My teenage son recalls as we train for our second triathlon the words of Joe Lileikis, our swim coach.
"Joe says, ‘Swimming adds life!’" my son said.
The first time I set eyes on Lileikis, he was undergoing chemotherapy for follicular lymphoma and stood poolside without hair or eyebrows. Even then you would be hard pressed to find someone with more passion and enthusiasm as he breathed life into the training experience.
Lileikis, who is in the Hawaii Swimming Hall of Fame, has been a competitive swimmer for more than 30 years. He placed third in the U.S. Nationals and participated in the U.S. Olympic Trials. He has been coaching for 25 years and remains dedicated to helping each person he trains be the best he or she can be. Lileikis earned his undergraduate degree in economics at the University of Hawaii and completed his graduate work in education and educational psychology. He now teaches at Niu Valley Middle School and, in the evenings, coaches at the Oahu Club.
"I like to bring together models from business and psychology as I teach during the day and coach at night," Lileikis said. "It’s all about being productive, staying active and realizing that you are your own best asset."
Lileikis said too many of us spend far too much time trapped in front of digital media, channel surfing our way through recreation rather than participating. Production is impossible without participation.
Throughout most of human history, people stayed active during their entire lives as hunters and gatherers. It is in our DNA. In business we are still out there hunting for the best deal. The key is to stay sharp and on top of our game. Success in both business and swimming is all about setting goals and staying active as we work to achieve them, according to Lileikis.
"We also need to pace ourselves and maintain balance," he said.
The last piece of advice he gave my son before his first triathlon was to start easy and then slowly build speed during the race. He was advised to avoid getting burned out by being caught up in the excitement at the beginning. It worked.
Lileikis also attributes his ability to get through cancer treatment to these principles.
"It is essential that we focus on the positive," he said. "There is always this voice of fear and anxiety that can drag you down and cause you to withdraw, but put your energy into a calm, powerful vision of remaining focused, active and productive."
He also says that he could not have come through his cancer without an outpouring of support from his family and community.
"We need to remember that we are not alone," he said. "Working as part of a team is essential. My health care team at Kaiser helped me tremendously. The same applies in sports and business. We need to communicate, collaborate, give and receive. We have to reach out and also be able to hear what people have to offer. Listening and recognizing the possibilities in front of us empowers us to make the best choices. No one knows how much time we have, and we don’t value it as much as we should. Time is our most valuable resource. Time is of the essence."
These are the keys to prosperity and longevity, according to coach and teacher Lileikis, this week’s living example of the Wealth of Health.
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Ira Zunin, M.D., M.P.H., M.B.A., is medical director of Manakai o Malama Integrative Healthcare Group and Rehabilitation Center and CEO of Global Advisory Services Inc. Please submit your questions to info@manakaiomalama.com.
