Matt WestGuide

An excerpt from Matt's Web site: What's Important to Me

We live in a day and age where technology, mediocrity, vanity, and ignorance reign supreme. Many in this world feel compelled to conform to a lifestyle that's in congruence with media hype and a marketing spin which ultimately offers little in return. Unfortunately, today's pop culture trap is a tedious cycle to break.

That was the mindset I possessed before entering the world of Multisport training and racing. Wherever you are in life, whatever you do, no matter how old/young you are, there is absolutely no substitute for an active healthy lifestyle.

Me personally, I'm not anyone special. I happen to be a guy who feels very fortunate to be able to enjoy swimming, biking, and running with his close personal friends.

How'd I get started? In the late 80's I felt like the slowest runner of all time. My middle school would host running events, where I'd habitually be the last person to finish. I couldn't play basketball or football, and even baseball was a struggle. I suppose I was about 11 years old when I felt I had something to demonstrate and that's when I took up running.

I started with 1 mile, upped it to 2 miles, before I knew it I was fastest distance man in High School. Seven short years later, I found myself contending for a varsity spot on Eastern Michigan's Varsity Track and Cross Country teams.(Arguably, on of the best track programs in the land)

After college, I settled down, began my career, and stumbled into the sport of Triathlon. I was watching the Hawaii Ironman and thought "Yeah I could do that." Like I said before, I'm nothing special, just a guy doing what he wants with the little talent he's been given. I started racing Triathlons in August of 2000, and the rest has been history.

A couple years into the sport, I met a person that would end up changing my life forever. This person is 2x World Champion and Ironman Aaron Scheidies. I act as Aaron's guide in these events (Aaron is legally blind).

Aaron has flown me all over the world to help him in many high level/media exposure races. He has opened my eyes to ideas, thoughts, and feelings I never knew existed. Aaron also had me guide him in the 2005 CDA Ironman, where he was the first blind finsher, while a movie was being filmed on him and other visually impaired athlete's struggles. I owe a lot of my enjoyment in this sport to Aaron Scheidies.

MultiSport be it swimming, running, or biking, will continue to play a significant role in my life. I need athletics to keep me balanced and focused so that I can be a great husband, friend, co-worker, and teammate. I look forward in sharing the positive side of athletics with all of you. Anyone who invests time into their own sport is a champion in my book. I look forward to seeing you on the field, road, or pool of competition.

Humbly yours,
Matthew R. West