot of visual like visualization, you know, like to think through, you know, I like to think through my race and see like each part of it.
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Um go through, you know, try and think about how it's gonna feel and how it should feel, and then, you know, go through um you know, go through what would happen if you know I mess up or that way I'm just I'm ready, you know, and prepared for whatever does happen.
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Um, you know, also just the other you know, the other things physically, right?
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Like rest sleeping a lot and drinking a lot of water, eating a bunch.
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So it's uh you know, it's a definitely a big like when you're getting ready for a real big meet, it's it's a it's a whole thing.
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Yeah.
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But for sure.
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I think for me, preparation is a big thing, right?
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Some people take it for granted, right?
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Don't prepare as much as they should, but we see as we're preparing, it helps us better understand.
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I mean, it helps us know what to well, what am I trying to say here?
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Yeah.
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Um preparation helps us, you know, get ready for what's to come.
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Yeah.
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We can't always expect exactly what's gonna happen.
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Like you say, you can think of those times that you might mess up, but you don't you don't even know if you're gonna mess up or not.
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Yeah.
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Or you could mess up at a different time.
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And it's just kind of interesting to think of preparation because we're doing what we can in what for what we think can happen.
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So it's never sure it's never 100% sure that we're gonna be able to do what we're preparing for, which is kind of an interesting thing to think about.
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Well, I think I think sorry to catch you off.
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I think uh like I th I think it's important, you know, because but the ultimate goal is to not be thinking you know, for sports, right?
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Like the ultimate goal is to not be thinking in those moments, it's to just be acting, right?
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Yeah.
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And so, you know, that the preparation and all the little things you do helps you to be ready in that moment and not have to think about the things that you know, all the things that you need to do, right?
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And just do it, you know.
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And you know, I think it's similar with the gospel, right?
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Like, you know, when if you're constantly preparing yourself to confront temptation and you know, you already have practiced, you know, like you've taken those small steps, yeah, you know, in whatever situation it is, you know, whether it's sharing the gospel with somebody or confronting temptation, whatever, you know, like you'll already be ready in those in those moments and you won't have to think about it, you know.
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So I think yeah, I think it's the process of just changing habits so that you're ready to, you know, face what comes.
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Yeah, for sure.
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I love that comparison.
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I think preparation's a big thing in the gospel, right?
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It seems to be that in the gospel that's all we're doing is we're preparing.
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Yeah.
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Because whether it's preparing for for I mean the big one is Christ coming, right?
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Yeah.
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We need to be ready for that because we never know when that's gonna happen.
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And it's important to prepare every day, and it's by doing those small and simple steps, right?
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Preparing to um to, like you said, face temptation, preparing to go to church on Sunday or to assist different activities or services, these different things.
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It's it's a big thing for us to always be doing the little things in preparation for what the big thing's gonna be.
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So preparation plays a big role in in life and sports, the gospel, everything that it is.
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Um moving on to the next question.
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Have you ever experienced a moment in swimming that strengthened your faith?
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And kind of talk to us a little bit about that if you know of a big moment.
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Um honestly, I think I think yeah, swimming kind of like started for me because of of a of a moment I had, like, you know, spiritually, like I I grew up playing every sport.
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I joke all the time, I don't know how I ended up swimming, because it's so hard, and you know.
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Um but you know, I I grew up playing every sport under the moon, and you know, I play baseball and you know, and honestly, I have a lot more fun playing those sports, you know.
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But um there's something about swimming, you know, that's just so it because it's so hard, it's so rewarding, you know.
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Um But I think, you know, I grew up, my my dad made me swim because he swam in high school, played water polo in college in Texas Tech, and so that was a big part of his life, and he forced me to swim, you know, and I hated it.
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I hated it so much uh up until about my freshman year.
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And I remember my freshman year, I was given swim one year.
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I was like, this, you know, this is I'm just gonna swim this year because they're making me, and then after this I'm done, and then I'll never have to touch the you know the pool again.
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Um we start got we're getting close to district, and I remember like starting to feel like like I I wanted to like I wanted to win districts, you know, which I never had cared about it before.
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Yeah.
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Um and you know, long story short, like I I started ended up just working really hard and then winning districts, and then after that, that was the moment where I was like, okay, I like, you know, there's something about this that's important.
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But I could I could tell that like you know, I could tell that I was gonna get lost in swim because of just the huge requirement it took.
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And so I remember vividly um saying to myself, like, if I'm gonna do this, if I'm gonna put all this effort into swim, I have to also put the effort into strengthening my relationship with with my father in heaven because that's more important, you know, and so I I made it a a point to you know read my scriptures, you know, and pray after every practice and just really make that like the focus, I guess, of or I don't know, prove to myself that that was more important than swim, and I was just lucky to be swimming, you know.
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So I guess the whole process of swim just became a huge um, you know, testament to my faith because as I or at least it felt to me as I put him first, you know, I saw success in those things and you know, so yeah, that's super awesome.
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I think that that's a great experience and definitely something that not everyone gets to experience, right?
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I mean a lot of people growing up are forced to play sports and it sucks, everyone hates it.
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Yeah.
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But kind of seeing how that shaped you and the the the person that you are now and how that strengthened your faith is a huge testament of why it's so important to to keep Christ first, right?
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Like you did all these things and you served that two-year mission, and then you came out here to SPU as a freshman and talk to us about all the accomplishments that you had this past winter.
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You had a lot, didn't you?
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Yeah, it was a good year.
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Um my first year back uh like you know, off my mission.
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Um ended up being swimmer of the year or conference swimmer of the year, um men's conference swimmer of the year, and uh winning all seven of my events in conference.
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That's crazy.
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Like I mean, I'm not I mean the only swim I've ever watched is the Olympics.
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But yeah, I think that's that's crazy.
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It's awesome to hear that you like you take two years off, you come back, and you're the conference swimmer of the year.
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Yeah, that takes a lot, and you can definitely I mean talk to us about how you saw God take or God's hand in that process, how he helped you get to that success.
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I think um I think swim swim for me before my mission, you know, uh obviously I was you know trying I was put trying to put God first always, but it became it became my identity, you know, um, like I was a swimmer before I was anything else, you know, and um at some point when you I think that's natural at some point, you know, when you work so hard at something.
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Um but it definitely became like my my value as a person was swimming, you know.
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And going on my mission, I think helped me separate that, you know, from like I'm a swimmer to I'm a child of God that that swims, you know.
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So I think the coming back off my mission, you know, I I didn't see myself as a swimmer anymore.
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Like I'm I'm a swimmer, but I you know, uh first and foremost, I'm a child of God.
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Yeah, you know, and I I think like being able to separate the two was a huge help because now it wasn't like if I'm not you know hitting my times like I'm a bad person.
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It's I'm in the process of pr of I'm in the process of progression, I guess, which I think is huge, you know.
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And so for me, like I saw God's hand in it because you know I got back in shape a lot faster than I than I thought I would.
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Still was really hard, you know.
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But I fell in love with just you know I felt I was less focused on my results and more focused on, you know, like I just love going to swim practice, you know, and I love getting faster, you know.
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So I think um being able to make that separation and like who I was as a person, yeah, you know, was it was a huge part of uh being able to get back in shape as fast as I did.
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So yeah, that's I think that's super important.
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I think I talked about this a couple weeks ago, or maybe I just talked to myself about it.
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I don't know, but talking about kind of I can't remember the exact wording we had for it, but like like you were saying, you're child of God who swims, right?
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You're not your identity is not the fact that you're a swimmer, it's child of God first and then you're just his son that gets to swim, right?
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Right, and that's that's huge, that's a huge thing that m every athlete I think should understand is that this isn't something that we have to do, it's an opportunity, right?
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It's something we get to do, and God gave us certain skills, we all have different skills, and I mean we gotta use them in the way that he wants us to, but we have to glorify him in that process for sure.
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Yeah.
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No, I think that you know I think in at the end of the day that like these sports are tools to help you know help us become who God needs us to be, you know, if we if we use them that way.
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Yeah, you know, like if you know, if if tomorrow I could never swim again, I would still be, you know, a good person, right?
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Like it'd still there'd still be a lot for me, right?
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So I don't know, I think I think that's important.
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Yeah.
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It's an interesting question when athletes are asked, like, if your sport was taken away, if swim was taken away, if golf was taken away, if baseball was taken away, like what would you do?
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Who would you become?
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Right.
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And it's in like it's hard to see someone that can't answer that question.
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Yeah, for sure.
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It's like what would I do if that was taken away?
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I wouldn't do anything because that's my life.
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But for athletes to understand that they're a child of God, they're gonna understand that it's his plan, and we're just we're just going along with it, right?
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We're kind of I mean, we make choices, we do what we want to do, but ultimately he he makes the decision, right?
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Like it's him.
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And it's something that's super important for us to understand is that we're children of God first.
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Yeah, exactly.
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Um to the next question.
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How do you make sure your motivation comes from God and not from validation winning or others' expectations?
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That's a good one.
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Um I think swim is is uh it's an i you know, it's kind of an exception in the the validation thing because not a lot of people really, you know, watch swim or know what it is, you know, and um also like if you, you know, I'll go and do something awesome, you know, um, you know, a PR or whatever, and you know, you'll explain that to somebody else and they'll be like, oh, cool, you know, like it's just something that not a lot of people you you know get to know about, which I think honestly has been really important for me because um it's forced me to like know why I I swim, you know.
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Yeah.
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Um I think for me it's like like like we said, you know, just being in love with the with the process, you know, of progressing as a as a person, you know, those the workouts are you know progressing as a swimmer and as a person, you know.
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The workouts are hard and and training's hard and there's a lot of things you have to sacrifice to get good, you know, good at swimming.
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Absolutely.
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But that makes you, you know, it it teaches you a lot of lessons about who you are as a person, you know.
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And so I think for me, like, you know, like like we said, like if I focus on my results, you know, obviously I'm working towards a goal.
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But if I'm if I'm you know living and dying with whether or not I reach that goal each week, you know, I'll just be ultimately unsatisfied, you know, but focusing on like, okay, today I get to go, I get to go to swim practice and I get to go through this hard workout and I get to go lift after, you know, and I I get to go to bed early, you know, I get to wake up early, like just focusing on like like I these are things I love to do, you know, and I think I think it ultimately I get a lot more joy out of that, you know, because because I'm just I'm living I'm living such a dope life, you know.
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Yeah, like such a it's it's a life that like so many people won't ever get to live, you know, and you know, and I can I can be angry that I'm not Michael Phelps, but at the end of the day, I'm I'm in Virginia, you know, which uh who who knows how I got here, you know, and I'm an athlete still, which is awesome.
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So exactly.
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I think it's yeah, I mean it's a great perspective to have to look at it kind of that way.
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I've I mean for me recently I started running.
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I don't know why.
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I I have as well, actually.
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I love running.
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I I've learned to love it for some reason.
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I think one reason why I love it so much is because no one else cares that I run.
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Yeah, like it's 100% me.
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I mean, me and my buddy were training for a marathon and whatnot, and it's just like we care about each other, but at the same time it's like we're just running to run.
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And no one in the outside world has to know.
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Like I'm just out there on the road, and it's like that motivation, I mean, I don't know where it came from.
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I like to say it comes from God because I feel like I'm pushed to do hard things.
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Like, I I like to do hard things because that's what builds a character, right?
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That's what builds a person.
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And it's great to know that when I'm running, no one else is gonna like make fun of me if I fail.
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Like if I don't run a marathon, no one's gonna say anything because no one knows I'm running a marathon.
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Yeah, and it's just great, it's that great perspective to have, and I think it gives me a great mental break not not hearing from other people, other people talking bad, you know.
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That's something that's kind of awesome when you play a more quiet sport, right?
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Yeah, um, but yeah, it's super it's a it's a great thing to be able to only have motivation from God and not care whatsoever about winning, about what others think.
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That's only there to kind of beat you down, right?
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It's not we're not going out every day to to prove someone wrong.
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We're going out to prove to God that we can do it.
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True.
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And I think I think those things have their places, you know, like like obviously I I want to, you know, I want to win and I want to show people that I'm good at what I do, you know, but I that can't be all of it, you know, because if it's all of it, then you'll be just you know, you'll be dis I think you'll be dissatisfied at the end of the day.
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But yeah, you know, they serve their their their purposes and you know, but yeah, like I think at the end of the day just like loving just loving what you do and loving getting better at what you do is like you know, I think that's I think you know for me that's what it's gotta be.
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So Yeah, for sure it it all comes from from love.
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I think that's something that's super important.
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You gotta love what you're doing.
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If you don't love it, change right, find something new.
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I think the gospel's kind of that way too, you know, like like um you know, if you're just looking looking forward to being in heaven, you're gonna your whole life's gonna suck and suck and tell your head in heaven, you know.
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Exactly.
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But it's you know, if you fall in love with just being able to repent and get better, you know, then you're yeah, you'll you know, life becomes a lot more meaningful, I think.
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For sure.
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Um kind of a follow-up question to that last one.
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Would you still pursue your sport the same way, same training, same everything, if no one ever noticed only God?
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Hmm.
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Good question.
00:20:46.880 --> 00:20:55.119
Um, I I think I think so, you know.
00:20:55.279 --> 00:20:57.920
Obviously, I would I like to say that I think so, you know.
00:20:58.559 --> 00:21:06.559
Um honestly I'm at a point with with swimming where it's like that's I feel like that's kind of how it is, you know.
00:21:06.720 --> 00:21:19.279
Like I'm I'm not doing it for anybody else, you know, and I'm not like I'm doing this for for myself, you know, because it's something I I I like to do, you know, and I love to do.
00:21:19.839 --> 00:21:59.839
And you know, and I I feel like I have fallen in love with just you know just getting better, you know, and whether that's swim or running or lifting or whatever, you know, I just like honestly at the end of the day, like like I have more fun at practice, you know, and in the weight room, you know, and all my runs or or you know, with you know, I practice with the baseball team, you know, or even losing with the baseball team, you know, like I just have I have more fun in those moments than I do just that that one moment of like I don't know.
00:22:00.319 --> 00:22:05.519
That's that's more fun and more rewarding to me than people telling me that I'm good at what I do.
00:22:05.680 --> 00:22:06.880
You know, so I don't know.
00:22:06.960 --> 00:22:08.400
I still want to be good at what I do.
00:22:08.640 --> 00:22:10.559
Not gonna not gonna lie at all.
00:22:10.640 --> 00:22:12.480
I'm not I am not a saint at all.
00:22:12.640 --> 00:22:16.240
You know, I I like me some I like me some recognition for sure.
00:22:16.559 --> 00:22:17.119
Absolutely.
00:22:17.359 --> 00:22:23.039
But yeah, you know, I like to think that I would continue to you know continue to pursue it.
00:22:23.359 --> 00:22:23.759
For sure.
00:22:23.920 --> 00:22:30.799
I mean I like to s think the same thing because for me it's like I mean obviously I notice what I'm doing.
00:22:31.119 --> 00:22:37.759
I notice how I'm improving, and that's a huge motivating factor for me.
00:22:38.079 --> 00:22:58.319
Because yeah, other people are gonna talk, they're gonna say something, and sure it might hurt, it might maybe it'll motivate me, but overall I think me wanting to play my sport for myself is the purpose, is the reason I'm doing it.
00:22:58.400 --> 00:23:10.400
I mean, I'm not I'm not here playing golf at SVU because someone told me to, or someone is all like watching me and wanting to see me fail, whatever it is, or wanting to see me succeed, even.
00:23:10.880 --> 00:23:17.920
I'm out here because I set a goal and I wanted to play golf in college, and this is where I ended up.
00:23:18.160 --> 00:23:24.480
So it's like I think a big part of at least this question for me is goals, right?
00:23:25.200 --> 00:23:32.400
Setting goals and working to achieve those goals because when you're setting a personal goal, it's between you and God.
00:23:32.720 --> 00:23:32.960
Yeah.
00:23:33.200 --> 00:23:39.359
And once you're able to achieve that goal, you and God notice it, right?
00:23:39.920 --> 00:23:40.720
He's the only one.
00:23:40.880 --> 00:23:51.119
Maybe you told other people about it, but he was the first one to know, and he was the first one to push you to make sure you were presented with opportunities, right?
00:23:51.279 --> 00:23:51.599
Yeah.
00:23:52.240 --> 00:23:57.440
Um but yeah, I think it's something that's super important for me.
00:23:58.319 --> 00:24:00.640
Um we have a little bit of time.
00:24:00.720 --> 00:24:02.160
I'm gonna ask one more question.
00:24:02.400 --> 00:24:02.720
Okay.
00:24:03.039 --> 00:24:13.839
Um tell us a little bit about kind of your your your day-to-day or a day in the life of Holton Bundy.
00:24:13.920 --> 00:24:23.920
Kind of how you're you make sure you keep that Christ-centered life, what you do while you're a two-sport athlete now in college.
00:24:24.079 --> 00:24:24.720
Yeah.
00:24:25.279 --> 00:24:25.920
Hmm.
00:24:26.400 --> 00:24:27.680
Sorry, I'm coughing a lot.
00:24:27.759 --> 00:24:28.480
I don't know what's going on.
00:24:28.720 --> 00:24:29.200
It's okay.
00:24:29.599 --> 00:24:39.039
Um I think, you know, I I I love I love working out and you know, I love I love being an athlete, obviously.
00:24:39.200 --> 00:24:42.880
Um so my days are very full of of that.
00:24:43.039 --> 00:24:49.440
Yeah, you know, and uh especially now playing baseball, it's um, you know, get to go to a lot of games and stuff.
00:24:49.519 --> 00:24:52.640
So you know, a typical day, I I have 8 a.m.
00:24:52.960 --> 00:24:54.960
every morning, so it's unfortunate.
00:24:55.279 --> 00:24:58.640
It's not you know, waking up early is not new, but it's not fun either.
00:24:59.920 --> 00:25:03.839
Um I try to I try to start my my morning off.
00:25:04.000 --> 00:25:04.960
You know, I'm not perfect at it.
00:25:05.039 --> 00:25:12.640
I try try to start my morning off by listening to a general conference talk or you know, something to just start.
00:25:12.720 --> 00:25:16.240
I think you know, starting the day that way is good.
00:25:16.559 --> 00:25:19.200
Um, you know, like I said, I'm not perfect sometimes.
00:25:19.279 --> 00:25:22.640
I you know just listen to music on my way down to the calf.
00:25:22.720 --> 00:25:34.960
But um so I yeah, but I think ultimately it's like just trying to keep like God in my in the picture in everything I do, you know?
00:25:35.519 --> 00:26:24.319
Um and like I think it it goes back to like what we were talking about before, like you know, um like doing the s the small things in everything I do, you know, like like choosing to or trying to choose you know the the right decision and you know and do good things or serve others, like you know, I think at the end of the day to keep Christ in in my life with everything that I have going on, it's like I have to um try to involve him in in those things, you know, and that doesn't mean I'm gonna share scripture with you know my teammates or whatever, I'm not gonna be weird about it, but you know, I'm gonna do my best to be that example, you know.
00:26:24.799 --> 00:26:44.000
And yeah, I'm not always perfect at it for sure, but um, you know, I think at the end of the day, like for somebody that's that's busy, you know, you don't maybe don't always get in the scripture study or you know, but you do what you can to emulate you know Christ and your actions and you know, I think that's I think that's that's huge.
00:26:44.079 --> 00:26:45.680
So yeah, that's super awesome.
00:26:45.759 --> 00:26:46.480
I love that.
00:26:46.640 --> 00:26:49.759
Um well I think we're gonna start to kind of wrap things up here.
00:26:49.920 --> 00:26:50.079
Okay.
00:26:50.559 --> 00:27:03.359
Um I'm gonna have you share something that I have everyone share, which will first be your favorite Bible verse, kind of why you love it and maybe how you've been able to apply it in your athletics as well.
00:27:03.599 --> 00:27:10.160
And then following that, I'll have you share the best piece of advice that you have for athletes who are striving to stay on the path.
00:27:11.599 --> 00:27:13.039
Favorite Bible verse.
00:27:13.200 --> 00:27:18.160
Um, it's a pretty famous one, the Philippians 4.13, I think.
00:27:19.279 --> 00:27:20.400
Don't quote me.
00:27:20.720 --> 00:27:25.359
Um it, you know, just says like I can do all things through Christ, which strengthens me.
00:27:25.440 --> 00:27:43.920
And that, you know, that uh that verse um it kind of was like it in a rougher moment in my fam family's life, you know, it was kind of a verse that pushed us through, you know, and and I think it's it's used a lot, but it's um, you know, it's important because at the end of the day it it's true, right?
00:27:44.000 --> 00:27:55.200
Like no matter what's going on in our life, you know, no matter the situation, no matter, you know, the circumstance, like no matter what's going on, like if we're focused on him, you know, we're trying to do the best we can for him.
00:27:55.440 --> 00:28:09.920
Like he has the power to get us through anything, and you know, he has the power to help us reach those goals and help us to overcome ourselves, and you know, so I think as an athlete, that's important, as a human being, that's important, you know.
00:28:10.079 --> 00:28:16.799
Yeah, like it's just important to know that like he's there for you no m no matter what, you know, no matter when you fail.
00:28:16.960 --> 00:28:24.079
And if you turn to him, you know, and and do what he asks, or try to do what he asks, you know, he'll help you to get to reach those goals.
00:28:24.240 --> 00:28:24.559
Yeah.
00:28:24.799 --> 00:28:26.319
But what was the second question?
00:28:26.559 --> 00:28:31.839
That's uh your best piece of advice that you have for athletes who are striving to stay on the path.
00:28:32.559 --> 00:28:35.440
I'd say don't take yourself so serious, you know.
00:28:35.599 --> 00:28:35.759
Yeah.
00:28:35.920 --> 00:28:37.119
It's just not that serious.
00:28:37.279 --> 00:28:45.920
Like it's it is serious, and and I'm not I'm by saying that I'm not saying, you know, lax, lax up or ease up and you know, don't work hard.
00:28:46.000 --> 00:29:09.039
You know, continue to work hard, but you know, you're you're not your sport and you're um I think as soon as you just start having fun, you know, just trying your best to enjoy each moment of what you're doing, you'll you will um you know you'll progress a lot more than before.
00:29:09.440 --> 00:29:22.160
You know, and I I think that helps to maintain a positive outlook and it helps to keep Christ in your life because you know, if you go into practice every day and you're angry that you're not you know doing good, you know, you push him out, you know.
00:29:22.240 --> 00:29:32.000
But when you are grateful, you know, for the life that you're living and the opportunity to do that, you know, he can be a part of that and he can help you.
00:29:32.079 --> 00:29:33.440
So yeah, for sure.
00:29:33.519 --> 00:29:34.240
I love that.
00:29:34.400 --> 00:29:34.960
I love that.
00:29:35.119 --> 00:29:38.400
Thank you for being here and thank you for sharing all your thoughts with us today.
00:29:38.640 --> 00:29:39.440
Thank you for having me.
00:29:39.680 --> 00:29:44.400
Um and thank you everyone for tuning in to another episode of On the Path.
00:29:44.559 --> 00:29:56.160
Um, remember to share it with your friends and family and make sure there's someone in your life that you're able to be a light to, be an example, and be able to share the gospel with them.
00:29:56.400 --> 00:30:02.880
Um thank you again, everyone, for tuning in, and remember everyone to always stay on the path.
00:30:03.680 --> 00:30:04.720
Heck yeah.
00:30:05.279 --> 00:30:06.720
Good stuff.
00:00:01.280 --> 00:00:04.959
Alright, welcome back everyone to another episode of On the Path.
00:00:05.200 --> 00:00:08.880
Thank you for tuning in last week and listening to the episode with Gracie Johnson.
00:00:08.960 --> 00:00:23.199
It was a wonderful episode to understand that no matter where we are, we can worship God, whether we're traveling for a tournament or we're just out of town no matter what, we can always find that time and remember who's really important and why we're here.
00:00:23.359 --> 00:00:25.039
So thanks for tuning in.
00:00:25.280 --> 00:00:32.240
If you haven't, make sure you go back, listen to that episode as well as this one, and you'll get great insights from many different athletes.
00:00:32.320 --> 00:00:40.719
So continue to tune in every week as I continue to post with a new athlete, and then remember to share with your friends and family as well.
00:00:41.039 --> 00:00:46.320
I'll take a quick second to introduce my guest this week.
00:00:46.640 --> 00:00:48.719
This week we have Holton Bundy with us.
00:00:48.960 --> 00:00:51.520
Holton is from Iona, Idaho.
00:00:51.679 --> 00:00:57.520
He's 21 and a freshman here at Southern Virginia University, studying business management.
00:00:57.759 --> 00:01:01.679
Holton is on the swim team as well as the baseball team.
00:01:02.320 --> 00:01:08.879
A fun fact about Holton, he served a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Guayaquil.
00:01:09.120 --> 00:01:10.640
Guayaquil, Ecuador.
00:01:10.799 --> 00:01:11.120
Yeah.
00:01:12.079 --> 00:01:13.840
And he loves to hunt and fish.
00:01:14.000 --> 00:01:15.280
So that's Holton.
00:01:15.359 --> 00:01:16.400
We're happy to have you here.
00:01:16.480 --> 00:01:17.599
Thanks for being here.
00:01:18.000 --> 00:01:19.040
Glad to be here.
00:01:19.519 --> 00:01:24.000
We're gonna hop right into the questions and we'll get started with this one.
00:01:24.560 --> 00:01:31.840
When you feel anxious or overwhelmed before a race, how do you turn to Christ in that moment?
00:01:33.040 --> 00:01:33.680
Hmm.
00:01:35.040 --> 00:01:48.480
Um I think for me, swim, swim is such a it's just a sport of preparation, you know, like you really um you really don't win until you do win.
00:01:48.640 --> 00:01:49.120
You know what I mean?
00:01:49.519 --> 00:01:59.120
Like there's a lot of just you fail, you fail, you fail, you fail, you fail, um until you you finally, you know, uh hit the time you're looking for.
00:01:59.280 --> 00:02:04.319
And so it's a lot of just preparing, preparing, preparing, and then finally reaching that goal.
00:02:04.400 --> 00:02:09.520
And so I think for me it's uh preparing before beforehand, you know.
00:02:09.759 --> 00:02:28.000
Um preparing like doing all the you know, it's not just like a last minute, you know, effort to turn to Christ in that moment, you know, it's uh preparing beforehand by you know doing what you can and trying to keep your focus on him so that in that moment that's already what you're you know, it's already what you're doing.
00:02:28.080 --> 00:02:29.039
So yeah, for sure.
00:02:29.120 --> 00:02:37.039
And what exactly tell us a little bit about your preparation for a race, maybe a couple days leading up to what are you doing to prepare for this big race?
00:02:37.680 --> 00:02:47.919
Um I I do a lot of visual like visualization, you know, like to think through, you know, I like to think through my race and see like each part of it.
00:02:48.080 --> 00:03:07.759
Um go through, you know, try and think about how it's gonna feel and how it should feel, and then, you know, go through um you know, go through what would happen if you know I mess up or that way I'm just I'm ready, you know, and prepared for whatever does happen.
00:03:08.080 --> 00:03:13.360
Um, you know, also just the other you know, the other things physically, right?
00:03:13.439 --> 00:03:16.960
Like rest sleeping a lot and drinking a lot of water, eating a bunch.
00:03:17.120 --> 00:03:25.759
So it's uh you know, it's a definitely a big like when you're getting ready for a real big meet, it's it's a it's a whole thing.
00:03:26.000 --> 00:03:26.240
Yeah.
00:03:26.479 --> 00:03:27.759
But for sure.
00:03:27.840 --> 00:03:31.360
I think for me, preparation is a big thing, right?
00:03:31.599 --> 00:03:34.000
Some people take it for granted, right?
00:03:34.159 --> 00:03:40.560
Don't prepare as much as they should, but we see as we're preparing, it helps us better understand.
00:03:41.039 --> 00:03:45.919
I mean, it helps us know what to well, what am I trying to say here?
00:03:46.000 --> 00:03:46.240
Yeah.
00:03:46.719 --> 00:03:52.879
Um preparation helps us, you know, get ready for what's to come.
00:03:53.039 --> 00:03:53.280
Yeah.
00:03:53.439 --> 00:03:56.240
We can't always expect exactly what's gonna happen.
00:03:56.319 --> 00:04:02.159
Like you say, you can think of those times that you might mess up, but you don't you don't even know if you're gonna mess up or not.
00:04:02.479 --> 00:04:02.800
Yeah.
00:04:03.039 --> 00:04:04.719
Or you could mess up at a different time.
00:04:04.800 --> 00:04:14.479
And it's just kind of interesting to think of preparation because we're doing what we can in what for what we think can happen.
00:04:14.560 --> 00:04:23.360
So it's never sure it's never 100% sure that we're gonna be able to do what we're preparing for, which is kind of an interesting thing to think about.
00:04:23.839 --> 00:04:25.839
Well, I think I think sorry to catch you off.
00:04:26.000 --> 00:04:35.040
I think uh like I th I think it's important, you know, because but the ultimate goal is to not be thinking you know, for sports, right?
00:04:35.120 --> 00:04:40.160
Like the ultimate goal is to not be thinking in those moments, it's to just be acting, right?
00:04:40.240 --> 00:04:40.399
Yeah.
00:04:40.639 --> 00:04:50.800
And so, you know, that the preparation and all the little things you do helps you to be ready in that moment and not have to think about the things that you know, all the things that you need to do, right?
00:04:50.959 --> 00:04:52.160
And just do it, you know.
00:04:52.399 --> 00:04:54.959
And you know, I think it's similar with the gospel, right?
00:04:55.040 --> 00:05:18.240
Like, you know, when if you're constantly preparing yourself to confront temptation and you know, you already have practiced, you know, like you've taken those small steps, yeah, you know, in whatever situation it is, you know, whether it's sharing the gospel with somebody or confronting temptation, whatever, you know, like you'll already be ready in those in those moments and you won't have to think about it, you know.
00:05:18.319 --> 00:05:25.680
So I think yeah, I think it's the process of just changing habits so that you're ready to, you know, face what comes.
00:05:26.319 --> 00:05:27.040
Yeah, for sure.
00:05:27.120 --> 00:05:28.240
I love that comparison.
00:05:28.399 --> 00:05:31.920
I think preparation's a big thing in the gospel, right?
00:05:32.079 --> 00:05:35.600
It seems to be that in the gospel that's all we're doing is we're preparing.
00:05:35.680 --> 00:05:36.079
Yeah.
00:05:36.399 --> 00:05:43.439
Because whether it's preparing for for I mean the big one is Christ coming, right?
00:05:43.600 --> 00:05:43.759
Yeah.
00:05:44.000 --> 00:05:47.040
We need to be ready for that because we never know when that's gonna happen.
00:05:47.360 --> 00:05:51.120
And it's important to prepare every day, and it's by doing those small and simple steps, right?
00:05:51.279 --> 00:06:01.120
Preparing to um to, like you said, face temptation, preparing to go to church on Sunday or to assist different activities or services, these different things.
00:06:01.199 --> 00:06:09.199
It's it's a big thing for us to always be doing the little things in preparation for what the big thing's gonna be.
00:06:09.839 --> 00:06:17.120
So preparation plays a big role in in life and sports, the gospel, everything that it is.
00:06:18.319 --> 00:06:21.600
Um moving on to the next question.
00:06:22.079 --> 00:06:26.560
Have you ever experienced a moment in swimming that strengthened your faith?
00:06:26.800 --> 00:06:31.360
And kind of talk to us a little bit about that if you know of a big moment.
00:06:32.319 --> 00:06:45.600
Um honestly, I think I think yeah, swimming kind of like started for me because of of a of a moment I had, like, you know, spiritually, like I I grew up playing every sport.
00:06:45.680 --> 00:06:50.639
I joke all the time, I don't know how I ended up swimming, because it's so hard, and you know.
00:06:51.040 --> 00:07:01.759
Um but you know, I I grew up playing every sport under the moon, and you know, I play baseball and you know, and honestly, I have a lot more fun playing those sports, you know.
00:07:01.920 --> 00:07:09.839
But um there's something about swimming, you know, that's just so it because it's so hard, it's so rewarding, you know.
00:07:10.079 --> 00:07:26.639
Um But I think, you know, I grew up, my my dad made me swim because he swam in high school, played water polo in college in Texas Tech, and so that was a big part of his life, and he forced me to swim, you know, and I hated it.
00:07:27.040 --> 00:07:31.199
I hated it so much uh up until about my freshman year.
00:07:31.279 --> 00:07:36.240
And I remember my freshman year, I was given swim one year.
00:07:36.319 --> 00:07:45.439
I was like, this, you know, this is I'm just gonna swim this year because they're making me, and then after this I'm done, and then I'll never have to touch the you know the pool again.
00:07:45.680 --> 00:07:58.240
Um we start got we're getting close to district, and I remember like starting to feel like like I I wanted to like I wanted to win districts, you know, which I never had cared about it before.
00:07:58.399 --> 00:07:58.959
Yeah.
00:07:59.279 --> 00:08:14.480
Um and you know, long story short, like I I started ended up just working really hard and then winning districts, and then after that, that was the moment where I was like, okay, I like, you know, there's something about this that's important.
00:08:14.639 --> 00:08:25.040
But I could I could tell that like you know, I could tell that I was gonna get lost in swim because of just the huge requirement it took.
00:08:25.120 --> 00:09:01.840
And so I remember vividly um saying to myself, like, if I'm gonna do this, if I'm gonna put all this effort into swim, I have to also put the effort into strengthening my relationship with with my father in heaven because that's more important, you know, and so I I made it a a point to you know read my scriptures, you know, and pray after every practice and just really make that like the focus, I guess, of or I don't know, prove to myself that that was more important than swim, and I was just lucky to be swimming, you know.
00:09:02.080 --> 00:09:18.720
So I guess the whole process of swim just became a huge um, you know, testament to my faith because as I or at least it felt to me as I put him first, you know, I saw success in those things and you know, so yeah, that's super awesome.
00:09:18.879 --> 00:09:25.039
I think that that's a great experience and definitely something that not everyone gets to experience, right?
00:09:25.600 --> 00:09:30.080
I mean a lot of people growing up are forced to play sports and it sucks, everyone hates it.
00:09:30.320 --> 00:09:30.720
Yeah.
00:09:31.039 --> 00:09:46.159
But kind of seeing how that shaped you and the the the person that you are now and how that strengthened your faith is a huge testament of why it's so important to to keep Christ first, right?
00:09:46.559 --> 00:09:58.080
Like you did all these things and you served that two-year mission, and then you came out here to SPU as a freshman and talk to us about all the accomplishments that you had this past winter.
00:09:58.240 --> 00:09:59.759
You had a lot, didn't you?
00:10:00.080 --> 00:10:01.759
Yeah, it was a good year.
00:10:01.919 --> 00:10:05.519
Um my first year back uh like you know, off my mission.
00:10:05.840 --> 00:10:16.879
Um ended up being swimmer of the year or conference swimmer of the year, um men's conference swimmer of the year, and uh winning all seven of my events in conference.
00:10:17.120 --> 00:10:17.840
That's crazy.
00:10:18.000 --> 00:10:22.000
Like I mean, I'm not I mean the only swim I've ever watched is the Olympics.
00:10:22.399 --> 00:10:24.559
But yeah, I think that's that's crazy.
00:10:24.639 --> 00:10:30.240
It's awesome to hear that you like you take two years off, you come back, and you're the conference swimmer of the year.
00:10:30.399 --> 00:10:42.799
Yeah, that takes a lot, and you can definitely I mean talk to us about how you saw God take or God's hand in that process, how he helped you get to that success.
00:10:44.639 --> 00:11:09.679
I think um I think swim swim for me before my mission, you know, uh obviously I was you know trying I was put trying to put God first always, but it became it became my identity, you know, um, like I was a swimmer before I was anything else, you know, and um at some point when you I think that's natural at some point, you know, when you work so hard at something.
00:11:10.159 --> 00:11:16.399
Um but it definitely became like my my value as a person was swimming, you know.
00:11:16.639 --> 00:11:26.080
And going on my mission, I think helped me separate that, you know, from like I'm a swimmer to I'm a child of God that that swims, you know.
00:11:26.480 --> 00:11:34.960
So I think the coming back off my mission, you know, I I didn't see myself as a swimmer anymore.
00:11:35.120 --> 00:11:40.159
Like I'm I'm a swimmer, but I you know, uh first and foremost, I'm a child of God.
00:11:40.240 --> 00:11:53.039
Yeah, you know, and I I think like being able to separate the two was a huge help because now it wasn't like if I'm not you know hitting my times like I'm a bad person.
00:11:53.200 --> 00:12:00.799
It's I'm in the process of pr of I'm in the process of progression, I guess, which I think is huge, you know.
00:12:00.960 --> 00:12:07.919
And so for me, like I saw God's hand in it because you know I got back in shape a lot faster than I than I thought I would.
00:12:08.080 --> 00:12:10.399
Still was really hard, you know.
00:12:10.720 --> 00:12:24.159
But I fell in love with just you know I felt I was less focused on my results and more focused on, you know, like I just love going to swim practice, you know, and I love getting faster, you know.
00:12:24.639 --> 00:12:35.440
So I think um being able to make that separation and like who I was as a person, yeah, you know, was it was a huge part of uh being able to get back in shape as fast as I did.
00:12:35.679 --> 00:12:38.639
So yeah, that's I think that's super important.
00:12:38.720 --> 00:12:42.799
I think I talked about this a couple weeks ago, or maybe I just talked to myself about it.
00:12:42.960 --> 00:12:51.759
I don't know, but talking about kind of I can't remember the exact wording we had for it, but like like you were saying, you're child of God who swims, right?
00:12:52.080 --> 00:12:59.279
You're not your identity is not the fact that you're a swimmer, it's child of God first and then you're just his son that gets to swim, right?
00:12:59.360 --> 00:13:12.000
Right, and that's that's huge, that's a huge thing that m every athlete I think should understand is that this isn't something that we have to do, it's an opportunity, right?
00:13:12.159 --> 00:13:25.120
It's something we get to do, and God gave us certain skills, we all have different skills, and I mean we gotta use them in the way that he wants us to, but we have to glorify him in that process for sure.
00:13:25.360 --> 00:13:25.679
Yeah.
00:13:26.159 --> 00:13:38.320
No, I think that you know I think in at the end of the day that like these sports are tools to help you know help us become who God needs us to be, you know, if we if we use them that way.
00:13:38.559 --> 00:13:46.799
Yeah, you know, like if you know, if if tomorrow I could never swim again, I would still be, you know, a good person, right?
00:13:47.039 --> 00:13:50.320
Like it'd still there'd still be a lot for me, right?
00:13:50.799 --> 00:13:53.279
So I don't know, I think I think that's important.
00:13:53.759 --> 00:13:54.080
Yeah.
00:13:54.399 --> 00:14:02.080
It's an interesting question when athletes are asked, like, if your sport was taken away, if swim was taken away, if golf was taken away, if baseball was taken away, like what would you do?
00:14:02.240 --> 00:14:03.039
Who would you become?
00:14:03.200 --> 00:14:03.440
Right.
00:14:03.679 --> 00:14:08.320
And it's in like it's hard to see someone that can't answer that question.
00:14:08.559 --> 00:14:09.200
Yeah, for sure.
00:14:09.600 --> 00:14:12.960
It's like what would I do if that was taken away?
00:14:13.120 --> 00:14:15.039
I wouldn't do anything because that's my life.
00:14:15.200 --> 00:14:25.840
But for athletes to understand that they're a child of God, they're gonna understand that it's his plan, and we're just we're just going along with it, right?
00:14:26.080 --> 00:14:34.960
We're kind of I mean, we make choices, we do what we want to do, but ultimately he he makes the decision, right?
00:14:35.120 --> 00:14:35.919
Like it's him.
00:14:36.879 --> 00:14:42.639
And it's something that's super important for us to understand is that we're children of God first.
00:14:43.279 --> 00:14:44.159
Yeah, exactly.
00:14:44.559 --> 00:14:49.519
Um to the next question.
00:14:51.679 --> 00:14:59.840
How do you make sure your motivation comes from God and not from validation winning or others' expectations?
00:15:01.600 --> 00:15:02.960
That's a good one.
00:15:03.519 --> 00:15:46.480
Um I think swim is is uh it's an i you know, it's kind of an exception in the the validation thing because not a lot of people really, you know, watch swim or know what it is, you know, and um also like if you, you know, I'll go and do something awesome, you know, um, you know, a PR or whatever, and you know, you'll explain that to somebody else and they'll be like, oh, cool, you know, like it's just something that not a lot of people you you know get to know about, which I think honestly has been really important for me because um it's forced me to like know why I I swim, you know.
00:15:46.639 --> 00:15:47.120
Yeah.
00:15:47.440 --> 00:16:01.120
Um I think for me it's like like like we said, you know, just being in love with the with the process, you know, of progressing as a as a person, you know, those the workouts are you know progressing as a swimmer and as a person, you know.
00:16:01.200 --> 00:16:08.399
The workouts are hard and and training's hard and there's a lot of things you have to sacrifice to get good, you know, good at swimming.
00:16:08.720 --> 00:16:09.120
Absolutely.
00:16:09.440 --> 00:16:15.919
But that makes you, you know, it it teaches you a lot of lessons about who you are as a person, you know.
00:16:16.240 --> 00:16:23.440
And so I think for me, like, you know, like like we said, like if I focus on my results, you know, obviously I'm working towards a goal.
00:16:23.679 --> 00:17:02.320
But if I'm if I'm you know living and dying with whether or not I reach that goal each week, you know, I'll just be ultimately unsatisfied, you know, but focusing on like, okay, today I get to go, I get to go to swim practice and I get to go through this hard workout and I get to go lift after, you know, and I I get to go to bed early, you know, I get to wake up early, like just focusing on like like I these are things I love to do, you know, and I think I think it ultimately I get a lot more joy out of that, you know, because because I'm just I'm living I'm living such a dope life, you know.
00:17:02.480 --> 00:17:22.880
Yeah, like such a it's it's a life that like so many people won't ever get to live, you know, and you know, and I can I can be angry that I'm not Michael Phelps, but at the end of the day, I'm I'm in Virginia, you know, which uh who who knows how I got here, you know, and I'm an athlete still, which is awesome.
00:17:22.960 --> 00:17:24.160
So exactly.
00:17:24.240 --> 00:17:30.000
I think it's yeah, I mean it's a great perspective to have to look at it kind of that way.
00:17:30.079 --> 00:17:33.279
I've I mean for me recently I started running.
00:17:33.440 --> 00:17:34.400
I don't know why.
00:17:34.720 --> 00:17:36.079
I I have as well, actually.
00:17:36.160 --> 00:17:37.200
I love running.
00:17:37.440 --> 00:17:39.839
I I've learned to love it for some reason.
00:17:40.000 --> 00:17:44.880
I think one reason why I love it so much is because no one else cares that I run.
00:17:44.960 --> 00:17:47.119
Yeah, like it's 100% me.
00:17:47.200 --> 00:17:56.880
I mean, me and my buddy were training for a marathon and whatnot, and it's just like we care about each other, but at the same time it's like we're just running to run.
00:17:57.200 --> 00:18:00.720
And no one in the outside world has to know.
00:18:00.880 --> 00:18:08.000
Like I'm just out there on the road, and it's like that motivation, I mean, I don't know where it came from.
00:18:08.240 --> 00:18:13.119
I like to say it comes from God because I feel like I'm pushed to do hard things.
00:18:13.200 --> 00:18:17.279
Like, I I like to do hard things because that's what builds a character, right?
00:18:17.440 --> 00:18:18.640
That's what builds a person.
00:18:19.359 --> 00:18:29.599
And it's great to know that when I'm running, no one else is gonna like make fun of me if I fail.
00:18:29.839 --> 00:18:34.559
Like if I don't run a marathon, no one's gonna say anything because no one knows I'm running a marathon.
00:18:34.720 --> 00:18:45.920
Yeah, and it's just great, it's that great perspective to have, and I think it gives me a great mental break not not hearing from other people, other people talking bad, you know.
00:18:46.319 --> 00:18:51.279
That's something that's kind of awesome when you play a more quiet sport, right?
00:18:51.359 --> 00:19:04.640
Yeah, um, but yeah, it's super it's a it's a great thing to be able to only have motivation from God and not care whatsoever about winning, about what others think.
00:19:05.599 --> 00:19:08.640
That's only there to kind of beat you down, right?
00:19:08.799 --> 00:19:14.400
It's not we're not going out every day to to prove someone wrong.
00:19:14.720 --> 00:19:17.440
We're going out to prove to God that we can do it.
00:19:17.680 --> 00:19:17.920
True.
00:19:18.079 --> 00:19:35.680
And I think I think those things have their places, you know, like like obviously I I want to, you know, I want to win and I want to show people that I'm good at what I do, you know, but I that can't be all of it, you know, because if it's all of it, then you'll be just you know, you'll be dis I think you'll be dissatisfied at the end of the day.
00:19:35.759 --> 00:19:53.039
But yeah, you know, they serve their their their purposes and you know, but yeah, like I think at the end of the day just like loving just loving what you do and loving getting better at what you do is like you know, I think that's I think you know for me that's what it's gotta be.
00:19:53.119 --> 00:19:57.599
So Yeah, for sure it it all comes from from love.
00:19:58.000 --> 00:19:59.359
I think that's something that's super important.
00:19:59.440 --> 00:20:00.559
You gotta love what you're doing.
00:20:00.640 --> 00:20:04.240
If you don't love it, change right, find something new.
00:20:04.559 --> 00:20:16.079
I think the gospel's kind of that way too, you know, like like um you know, if you're just looking looking forward to being in heaven, you're gonna your whole life's gonna suck and suck and tell your head in heaven, you know.
00:20:16.400 --> 00:20:16.880
Exactly.
00:20:17.200 --> 00:20:27.680
But it's you know, if you fall in love with just being able to repent and get better, you know, then you're yeah, you'll you know, life becomes a lot more meaningful, I think.
00:20:28.079 --> 00:20:28.559
For sure.
00:20:29.599 --> 00:20:32.640
Um kind of a follow-up question to that last one.
00:20:33.200 --> 00:20:41.119
Would you still pursue your sport the same way, same training, same everything, if no one ever noticed only God?
00:20:42.799 --> 00:20:43.440
Hmm.
00:20:44.000 --> 00:20:45.200
Good question.
00:20:46.880 --> 00:20:55.119
Um, I I think I think so, you know.
00:20:55.279 --> 00:20:57.920
Obviously, I would I like to say that I think so, you know.
00:20:58.559 --> 00:21:06.559
Um honestly I'm at a point with with swimming where it's like that's I feel like that's kind of how it is, you know.
00:21:06.720 --> 00:21:19.279
Like I'm I'm not doing it for anybody else, you know, and I'm not like I'm doing this for for myself, you know, because it's something I I I like to do, you know, and I love to do.
00:21:19.839 --> 00:21:59.839
And you know, and I I feel like I have fallen in love with just you know just getting better, you know, and whether that's swim or running or lifting or whatever, you know, I just like honestly at the end of the day, like like I have more fun at practice, you know, and in the weight room, you know, and all my runs or or you know, with you know, I practice with the baseball team, you know, or even losing with the baseball team, you know, like I just have I have more fun in those moments than I do just that that one moment of like I don't know.
00:22:00.319 --> 00:22:05.519
That's that's more fun and more rewarding to me than people telling me that I'm good at what I do.
00:22:05.680 --> 00:22:06.880
You know, so I don't know.
00:22:06.960 --> 00:22:08.400
I still want to be good at what I do.
00:22:08.640 --> 00:22:10.559
Not gonna not gonna lie at all.
00:22:10.640 --> 00:22:12.480
I'm not I am not a saint at all.
00:22:12.640 --> 00:22:16.240
You know, I I like me some I like me some recognition for sure.
00:22:16.559 --> 00:22:17.119
Absolutely.
00:22:17.359 --> 00:22:23.039
But yeah, you know, I like to think that I would continue to you know continue to pursue it.
00:22:23.359 --> 00:22:23.759
For sure.
00:22:23.920 --> 00:22:30.799
I mean I like to s think the same thing because for me it's like I mean obviously I notice what I'm doing.
00:22:31.119 --> 00:22:37.759
I notice how I'm improving, and that's a huge motivating factor for me.
00:22:38.079 --> 00:22:58.319
Because yeah, other people are gonna talk, they're gonna say something, and sure it might hurt, it might maybe it'll motivate me, but overall I think me wanting to play my sport for myself is the purpose, is the reason I'm doing it.
00:22:58.400 --> 00:23:10.400
I mean, I'm not I'm not here playing golf at SVU because someone told me to, or someone is all like watching me and wanting to see me fail, whatever it is, or wanting to see me succeed, even.
00:23:10.880 --> 00:23:17.920
I'm out here because I set a goal and I wanted to play golf in college, and this is where I ended up.
00:23:18.160 --> 00:23:24.480
So it's like I think a big part of at least this question for me is goals, right?
00:23:25.200 --> 00:23:32.400
Setting goals and working to achieve those goals because when you're setting a personal goal, it's between you and God.
00:23:32.720 --> 00:23:32.960
Yeah.
00:23:33.200 --> 00:23:39.359
And once you're able to achieve that goal, you and God notice it, right?
00:23:39.920 --> 00:23:40.720
He's the only one.
00:23:40.880 --> 00:23:51.119
Maybe you told other people about it, but he was the first one to know, and he was the first one to push you to make sure you were presented with opportunities, right?
00:23:51.279 --> 00:23:51.599
Yeah.
00:23:52.240 --> 00:23:57.440
Um but yeah, I think it's something that's super important for me.
00:23:58.319 --> 00:24:00.640
Um we have a little bit of time.
00:24:00.720 --> 00:24:02.160
I'm gonna ask one more question.
00:24:02.400 --> 00:24:02.720
Okay.
00:24:03.039 --> 00:24:13.839
Um tell us a little bit about kind of your your your day-to-day or a day in the life of Holton Bundy.
00:24:13.920 --> 00:24:23.920
Kind of how you're you make sure you keep that Christ-centered life, what you do while you're a two-sport athlete now in college.
00:24:24.079 --> 00:24:24.720
Yeah.
00:24:25.279 --> 00:24:25.920
Hmm.
00:24:26.400 --> 00:24:27.680
Sorry, I'm coughing a lot.
00:24:27.759 --> 00:24:28.480
I don't know what's going on.
00:24:28.720 --> 00:24:29.200
It's okay.
00:24:29.599 --> 00:24:39.039
Um I think, you know, I I I love I love working out and you know, I love I love being an athlete, obviously.
00:24:39.200 --> 00:24:42.880
Um so my days are very full of of that.
00:24:43.039 --> 00:24:49.440
Yeah, you know, and uh especially now playing baseball, it's um, you know, get to go to a lot of games and stuff.
00:24:49.519 --> 00:24:52.640
So you know, a typical day, I I have 8 a.m.
00:24:52.960 --> 00:24:54.960
every morning, so it's unfortunate.
00:24:55.279 --> 00:24:58.640
It's not you know, waking up early is not new, but it's not fun either.
00:24:59.920 --> 00:25:03.839
Um I try to I try to start my my morning off.
00:25:04.000 --> 00:25:04.960
You know, I'm not perfect at it.
00:25:05.039 --> 00:25:12.640
I try try to start my morning off by listening to a general conference talk or you know, something to just start.
00:25:12.720 --> 00:25:16.240
I think you know, starting the day that way is good.
00:25:16.559 --> 00:25:19.200
Um, you know, like I said, I'm not perfect sometimes.
00:25:19.279 --> 00:25:22.640
I you know just listen to music on my way down to the calf.
00:25:22.720 --> 00:25:34.960
But um so I yeah, but I think ultimately it's like just trying to keep like God in my in the picture in everything I do, you know?
00:25:35.519 --> 00:26:24.319
Um and like I think it it goes back to like what we were talking about before, like you know, um like doing the s the small things in everything I do, you know, like like choosing to or trying to choose you know the the right decision and you know and do good things or serve others, like you know, I think at the end of the day to keep Christ in in my life with everything that I have going on, it's like I have to um try to involve him in in those things, you know, and that doesn't mean I'm gonna share scripture with you know my teammates or whatever, I'm not gonna be weird about it, but you know, I'm gonna do my best to be that example, you know.
00:26:24.799 --> 00:26:44.000
And yeah, I'm not always perfect at it for sure, but um, you know, I think at the end of the day, like for somebody that's that's busy, you know, you don't maybe don't always get in the scripture study or you know, but you do what you can to emulate you know Christ and your actions and you know, I think that's I think that's that's huge.
00:26:44.079 --> 00:26:45.680
So yeah, that's super awesome.
00:26:45.759 --> 00:26:46.480
I love that.
00:26:46.640 --> 00:26:49.759
Um well I think we're gonna start to kind of wrap things up here.
00:26:49.920 --> 00:26:50.079
Okay.
00:26:50.559 --> 00:27:03.359
Um I'm gonna have you share something that I have everyone share, which will first be your favorite Bible verse, kind of why you love it and maybe how you've been able to apply it in your athletics as well.
00:27:03.599 --> 00:27:10.160
And then following that, I'll have you share the best piece of advice that you have for athletes who are striving to stay on the path.
00:27:11.599 --> 00:27:13.039
Favorite Bible verse.
00:27:13.200 --> 00:27:18.160
Um, it's a pretty famous one, the Philippians 4.13, I think.
00:27:19.279 --> 00:27:20.400
Don't quote me.
00:27:20.720 --> 00:27:25.359
Um it, you know, just says like I can do all things through Christ, which strengthens me.
00:27:25.440 --> 00:27:43.920
And that, you know, that uh that verse um it kind of was like it in a rougher moment in my fam family's life, you know, it was kind of a verse that pushed us through, you know, and and I think it's it's used a lot, but it's um, you know, it's important because at the end of the day it it's true, right?
00:27:44.000 --> 00:27:55.200
Like no matter what's going on in our life, you know, no matter the situation, no matter, you know, the circumstance, like no matter what's going on, like if we're focused on him, you know, we're trying to do the best we can for him.
00:27:55.440 --> 00:28:09.920
Like he has the power to get us through anything, and you know, he has the power to help us reach those goals and help us to overcome ourselves, and you know, so I think as an athlete, that's important, as a human being, that's important, you know.
00:28:10.079 --> 00:28:16.799
Yeah, like it's just important to know that like he's there for you no m no matter what, you know, no matter when you fail.
00:28:16.960 --> 00:28:24.079
And if you turn to him, you know, and and do what he asks, or try to do what he asks, you know, he'll help you to get to reach those goals.
00:28:24.240 --> 00:28:24.559
Yeah.
00:28:24.799 --> 00:28:26.319
But what was the second question?
00:28:26.559 --> 00:28:31.839
That's uh your best piece of advice that you have for athletes who are striving to stay on the path.
00:28:32.559 --> 00:28:35.440
I'd say don't take yourself so serious, you know.
00:28:35.599 --> 00:28:35.759
Yeah.
00:28:35.920 --> 00:28:37.119
It's just not that serious.
00:28:37.279 --> 00:28:45.920
Like it's it is serious, and and I'm not I'm by saying that I'm not saying, you know, lax, lax up or ease up and you know, don't work hard.
00:28:46.000 --> 00:29:09.039
You know, continue to work hard, but you know, you're you're not your sport and you're um I think as soon as you just start having fun, you know, just trying your best to enjoy each moment of what you're doing, you'll you will um you know you'll progress a lot more than before.
00:29:09.440 --> 00:29:22.160
You know, and I I think that helps to maintain a positive outlook and it helps to keep Christ in your life because you know, if you go into practice every day and you're angry that you're not you know doing good, you know, you push him out, you know.
00:29:22.240 --> 00:29:32.000
But when you are grateful, you know, for the life that you're living and the opportunity to do that, you know, he can be a part of that and he can help you.
00:29:32.079 --> 00:29:33.440
So yeah, for sure.
00:29:33.519 --> 00:29:34.240
I love that.
00:29:34.400 --> 00:29:34.960
I love that.
00:29:35.119 --> 00:29:38.400
Thank you for being here and thank you for sharing all your thoughts with us today.
00:29:38.640 --> 00:29:39.440
Thank you for having me.
00:29:39.680 --> 00:29:44.400
Um and thank you everyone for tuning in to another episode of On the Path.
00:29:44.559 --> 00:29:56.160
Um, remember to share it with your friends and family and make sure there's someone in your life that you're able to be a light to, be an example, and be able to share the gospel with them.
00:29:56.400 --> 00:30:02.880
Um thank you again, everyone, for tuning in, and remember everyone to always stay on the path.
00:30:03.680 --> 00:30:04.720
Heck yeah.
00:30:05.279 --> 00:30:06.720
Good stuff.
