I want to introduce this greeting with a concept called Sisu. Sisu is a unique Finnish mindset that can be roughly translated into English as strength of will, determination, perseverance, and acting rationally in the face of adversity. Sisu is not momentary courage, but the ability to sustain that courage.(Source linked here)

It has been a while since I have written and that is largely due to my focus on our ever-changing business. I have never been one to sit back and wait for things to work out. My motto, since I was little, is that I either needed to be improving and growing or pivoting to find growth. Nothing has changed now that I have rounded the half a century mark. I have, unknowingly, embraced and lived my life according to the principles of Sisu. VQ has experienced a lot of growth through the years and the Covid pandemic presented a considerable opportunity to figure out what future growth would look like. Instead of hoping and waiting for the world to come back to normal, we decided to pivot to adjust and respond to the ever-changing world of training around us.

We all know that we cannot control all of what happens, but we can control how we respond. The last couple of years have shown this to be true more than ever. So much of the world has changed without any fault of our own; however, we have seen so many different responses that have revealed who we are, what we value and how we manage change.

Additionally, our responses have impacted our training….Some of us have remained vigilant with our training and have made adjustments to our environment to keep ourselves and loved one’s safe. Others have trained hard but have limited /changed their goal events to accommodate the safety of themselves and loved ones, while others have had to take a pause on their training to manage other more pressing challenges these last two years have sent their way…. Our goal is to help support you no matter what bucket you fall into. All and all we have managed the happenings around us in different ways.

I am sure anyone reading this article can put themselves in one of these three buckets. No one bucket is better or more important than the others but the important thing is that you look for and find the ability to pivot at some point in order to help you get more of a handle on your situation. Taking control of how you respond is the single biggest weapon you have against any and all stress that surrounds you. Nutrition, exercise and sleep can be controlled if you have made these things a priority. VQ’s number one goal since this pandemic started was to give its members options to allow these things to be a priority in each of their lives. We understand it is our duty to help as many people as possible by providing alternatives to stay healthy no matter what hand they have been dealt.

Since this pandemic hit almost two years ago we have worked our tails off to continue to support our current athletes, while creating access to our programming and culture for others who would benefit from it. By doing this, the team has been pushed to learn a whole new way of communicating and connecting with others. Our latest efforts are reaching out to those who haven’t had a chance to experience Vision Quest yet. Through both our VQ Corporate Wellness Program and through our virtual VQ Velocity platform, we are providing the best training protocols that VQ is known for, while creating a platform for communities to connect and grow together! We are beyond pumped that VQ Velocity will be able to consistently bring incredible training experiences to our community and to others who need a community like VQ.

Understand that we all have had different exposures, consequences and responses to the pandemic and nobody should feel bad by how they responded initially to this terrible virus. I believe that we are at a point where enough time has passed and we have a much better understanding of our own personal impact and now we need to work as hard as we can to respond in a positive growth mindset that should help us all create a positive outcome for ourselves and others moving forward….

This pandemic will leave us with clear lessons on health and wellness. It has crystalized the impact VQ has had on sustaining physical & mental wellbeing while improving the quality of life for its members. Exercise, nutrition, events, sleep, interaction and support are what VQ is founded on and the importance of these things has really stood out through the last 20 months. Vision Quest and now VQ Velocity are both in positions to provide more help and more expertise for a country desperately in need of support in these areas. Whether you are working-out alongside others in person, or remotely, both VQ and VQ Velocity provide outlets to learn, grow, advance, and become more resilient and durable. These are the key elements to living and growing in this ever changing landscape.

One of the unique features VQ Velocity offers is that we are surrounding ourselves with people that believe we will come out of this with more understanding of the importance of taking care of ourselves and others. We are extremely grateful that our team has expanded through amazing partnerships with individuals who share this growth mindset. VQ Velocity provides a place for us to share with the world amazing cycling and triathlon personalities like World Champion and World Record holder Ashton Lambe, World Champion and Olympian Andy Potts, Gravel cycling coach and youtube legend Dylan Johnson, 5 time World Champion Mel McQuaid, Gravel Queen Kaysee Armstrong, multiple IM Champion Meredith Kessler, Olympic medalist Mari Holden along with a host of other cyclist and triathlete coaches who will be sharing their knowledge and training tips with you on the VQ Velocity Platform.

We continue to be proud of what we are creating and how it will continue to positively impact the world around us. We look forward to more great training and connection through both Vision Quest and VQ Velocity.

Wishing you a healthy, happy and productive new year,

May you all continue to strengthen your Sisu….

Robbie