Competition. The word alone is intimidating to some, motivating to others. This week on Fitness Flipped, Peloton instructor and podcast host Tunde Oyeneyin explores the concept of competition and encourages listeners to engage in it in healthy ways to help them be the best version of themselves.
To dive deeper into the benefits of competition, whether it’s with yourself or against others, Tunde teams up with Allyson Felix, the most decorated American track and field athlete in Olympic history and Peloton’s first instructor ever, Jenn Sherman.
She then spends time with an inspiring mother-son duo from South Carolina, Yolanda and Taiden Mines, who’ve been competing against each other in their Peloton workouts.
Braving the Competition
“For many of us, competition can be scary,” Tunde acknowledges in the episode. “So many of us know what it's like to be on the losing end of a competition, whether it's coming up last in a race or not even making the race or the team. I will say loudly that that is myself—I never made the team.”
But rather than allow the fear of losing to prevent you from entering a race, going for a promotion at work or adding yourself to the Leaderboard in a Peloton class, Tunde suggests going for it. “Why not look at competition as an opportunity to show up as our absolute best?” she says. “Put yourself out there, believe in yourself and give your very best.”
Competing on Your Terms
Competition in a Peloton class can mean different things to different people—some strive to reach the top of the Leaderboard, while others focus on their personal progress alone. Find what motivates you and stick with it. “There are many people who are in it for the numbers, straight up, and they will tell you that,” Jenn tells Tunde. For others, she continues, “everything else about the Bike sparks what they need. That’s what pushes them, just riding with friends, with the community, knowing that they’re putting in the work.”
Born to Compete
Felix grew up in a competitive family, being pushed by her father and brother “who never let me win at anything” from a very young age. “They say that’s what drove me to success—because I was constantly being pushed,” she says to Tunde. “I love competition.”While she clearly thrives when up against others, personal improvement is Felix’s primary focus. “I love the gradual progression and seeing how far I can take it,” she explains. “A lot of times, it looks like I'm competing with the person in the lane next to me, but I'm trying to better myself. I'm trying to find out, okay, what am I made of? How far can I go with this? I don't know without competition.”
Friendly Family Competition
Like Felix, Yolanda (#DocYolanda) comes from a competitive family. Her father was a professional boxer, her uncles were athletes and her 14-year-old son, Taiden, is a standout football player. As Yolanda and Taiden share in this episode, throughout the pandemic, they’ve used their Peloton Bike to keep each other healthy, motivated and grounded. The competition began when Yolanda completed a ride with Peloton instructor Alex Toussaint and encouraged Taiden to beat her output on the same ride. Egging him on with, “Are you really going to let me beat you?” helped do the trick. “It just kept going,” says Taiden of their competition. “She would do another ride, get a higher score, then I'd do the ride, get a higher score.”Tune in to hear more about their friendly competition—and for some funny stories about the “family yoga” sessions they do after finishing their rides.