Jimmie Johnson’s deeper impact on NASCAR often goes unnoticed because of the 7 championships that he secured. The iconic driver was one of the first in the modern era to focus explicitly on achieving peak physical fitness. Enter his interest and participation in triathlons. The quest to transform his body led him to this door that he’d first seen as a child.
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He told Men’s Journal in 2013, “I always had this fantasy about triathlons. I remember tuning in as a kid, viewing the Wide World of Sports and watching [Ironman] Kona, and just thinking, ‘Wow, this is the ultimate.’” So, how did he get the opportunity to be a part of his first-ever sprint-distance triathlon in July 2012?
He’d been at a local Y in Charlotte to swim when he made friends with some of the guys who were regulars there. He got to know from them about the events that were coming up and simply made the leap. Notably, he had no formal training and competed without proper sleep since he had just finished a race at Daytona the night before the triathlon.
“The biggest problem I have is I work on the weekends,” he added. Nevertheless, it was an admirable achievement that he was able to complete the race. But he wasn’t satisfied with the result. He knew that he could do better if he put in the time and effort. Hell-bent on taking himself to the next level, he procured the services of professionals.
After being trained by Jamie Yon, the founder of TRi-Yon Performance in North Carolina, Johnson was able to finish an Olympic-length triathlon just five months after his first step into the sport. He completed half a marathon two months later. If there has to be an ideal for a clear mind in a strong body, it has to be him.
Johnson is also an advocate for professional therapy
Johnson has dealt with many heartbreaking tragedies throughout his life. His brother-in-law was killed in a skydiving accident back in 2004. His mother-in-law shot and killed herself before doing the same to her husband and their grandson in 2023. It is in the face of such losses that he has managed to become an elite driver.
One of his biggest supports through these tough times was professional therapy. He said in an interview last year, “Professionals somehow help you realize that you’re not alone. You’re not the first one to go through this, whatever it might be.”
“They have tools that can help you simplify because it’s so easy just for your brain to go, and I have found that professionals help me finally put a box around it.” His positive feedback ought to inspire struggling individuals to seek help and brave through whatever problem they might be dealing with.
