The Power of Showing Up When Life Gets Hard
Every Friday, I run what I call Freestyle Fridays. No script. No polish. Just real conversations about life, leadership, and the lessons that come from doing hard things on purpose. Today, I want to talk about intentional adversity and why, at 53 years old, I chose to compete in a HYROX competition in Dallas, Texas. This is not about fitness alone. This is about growth, resilience, and becoming the kind of person who can handle whatever life throws next.
What Is HYROX and Why Did I Sign Up?
For those unfamiliar, HYROX is a global fitness competition that blends endurance and functional strength. There are no qualifications to enter. Anyone willing to test themselves can sign up. The format is simple and brutal: eight total kilometers of running with eight demanding workout stations between each run. These include sled pushes, sled pulls, burpee broad jumps, farmer carries, sandbag lunges, rowing, and wall balls. I am competing in the upper limb difference division, as I am missing half of my left arm. HYROX allows adaptive athletes to compete using approved equipment, which is something I deeply respect about the organization. This event will challenge me physically, mentally, and emotionally. That is exactly why I said yes.
Why I Chase Intentional Adversity
I believe growth does not come from avoiding adversity. It comes from going through it. I call this intentional adversity—choosing hard things before life chooses them for you. When you deliberately put yourself in uncomfortable situations, you collect what I call receipts. Proof. Evidence. Reminders that you have been here before and survived. Those receipts matter when life blindsides you. Because it will. Adversity is not a possibility. It is a guarantee. The only variable is how prepared you are when it arrives.
This Is Not Me Versus Them — This Is Me Versus Me
There will be thousands of competitors at HYROX Dallas. I am not racing them. This is Chris versus Chris. There is no time limit in HYROX. I can take as long as I need. The only rule is simple: do not quit. Finish the work. Keep moving forward. That mindset applies far beyond a race course. It applies to business, leadership, marriage, parenting, and life.
When Life Tests Your Commitment
Preparation for this event did not go smoothly. In the final stretch of training, I became severely ill while traveling for a speaking event and lost over ten days of training. Shortly after, my wife became seriously ill and was hospitalized, while my son and our nanny also became sick. My schedule was completely disrupted. Every one of those moments was a legitimate excuse to quit, and that is often how tests show up. Not as dramatic failures, but as reasonable exits. I believe those moments are tests of commitment. A quiet question asking, do you really want what you say you want? Most people take the path of least resistance. I used to as well. It took me years to recognize that those moments were not obstacles, but invitations to level up.
I Do Not Want Life to Be Easier — I Want to Be Better
This is a core belief of mine: I do not want life to be easier. I want to be better. Better prepared. More resilient. More capable of leading myself and others through uncertainty. Every time I have pushed through something that looked like a stopping point, I became a different person on the other side—stronger, clearer, and more grounded. That is how leaders are built.
If You Want a Different 2026, Start Acting Differently Now
We are approaching a new year, and if you want 2026 to look different than 2025, something must change now. Not in January. Not when things slow down. Now. You cannot think and act like the same person and expect a different outcome. If you want to grow financially, you must think and operate like a higher-level producer. If you want to be healthier, you must act like someone who prioritizes discipline. If you want to be a better spouse, parent, or leader, you must show up differently than you are today. Your current behaviors created your current results. Change the behaviors, and the results will follow.
Final Thoughts: Do the Hard Things on Purpose
Intentional adversity is not about punishment. It is about preparation. It is about becoming someone who does not panic when pressure shows up, because you have trained for it. That is why I will step onto the HYROX course. That is why I will finish. And that is why I will share the lessons afterward. Because if my experiences can help you compress time, avoid unnecessary mistakes, and grow faster, then the struggle was worth it. I do not want life to be easier. I want to be better. And I want the same for you.
Follow Chris Welton on Instagram @onehandatatime for behind-the-scenes updates from HYROX Dallas and upcoming insights from the experience.
