Alex Wilson's story is a testament to the power of dedication, perseverance, and the pursuit of a meaningful goal. It's a story that intertwines personal transformation with a lifelong love for basketball and a touching tribute to a lost friend. Wilson, who has worked for the Portland Trail Blazers since 1990, most recently as a practice facility clubhouse attendant, embarked on a journey to get in shape, shedding 70 pounds and inspiring those around him.
A Multifaceted Life
Alex Wilson is not just a Trail Blazers employee; he is a man of many talents and passions. In addition to his work with the team, he is a maintenance custodian and security guard at Metro, as well as a songwriter. His life is a blend of dedication to his work, creative pursuits, and a commitment to personal well-being.
The Spark of Change
Wilson's transformation began with a realization that doing things the same way would yield the same results. "I saw that we were doing things the same way for a long time and we got the same results,” said Wilson. “We wouldn’t go to the playoffs, or maybe go the first round. And that’s exactly what the Blazers did … now we have an attitude that we want to be successful, and so we had to change the way we did things," said Wilson. Inspired by the Trail Blazers' new attitude towards success, Wilson decided to change the way he did things, leading to remarkable results.
A Goal Beyond Weight Loss: Touching the Rim
Wilson's quest to get in shape was not merely about trimming extra body weight. His ultimate goal was to touch the rim, a rite of passage for teenagers and a feat so common at the Blazers' practice facility. However, for a 57-year-old, 5-foot-11 man, it was a significant challenge.
But it's about what touching the rim means for him: honoring a deceased best friend.
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Remembering John Van Ert
Wilson grew up in Redding, California, with his best friends, Brian Coffey and John Van Ert. The trio bonded over their love for basketball, with Van Ert being a natural athlete who excelled in everything he did. However, Van Ert's life took a turn when he developed a drug problem and ended up on Skid Row in Los Angeles.
Despite his struggles, Van Ert made a remarkable recovery, even marrying a well-off woman. However, his recovery was short-lived, as he tragically passed away from a heart attack while playing beach volleyball in 2011.
Van Ert's death deeply affected Wilson, who coped by pretending his friend was on vacation, traveling the world. To grieve Van Ert's death, Wilson pretended Van Ert was on vacation. He'd believe Van Ert was traveling in Switzerland or other countries overseas for years at a time. The loss of his best friend served as a catalyst for Wilson's transformation, motivating him to pursue his goal of touching the rim in Van Ert's honor.
Overcoming Challenges
Wilson's journey was not without its challenges. He faced moments of doubt and physical setbacks, such as pulling his hamstring and quadriceps while running. Even someone with such deep-rooted inspiration can have trouble lacing up for an early morning run occasionally. Despite these obstacles, he remained determined, viewing them as temporary setbacks on his path to success.
The Support of the Trail Blazers
Wilson's transformation did not go unnoticed by the Portland Trail Blazers. Coach Terry Stotts expressed concern about Wilson's health upon seeing his weight loss, while players like Wesley Matthews, Nicolas Batum, and LaMarcus Aldridge acknowledged and appreciated his hard work.
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All-Star point guard Damian Lillard was particularly impressed, saying, "I see him around, I told him one day, 'Man, it looks like you've lost a lot of weight,'" All-Star point guard Damian Lillard said. "He was like, 'Yeah," and he told me what was going on, why he was doing it. He said he had been running a lot. I think that's inspiring. The fact that he wants to touch the rim. I told him, 'Go touch the rim then. (laughs) It's not impossible.' "
The hiring of Dr. Chris Stackpole as director of health and player performance also motivated Wilson. Stackpole's philosophy that change was a good thing resonated with Wilson, who realized that doing the same thing over and over would yield the same results.
The Nutritional Plan
To achieve his weight loss goals, Wilson consulted with Erin Dunn, a regional manager at the Metabolic Research Center. Dunn helped Wilson develop a balanced diet plan that included a variety of proteins and healthy foods.
Beyond finding the right balance of foods, Dunn helped Wilson to control his stress levels, which can be jarred by a sporadic sleeping schedule, like Wilson's. She also emphasized the importance of managing stress levels, which can be affected by Wilson's irregular sleep schedule.
Inspiration from Unexpected Places
In May, while on a backstage tour of the Oregon Zoo, Wilson experienced a moment of inspiration when he locked eyes with the zoo’s only male lion as he roared from a few feet away. This encounter served as a reminder of the power and determination that lies within, further fueling his commitment to his goal.
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The Impact of Sharing His Story
Despite being a self-proclaimed “behind the scenes guy,” Wilson is excited that sharing his story may help others realize they can achieve their most difficult goals. Wilson's story has resonated with many, demonstrating that with dedication and hard work, anything is possible.
Alex Wilson, Steeplechaser
Even though Alex Wilson is coming off of a stress fracture that sidelined her last fall, the 24-year-old steeplechaser is feeling stronger than ever and ready to tackle the 2018 track season. While this Alex Wilson is a different person, her dedication to health and fitness is similarly inspiring. She found that she enjoyed the 3,000-meter steeplechase because it required both strength and endurance. Since then, she’s been hooked. Championships, where she ran a personal best of 9:45:79 in the prelims.
In addition to being a professional runner for Oiselle, Wilson is a full-time assistant coach at her alma mater, the University of Northern Iowa. She spends her spare time in the kitchen trying out new recipes.
Wilson's Dietary Habits
Wilson is a full-time assistant coach at her alma mater, the University of Northern Iowa. She spends her spare time in the kitchen trying out new recipes. Wilson finds or adapts recipes from Instagram. I’m a little bit of a nerd when it comes to following food bloggers-I’ll screenshot their recipes and buy their cookbooks. I also get inspiration from other professional runners. They have a lot of spare time to be testing out recipes, so I look at their Instagram accounts and adapt their recipes, too. Outside of Instagram, I love experimenting with recipes with my friends. It’s my favorite hobby. My current go-to recipe [from food blogger Minimalist Baker] is saucy portobello butternut squash tacos. Another one of my favorite recipes to make that I got from a blogger is a cashew cookie skillet by Rachael DeVaux. You use almond flour, cashew butter, egg, and maple syrup. It tastes just like a chocolate chip cookie. It’s so good and so easy. I make it once a week. The other coaches at University of Northern Iowa love it, too-I bring it in for them every week when I make it.
I’ll have oatmeal right before the race because I know it sits well in my stomach. But the night before, I like salmon or steak with rice or pasta. Postrace, it’s a burger and a milkshake, for sure.
I’ve come a long way since freshman year of college. I used to eat granola and a bagel for every meal. I’ve slowly learned a little bit more about nutrition over the years-just kind of educating myself through social media, finding different food bloggers, and reading different things that athletes post.
I don’t pay too much attention to calorie amounts. What I look for is if it’s real, good food.
I’ve recently started getting my master’s in sports nutrition and human performance, so now I’m learning the actual science behind things instead of thinking, “This person does this, so I should do that, too.” I think it will be helpful in the long run, working with college athletes and being able to give them credible advice.
I’m not huge on processed foods. I don’t think too many elite runners are. I usually try to stay as close to the source of food as possible: full-fat yogurt, peanut butter, sweet potatoes as a form of carbs, vegetables in every lunch and dinner, at least. I don’t pay too much attention to calorie amounts. What I look for is if it’s real, good food. Also, everything in moderation. You are an elite athlete, so you don’t need to be eating ice cream every night, but you don’t need to completely restrict yourself either. It’s okay to have ice cream every once in a while.
My automatic splurge is a doughnut. When I go on a two-week break after track season, I eat whatever I want. My break usually lines up with a trip I take every year to Breckenridge, Colorado, where they have the best old-fashioned doughnuts. On my last break, I had a doughnut every day for seven days. I felt awful afterwards. I obviously don’t do that all year, so it’s kind of nice to just take a break for a little while.
In college, I was probably borderline a little too restrictive with myself. I wouldn’t want to eat sweets, and I’d try to be super healthy all the time. Post-college, I’ve grown up a little bit. I’m not so harsh with my guidelines, like not eating sweets from the months of January through June. I don’t really do that anymore. Something you definitely have to do as an elite runner is be conscious of what you’re putting in your body. You cannot eat doughnuts every day, but after a long, hard run, there is nothing wrong with eating one. Life is so much more enjoyable.
The injury I had this fall was my first real injury. I’m lucky that I’ve never had to deal with an injury before. I started supplementing a little bit and taking collagen, vitamin D, and calcium. Collagen is really good for your joints, and it’s even supposed to speed up the healing process of bones. I’ve increased my collagen intake dramatically. There’s 10 grams of protein in a scoop of collagen, so it’s a great source of protein, too. I put it in everything-oatmeal, smoothies, anything I bake-because you don’t really taste it. As an elite runner, I eat a very healthy diet, but it’s still hard to get everything in that you need. In Iowa, it’s not always sunny, so vitamin D is super important. When I was injured, I had to be more careful about what I ate. I couldn’t eat like I was running 60 miles a week because I wasn’t running 60 miles a week. I had to make sure I was getting enough nutrients to help me heal, but I couldn’t be eating five sweet potatoes a day. At the same time, the doctors would tell me that if I wanted to heal faster, I had to make sure I was eating enough and getting enough nutrients.
I almost always have oatmeal for breakfast-I’ve gotten into a habit. I’ll put collagen in it, cinnamon, some berries, greek yogurt, and almond butter.
For lunch, I’ll usually try and do a sweet potato, some spinach, and chickpeas or chicken. I’ll have sweet potatoes almost every day. I frequently eat the same thing every day for breakfast and lunch.
Dinner, depending on how much time I have, is where I’ll usually branch out. A lot of my common dinners are the sweet potato crust pizza or stir-fry with rice, chicken, and veggies. I’ll also make a lot of tacos.
Picky Bars are my go-to snack post-workout. If I train in the morning, I’ll typically eat a Picky Bar before my workout and then eat oatmeal after my workout. If I’m training in the afternoon, I’ll do it vice versa and eat a Picky Bar right after. I basically plan my meals around when I’m working out during the day. I can eat my whole breakfast-a huge bowl of oatmeal-right before an easy run, but I wouldn’t necessarily want to do that if I was having a hard track workout.
The Science of Weight Loss in Pets
Formulation may play a significant role in deciding if an overweight pet feels full after eating weight-loss dog or cat food, veterinary scientist Alex Wilson, PhD, of the University of Liverpool, told Petfood Industry. “I think the main take-home message from the study is that a diet based on high fiber and high protein seems to have the best effect in limiting voluntary food intake in dogs and cats,” said Wilson, co-author of the study published in. Wilson’s team compared two commercial weight-loss dog foods and two weight-control cat foods, all of which varied in protein, fat, fiber and energy content. The first dog food, Royal Canin Satiety Weight Management Canine, was higher in protein and fiber than the second, Hill’s Prescription Diet Canine Metabolic Advanced Weight Solution. Dogs ate significantly less of the Royal Canin diet, by energy level, but the weight of food eaten was similar. For cats, the difference in energy intake between the two diets was smaller, although the cats did consume less of the first diet.