Thursday 31 March 2016

Apolo Ohno – Short Track Speed Skating




Apolo Ohno made all us wonder what exactly short track speed skating was about. Short track speed skating has a long history and even longer rules. The 1932 Olympic Winter games is where short track speed skating truly got its start. At the time speed skating was typically done in pairs, but this time the Americans decided to conduct one event with all the skaters skating at once. Europeans weren’t a fan and ended up boycotting the games, but eventually in 1967 the International Skating Union included short track speed skating in future games. On the other hand it was only a demonstration sport in the 1988 Winter Olympics, not becoming a full sport until the 1992 Winter Olympics. In 1992 short track speed skating only consisted of four events, which was then expanded in 2002 to eight events. In took awhile for short track speed skating to be accepted and practiced internationally but was well worth the wait for both competitors and fans alike.
 
What keeps this sport standing is its’ rules, because without them speed skating could be even a more dangerous and harmful sport. First of all, speed skating is supposed to be a non-contact sport, calling for the skaters’ ability to dodge other skaters, requiring certain finesse. In competitions there are usually between 4-6 skaters all skating at once. The goal is to race as fast and far as possible, requiring lots of discipline and stamina.
 
There are several rules that you must follow or you will be penalized. One thing you are not allowed to do is impede other skaters in any way such as, pushing, blocking, or tripping. You are also not allowed to skate outside the designated skate zone. Another big no-no is any form of conspiring with other members to help yourselves to win, but this is not usually enforced as it is difficult to prove. Most other rules involve safety, such as being penalized for not wearing the required safety equipment or shooting the line, meaning that you drive the foot in lead ahead to reach the finish line faster thus making the lead foot lift off the ice, creating a dangerous atmosphere for fellow skaters, as the blades on the skates are very sharp.

Short track speed skating has come a long way in the past few decades and is now one of the most interesting events to watch during the Winter Olympics.

Tuesday 29 March 2016

Apolo Ohno, Inspirational Story

From an early age, Apolo Ohno was one of the finest athletes to come out of America. He came from an ordinary working class background in Washington and went on to achieve absolutely stunning Olympic success at the 2012 Vancouver Olympics, where he won a gold medal. He has since become famous as one of the most decorated Olympic athletes of all time, and he owes much of this success to his father, who always pushed him to go further than he thought he could. Upon winning his gold medal in the 2012 Olympics, to many people's surprise he decided to quit the sport that has made him such a legend. This was the sport of inline speed skating, which he had being passionately dedicated to from a very young age. Competitive by Nature, this was by no means the end however and he has since gone on to become a hugely competitive player in the business world. Some people have competition built into their DNA, and so obviously he was never going to go quietly into the night upon retiring. His next move was to co-found a company which has just opened in 2015 and is so far going from strength to strength. It will be of no surprise that as he was an Olympic athlete, his company specializes in sports and sporting products, in particular supplements. The purpose of the supplement he has created is to help athletes with the mental performance, as despite many athletes having extremely fit bodies, many still struggle in the mental department, especially in the highly stressful and competitive environment of competitions.

It seems as though his company is going to take the World by storm, as already he has landed contracts all over the USA as well as in Europe and Asia. Many people are recognizing the potential of what he is offering, and it is surely only a matter of time before the product takes over the sporting world.

From high school sporting kid to business legend, this is surely one of the most impressive and influential stories one could wish to hear. He is now heavily in demand as a public speaker; he gives talks to everyone from top 100 companies to high schools full of children.

Apolo Ohno, From Sports Legend To Businessman

American sporting legend Apolo Ohno spent his early life as a swimmer. He realized from an early age he had a natural ability for various sports, and at the age of twelve he became the Washington state swimming champion for his age category. However despite being a talented swimmer, he eventually changed hobbies to focus on his true love, inline speed skating. This was a sport he had fallen I love with earlier in life, and it was to prove a very practical career move, as by the year 2010, he was competing in the winter Olympics, where he won a gold medal for the United States. After reaching this high point, he made the surprise move of deciding to quit competing professionally, and he officially retired from the sport, at which point he could easily have lived comfortable and happily ever after in a life of obscurity. However, this was not to be the end for Apolo Ohno. Along with his sporting ambitions, he had always had a strong desire to become involved in the business world; some people are naturally drawn to high risk, high reward activities, like professional sports and business, and Apolo Ohno is one of them. He went on to found a company by the name of Allysian Sciences

The idea behind the company had come to him while he was competing professionally; he had realized quite early on that his performance on a given day could be quite drastically affected by his mental condition. Even if he was in perfect shape, sometimes he didn’t perform as well as he knew he could due to feeling mentally sluggish, over anxious or under confident. He realized that if there were some kind of supplement that could combat this kind of mental activity without affecting the physicality or muscular structure of the body, it could be an enormous hit. Upon his retirement, he set about his new mission, and hired scores of the best scientists, doctors and sports experts to develop and perfect his new idea. It took five years of extensive research and hard work, but in early 2015 the company finally started producing and releasing its miracle product, which has so far taken the world of athletics by storm. Athletes left right and center are snapping up his supplement, and Ohno is deeply proud of what he has achieved.

Thursday 24 March 2016

Apolo Ohno, Successful American

American Olympic sporting legend Apolo Ohno made his name a couple of decades ago through immense sporting success that ultimately allowed him to retire relatively early, and could have led to a life of luxury, comfort and leisure. This was not what he wanted however, as he went straight form the sports arena into the competitive world of business and set up his own company with one other investor. He has never looked back and views the project in an incredibly positive light, given the stress that is known to come with owning a business. On Becoming the Co-Founder of the company, he says:

“It’s been an unreal experience from day one. Right from the time I met Rod to the time we’re making videos, it’s been a fantastic ride. I will lead this company to greater heights of success, and I will continue to raise awareness for what should be common knowledge. The brain is so incredibly powerful and unique, learning about it’s potential everyday makes me smile. Our focus is to truly optimize human performance through science and education, in an easy and interesting/compelling way that relates to an 18 year old entering college, or the 88 year old who simply wants to have the protective benefits of these products for their brain…..continuing deep conversations with their children and grand children.”

The company specializes in supplements that help athletes improve their mental function during sport. As an ex athlete, Ohno is well aware that the brain is arguably almost important as the body if one is to compete at a high level, and he has dedicated himself to helping athletes develop this skill to its absolute heights. His company is called Allysian Sciences and and Ohno firmly believes that the unique branding and marketing strategies he has devised with his partner, not to mention the efficacy of the product they are developing, will ultimately contribute greatly to the cause of improving athlete’s mental performance. Since setting up the company, he has worked alongside other corporate giants, including VISA, GM, Nestle, NBC, and Raytheon to list just a few. He is passionate about sport, and he is now equally passionate about helping other budding athletes achieve the same level of success he was able to. It just so looks as if he may have found a way to do that, and in a way that might just make him a millionaire in the process. Hats off to Apolo Ohno.

Thursday 10 March 2016

Apolo Ohno - Split Second Thinking in Sports and Sciences


The athlete has to hone his or her skills for many years in order to compete with any chance of winning in the Olympic games. Of the many sports that are watched during the ceremonial event none can be described as an easy game to play. The training starts early and only intensifies as time continues, even then at the end one can never be sure if they will enter the games themselves. Most audiences associate serious physical strain with the Olympic challenge, but medalist Apolo Ohno has preached about the importance of cognitive ability on top of this.

In a game that values speed more than most others, short track speed skating is something that needs its players to think fast. Apolo Ohno has spoken about how making a decision within the split of a second can make the difference between first place and missing out on the medal. Thus, a healthy mind is just as important as a healthy body. Apolo Ohno put his training to the test by finding the most effective methods out there to be in shape and ready to play, but he was looking in other areas less explored in order to improve his thinking skills and mental abilities.

The interest in cognitive function and the science of the brain has lead Apolo Ohno to go the whole way in his investigation and enter the market for cognitive supplements. He now makes up part of the team at Allysian Sciences, a company dedicated to delivering supplements that are a cut above the rest. Apolo Ohno was interested in joining such a company so that he could contribute his experience as an athlete and describe exactly what was needed in order to make a successful supplement. The payoff has been great, and now Allysian Sciences delivers supplements of entirely natural origin and the utmost quality when it comes to results. Apolo Ohno has been instrumental in transforming the way the company works and convincing athletes of this important rule; a healthy mind always comes first.