Vince Egan, a 2017 Special Olympics World Winter Games gold medal winner in alpine skiing from Colorado, competes in five Special Olympics sports and coaches youth basketball. Meeting Vince now, you would not know this outgoing young adult was ever a quiet kid struggling to fit in, but that’s exactly where he was before he joined Special Olympics. Since then, he has transformed into a strong and confident leader. His leadership roles within Special Olympics include serving as a Global Messenger, a Special Olympics Colorado Board Member and a Global Health Messenger. He is enrolled in an Athlete Leadership Program and is active in his church community, and golfs every chance he can. He also works part-time at The Arc of the Pikes Peak Region administrative office. Learn how Vince’s School of Strength participation perfectly complements his healthy, active lifestyle.
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My fitness journey began when I started a walking club and was using the Fit 5 fitness resources a couple of years ago. As a Special Olympics Health Messenger and a Fitness Captain Coordinator, I did my first Fit 5 group training back in 2018, and continued to promote fitness activities every chance I had, including at a Colorado statewide Fit 5 training with over 400 participants.
What keeps me motivated to stay fit right now is my personal commitment to a new challenge. I am training to compete in the first-ever Special Olympics Colorado Triathlon. Although the event might get postponed because of the coronavirus, I continue to use a training guide and I check in with my training coordinator every two weeks. My current workouts include core strengthening, swimming, running, cycling and interval training. An important part of this training is eating healthy and drinking lots of water.
Vince Egan Radio Interview
Audio courtesy of Sports Byline USA, Titillating Sports with Rick Tittle.
Squeezing this training routine into my busy schedule has been tough. I use my fitness bands whenever I get some free time at home. I also run and ride my bike around my neighborhood. However, swimming has been the toughest part of my training. I lose my breath fast, but I know that I will improve with more consistent practice. I will push through and do it, even if it’s tough. Special Olympics founder Eunice Kennedy Shriver told us to always challenge ourselves, and that’s exactly what I’m doing. I set some tough training goals and will do my best to reach them.
When I heard about School of Strength, I was so excited to be a part of this fitness video. I love the WWE. When I found out they were a partner, I wanted to do it even more. Meeting Becky Lynch was a real highlight.
Working on the project was a lot of fun. My most interesting memory was how tired I was after doing take after take of push-ups and sit-ups on camera. The best part was working with a great team of athletes and filming crew. Everyone was awesome. It was a great experience. I would like to do it again. And I can, and you can too, by working out today and checking out the videos!
