#1: David Heine
THE CHALLENGE
David is an Executive Athlete today, but on the day that I met him he had given up. As he says, he was "hiding from real life and hiding from the truth". He was frustrated, embarrassed and convinced that exercise just wasn't for him anymore.
THE STORY
Deep down, David had known he had a problem for some time. He knew his weight was an issue, but he couldn't bring himself to admit it or ask for help. David worried about his weight every day, but what he didn't know was that he wasn't the only one worrying. Two people had front row seats to David's struggle with obesity and both were anxious spectators.
One day, when returning to his desk, David overhead a phone call between his EA Jess and wife Sam. It was clear that they were scared about his future if he continued on the path he was on. Not long after David's mother filmed him playing with the kids in the pool. He didn't like what he saw. David turned off the video and walked to the scale. He weighed 110kg.
THE SOLUTION
David describes the beginning of his journey as "f***king scary". What he got out of overcoming that fear and winning is an immense sense of pride and accomplishment: "It wasn't part of who I was, but it is a fundamental part of who I have become."
The moment David decided to commit he delivered the now infamous line - if you push me, I will quit - demonstrating the high level of doubt in his mind. Years later, when asked to give advice to someone who is about to commit David responded: "don't be afraid to fail." A hard task for someone as inwardly competitive as David. What David discovered was he had to stop focusing on "what I looked like, the fact I couldn't last 5 minutes of how pathetic I was going to look. By all of those definitions, I was going to be a failure."
David had to redefine what success looked like. Success for David is making sure that when you go home you are proud of yourself. It's about fronting up to that insecurity, that fear, and committing despite that. If you quit, then you can't stand back and look yourself in the mirror and say I am proud of myself. You have to learn that is your definition of success.
David with his Executive Assistant Jess Nehme, the person who was integral in forcing David to take the time to transform his health. In fact, if you ask her she will tell you that his success can be attributed to her.
"I had accepted that I was just a big person. I stopped making excuses. I just said no. This was costing me more than I was prepared to admit. My wife would often ask me to come for a walk with the family to the local park. I am embarrassed to say that on most occasions I wouldn't join them. I would prefer the safety of the couch. I was missing being part of their lives and I could see the lack of understanding and disappointment on their faces."
"The most important achievement I have made is the example that I have set for my kids. They are proud of their Dad and I'm proud of me too. I am proud that I know my son's memory of his father will be composed of these images of us enjoying life together rather than those of a fat, lethargic man permanently attached to the couch."
THE RESULT
Number of kilograms of fat lost
32
Number of years David has sustained his results
7
Number of City 2 Surf's run with son Will
4
Just 8 months after beginning the program David decided to challenge himself and line up for the City 2 Surf with his son Will (left) who was only 8 at the time.
David: "As we neared the top of heart break hill I suggested that Will stop and take a drink. He looked at me and said no - we keep going. Watching his determination made me feel immensely proud."
David learned early that he needed to lean on his support network at Cuscal. The executive who gets this wrong is the one who does this alone and views it as all hard work. It must be fun, involve other people and the most successful make it a game.
David: "Jess and Leanne were important. They found a way that their intent was clear but we managed to have fun while we spoke about it. If it was just too serious, it would have stressed me out and I would have let it go."
David's willingness to say yes to anything physical, which stopped surprising me very early in the program, has taken him a long way. He has the energy of a teenager, he's happier and he's healthier. His body is stronger and so are his relationships.
David: "The world has changed so much for me. I have more energy and I'm more confident. I’ll try anything now, and the chances are high that I’ll try to involve family, friends and work colleagues too. In short, I’ve learned how to live life again."
In 2011 a tradition is born! David and Will compete in their second City 2 Surf.
David: "This year Will's pre-run strategy didn't go to plan. In a bid to carb, load a packet of snakes consumed just before the race made Will feel ill during the race. As a Dad, it made this even more special that he persevered and we finished the race hands locked in the final kilometre."
This was the most unexpected achievement. David signed up for the half marathon (below) 48hrs before the start and with no specific preparation ran a time just short of 5min/k. Living the Executive Athlete ethos: create a body that can rise to any challenge.
David: "I just felt good - I had to get it done"
In what can only be described as horrible conditions David and Will completed the 2012 City 2 Surf, their third year in a row.
David: "Each year Will gets stronger and faster. Together we run, sweat and talk before one of us will “kick” racing to the finish line. These are the moments that I will cherish forever and I know the memories will live on with my son long after I have gone."
In 2013 David ran his first solo City 2 Surf. In this year he also became the eftpos COO. Destined for a technically specialised executive role at Cuscal, David was urged to consider what it is to be a great leader. Motivated equally by the challenge, the rarity of great leaders and the opportunity to inspire others, David accepted the challenge.
David: "When an executive is unwell, there is generally less permission to make mistakes. You're too focused on a narrow definition of success, so inventiveness and creativity tend to suffer. It becomes more mechanical. You lose that flare."
In 2014 Will returned to complete the fourth father and son City 2 Surf and later that year again he joined David in the 90km Sydney to Wollongong. In 2015 David was once again solo for the City 2 Surf but was able to set a new PB of just over 70 minutes.
One of David's strengths is to constantly seek out new physical skills to grow and develop. Having satisfied his desire to run the next goal was to become stronger than any other moment in his life. The two lifts below were the result of months of effort and constantly refining his technique to overcome previous injuries to his right shoulder and lower back.
David: "You get energy from learning a new skill. At the beginning it is tough. It is frustrating, but even on day one, you tend to get a glimmer of what it could be when you learn to get it right. Keep building around that little glimmer and the rate of growth as you learn something new is quite extreme and I love that."
Spurred on by Luke, his younger brother-in-law, David competed in the 2016 Crossfit Open. Over the course of 5 events David ranked 45th in the state in his age group.
After watching his daughter Ava smash rowing records and win every rowing regatta she competed in David decided to join her in the Great Autumn Regatta (below). With Ava as the cox (back to camera), she made sure her Dad (third from the camera) and her uncle (first from the camera) were pulling their weight in the 8-man crew.
David then upped his game in 2017 and competed in the Head of The Yarra, a 60 year-old rowing race competed over 8.7km from the Hawthorn Rowing Club. David (right) rows in the second from the left, behind the imposing frame of ex-wallaby John Langford. This was a family affair with Ava competing for her school and David's wife, Sam, competing in a women's eight.
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