The Introduction: My Story

Hello, I'm Paul Cleveringa.

Ever since I could remember, I’ve been persistent on becoming the best I can be at a given skill or sport. Growing up playing various sports, soccer, baseball, cross country, track, and volleyball first created my interest in getting better at a physical skill and sport.

As I played, I remember hating when I failed or didn’t perform up to the standards I thought I could. For instance, in fourth grade I tried out for a juggling show and did not make it because I couldn’t juggle three balls 20 times in a row. I felt that I failed, and a feeling inside of me erupted. All I could think about was that I was going to make the juggling show the following year.

To ensure this, I practiced juggling three balls everyday and by the following year, I was one of the best jugglers. Later in middle school, I was one of the last kids to finish a 2 mile cross country race, so I decided to run laps in my basement every day after school until the next race.

I’ve always been determined to improve at whatever goal I was pursuing and found passion while doing it.

As I got into high school, I found a passion for the gym and fitness. I began lifting and working hard to get bigger and stronger.

I then started powerlifting and competed in two meets, placing second at an Illinois State Meet, and also tying the state deadlift record. Again, this performance made me work even harder, and by the next meet, I was lifting much more, especially in the deadlift.

As time went on, this passion for improving in physical goals transformed into a desire to become the best I can be in all aspects of life.

I began to see how my pursuit to improve could carry over into all aspects of my life.

Setting Challenges

I found that setting challenges for myself allows me to improve in all aspects of my life.

Through challenges, I dive deeply inward and learn about myself. I learn what I’m scared of, what I need to work on, and where I can draw strength from.

In the last three years, these challenges focus on physical endeavors, specifically, endurance-related. I started with training for the Richmond Virginia Marathon. A distance that I never thought I would be able to run or ever thought I’d want to run. The training taught me that through consistent work, progress is made, one step at a time.

After completing the marathon, I was hooked on endurance sports and thought, if I can run a marathon, what else could I do? I decided to set no limits on myself and looked up other endurance races. I came across Ironman, and instantly felt thought it was epic.

Since then, I’ve completed a full distance Ironman, two ultramarathons (50 km and 52 miles), and several other endurances races such as triathlons, cycling races, and a marathon.

Don’t Listen To Societal or Self-Imposed Limits

The journey of training for and completing these challenges has shown me what humans can accomplish through hard work, consistency, and discipline.

It has also taught me to not put limits on myself or listen to societal limits about what I can do. Just like an endurance race, if you keep going, through all the ups and downs, you will eventually cross the finish line. That finish line could be well past a limit you previously put on yourself.

Through training and completing these challenges, I’ve learned a lot about myself and can say I’ve improved physically, mentally, and emotionally. I’ve gained a better understanding about my strengths and weaknesses that I need to work on, as the more you experience, the more opportunity you have to identify your strengths and weaknesses.

As I reflected on my childhood and my journey of challenges, I’ve realized that I’ve always had an innate instinct for persistence and perseverance when I have a goal. Once I want to achieve something, I will not stop until it’s achieved. This is my strength and through pursuing improvement and challenging myself, I’ve found this.

I’ve also been able to apply the lessons learned from these journeys to other aspects of my life, including my relationships, my perspectives on life, and my understanding of others.

Providing Value to Others Through Coaching

I want to share what I’ve learned through training and completing these challenges of my journey and help other people accomplish their own goals and challenges.

I want to be a support, inspiration, and a problem solver to help people improve their quality of life and pursue their potential with no societal or self-imposed limits.

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Whenever you are ready, there are three ways I can help you:

1. Free Products: here

2. Endurance and Performance Coaching: One-on-one coaching, challenging societal or self-imposed limitations, through achieving your endurance or performance endeavors. Get started here