This month’s professional spotlight features Meb Keflezighi, Olympic Silver Medalist and the only man to ever win both the Boston Marathon and NYC Marathon. Read this month’s spotlight to learn about Meb and his path to becoming one of the world’s greatest distance runners!

How did you come to decide that running was the right athletic path for you?

During my 7th grade PE Class, we were required to run a mile. If we ran faster than 6:15 for the mile, we would get an A. At this point me and my family had been in the USA for 1 year, and my parents expected us to get A’s in all of our classes. So I ran as hard as I could to secure the A, and finished the mile in 5:20. My PE Teacher said “you’re going to be an Olympian,” but I had no idea what the Olympics were at that time. I loved to play soccer, but in the 9th grade I decided to focus on my running because my father told me that it was important to choose and focus on one sport.

Could you describe what an average day looks like for you? 

I retired from professional running after competing in the 2017 NYC Marathon. So now, I run for fun and for my health. But I continue to serve as an ambassador for several companies and running events. I have a lot of flexibility when I’m not traveling to events and appearances, so I try to spend as much time as possible with my wife and three daughters.

Is there a philosophy that drives your career?

Yes, there are two. One is Run To Win. It is not about finishing in first place, but about getting the best out of yourself. For example there are races where I didn’t win, but I ran my personal best time. If I am able to perform better than ever, then I must be satisfied with the results even if I didn’t win the race. So I always remind people to judge your effort, not just the final results. Secondly, I like to say MEB stands for Maintain Excellent Balance. Balance is very important in life. So whether you are a student, an employee, an entrepreneur or an athlete, try to add balance to your life and try to excel in other areas. For example, as we pursue and chase our goals, let’s make sure we keep our families a priority.

What do you consider to be your greatest accomplishment as an athlete? 

Three accomplishments highlight my biggest achievements in my athletic career. In 2004, I won the Olympic Silver Medal in the marathon. I was ranked 39th out of 101 runners, so to finish second in the race was a surprise to everyone except me and my team. In 2009, I won the NYC Marathon, after not making the Olympic team in 2008. This was the most competitive field assembled and the biggest marathon in the world at that point. Finally, in 2014, I won the Boston Marathon, the year after the bombings. I led the race from beginning to end, which is not the way I usually race. After the race, I got a call from President Barack Obama and he invited me to the White House, so that was a special honor. I have been blessed with a long and successful career. I never set the world record in the marathon, but I was able to win some of the biggest and most meaningful races in the sport.

What advice would you give someone looking to be a professional athlete/Olympian someday? 

The mental side of the sport is just as important as the physical. In running, I think that during training it is 90% physical and 10% mental. Yet in competition, I think it is 90% mental and 10% physical. If you’ve prepared yourself properly during the training (and sometimes this takes some trial and error), then it is all about executing during competition. I would also advise Olympic hopefuls and aspiring professional athletes to listen to their bodies. Sometimes we want something so bad, we push our bodies beyond their capacity and that leads to injuries. So be fair to yourself and your body by creating a training plan where you can push your body gradually. By increasing the training gradually and maintaining consistency, your body will be able to handle more. Remember, life and athletics are a marathon not a sprint.

Outside of all of your hard work and efforts toward building your brand, what do you do for fun? Hobbies?

I love listening to music. I listen to Tigrinya music on a lot of my runs. The music gives me energy and the messages strengthen my motivation. I also love to read non-fiction books, so I can learn from the journeys of successful people, and how they overcame challenges to achieve their goals. Finally, I love hanging out with my family, especially when I can have boon with my mom and dad.