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Is Motivation Important? These 4 Athletes Will Keep You Motivated

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Is Motivation Important for my Home Gym Workouts?

Is motivation important? Yes definitely! We all have moments when a little motivation can really help us get started or stay at it. This is not just limited to our home gym exercise routine but relates to everything we do. If you lose motivation, it is hard to stay committed to your goals. Or you may procrastinate and never even get started. Check out these four inspiring athletes that will help you stay motivated and focused on your fitness goals.

Rich Roll

Image Source: richroll.com
Image Source: richroll.com

At age 40 he decided that it was time to flip his life around… and he sure did!
Rich came from an unhealthy lifestyle which included drugs, alcohol and being overweight. It got to a point where he struggled walking up stairs.

Now, at over 55 years old, he is an accomplished ultra-endurance athlete and author. In his book ‘Finding Ultra’ he describes his transformation to becoming one of the fittest men in the world. It’s a must read for those curious about tips and tricks to a healthy body and mind. In this book, he shares his life story, experience and perspective about anything from athletic performance to wellness and diet.

Rich Roll’s Book Finding Ultra: Rejecting Middle Age, Becoming One of the World’s Fittest Men, and Discovering Myself



Good news if you want to learn more about his way of eating. Together with his wife Julie, Rich also runs a Meal Planner website. His Meal Planner offering is a fantastic go-to if you need some help with your diet. It is not only suited to athletes but to anybody who is looking for diet and nutrition inspiration. Upon joining, you receive nourishing recipes every day, personalised grocery lists and access to help from experts seven days a week.

Rich Roll Meal Planner: https://meals.richroll.com/.

In 2017, Rich also started ‘The Rich Roll Podcast’ which has become one of the most popular podcasts on the internet. Together with his guests, he delves into a variety of interesting and inspiring conversations covering topics related to fitness, exercise, health, diet, wellbeing and SO much more! You can find his podcast on his website or on YouTube.

Rich Roll’s website: https://www.richroll.com/
The Rich Roll Podcast: https://www.richroll.com/all-episodes

Ruth Heidrich

Image Source: ruthheidrich.com

It is hard to find a senior athlete more inspiring than Ruth! She has been a runner since the late 1960’s and a triathlete since the early 1980’s. She completed ironman races in her late 80’s, uncountable marathons and has many world records under her belt. Ruth also overcame Stage 4 breast cancer without chemotherapy but by making determined diet and lifestyle changes.

At the proud age of almost 90, she continues to be a true inspiration to athletes and fitness enthusiasts of all ages. She holds a PhD in Health Management and she has written a number of books which you can discover on amazon. The main focus of her books lies on running, diet and exercise. However, she covers topics much broader than this and they are full of life lessons throughout.

Some of Ruth Heidrich’s Recommended Books:

A Race for Life: A Diet and Exercise Program for Super fitness and Reversing the Aging Process

Senior Fitness: The Diet and Exercise Program for Maximum Health and Longevity

Lifelong Running: Overcome the 11 Myths About Running and Live a Healthier Life

Fiona Oakes

is motivation important fiona oakes
Image Source: runningforgoodfilm.com

Fiona is another very inspiring female athlete who has been a professional athlete since the mid 1990’s. As a teenager, she has undergone 17 serious knee surgeries and lost one of her knee caps. She was told she may never be able to walk properly, needless to say that doing well in sports was off the charts.

Fast forward some 40+ years, she counts the following as some of her most famous triumphs:

  • she is a world-class endurance runner and the fastest woman to run a marathon on all seven continents
  • she has run over 50 marathons; one of her most famous career achievements was to run six marathons in six days on six continents
  • in 2015, she raced in the “toughest footrace on earth”, a 250km race through the Sahara Desert
fiona oakes motivated athlete
Image Source: forksoverknives.com

Fiona has been vegan since she was six years old. In 1996, she opened an animal sanctuary called ‘Tower Hill Stables’ which houses over 600+ rescue animals.

Fiona has shown over and over again that you can achieve whatever you set your mind to. Her dedication, termination and willpower are a true inspiration for anybody who is on a journey of pursuing their goals and desires. Is motivation important? Focus, dedication, determination and will power and motivation are all very important aspects to developing the right mindset to help you acheive your goals.

Fiona’s Book Running for Good: The Fiona Oakes Story

Documentary: Running for Good – The Fiona Oakes Documentary

Rich Roll Podcast Episode where Fiona shares about her life passion, what drives her and what led her to marathon running in the 1990’s.

Novak Djokovic

Image Source: novakdjokovic.com/en/news

Despite his great success and popularity, Novak grew up in former Yugoslavia during a time when this part of the world unfortunately went through a lot of hardship during the Yugoslav Wars. He started playing tennis when he was only four years old and tennis became a vital part of his young life during what were otherwise hard times. He became a professional tennis player competing internationally when he was only 14 years old.

Fast forward to 2022, he is the number one tennis player in the world and has been so for the previous seven years. Novak left Serbia when he was quite young and achieved great success in tennis. Nevertheless, he hasn’t forgotten his roots and since he was 20 years old, he has been supporting early childhood education projects for disadvantaged children in Serbia through the Novak Djokovic Foundation.

Image Source: novakdjokovic.com/en/news

Things are also going well for him in his personal life. He has been with his high school girlfriend Jelena since 2005 who he married in 2014. They have two children together.

You can turn to Novak Djokovic for inspiration on so many levels. His down to earth attitude and humbleness play a huge part of where he is now. He grew up in a war-torn country, yet he had become one of the greatest tennis legends in the world before he turned 30. The ups and down of this career have been supported by his wife who has shared his journey with him since High School.

Conclusion – Is Motivation Important?

We hope you enjoyed this article ‘Is motivation important? These 4 Athletes Will Keep You Motivated’ ad enjoyed learning about our top pick inspiring athletes. Hopefully it will help you stay motivated with your home gym practice 🙂 Is motivation important? We think so! 🙂