Steve Shlens
- BA Philosophy, Pomona College
- Juris Doctor, Pepperdine University School of Law
- Coach - USA SUP & Paddleboard Team (Olympic certified)
- Winner - ISA SUP & Paddleboard World Championships - Team 2015
- Winner - Catalina Classic Paddleboard Race, 2012
- Winner - Jay Moriarity Paddleboard Race, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014
- Winner - Molokai to Oahu Paddleboard World Championships, Team Div. 2013, 2014, 2015
- Winner - June Lake Triathlon 2107
- ISSA Certified Personal Trainer
I grew up in Palos Verdes...
...back when a kid could just leave in the morning, surf all day under the cliffs, and come back home at night safe and sound. And I did exactly that - practically every day! And in college, every day I drove from Pomona to San Clemente - 112 miles round trip - just to surf.
I started paddle boarding in junior lifeguards...
...when I was 9, started competing a few years later, won back-to-back state titles in my teens, and went to the nationals and won. But the Holy Grail of paddle board racing was The Catalina Classic, a 32-mile paddle board race that begins on Catalina Island and finishes at Manhattan Beach Pier. Competing in that race became my goal, but even though I won nationals that year, they wouldn’t let me enter, because you had to be 18 (I was 17). That was really disappointing, but it made me want the Classic even more. Never deny an athlete what he wants – especially a 17-year old kid.
In 2011, I thought I had a real shot at winning The Classic...
...but I injured my back and had to have surgery. I was so pissed off, but I got myself out of bed and went out on a boat and watched the race from a new vantage point. I studied every aspect of it and came up with a plan for the next year. I followed that plan to a “T,” and won in a record time of under 6 hours. It was worth the wait.
I’d accomplished everything I wanted to as an attorney...
...including trying and winning a federal civil rights case. As an endurance athlete I was getting older and restless, but I knew I still had some great races in me. In 2015, I was asked to represent our country as a member of the USA SUP & Paddleboard Team. The World Championships that year were in Sayulita, Mexico. Our team had a lot of talent, but we were so young and the US had never done better than 4th place. We trained hard and came together as a team, winning the gold medal. We are the only US Team to ever do so. That victory ranked right up there with winning the Catalina Classic.
In 2016 I was asked by the President of USA Surfing...
...to coach the SUP & Paddleboard Team. I jumped at the chance, a position I love because I got to wear a lot of hats: trainer, workout partner, friend, confidant. I loved the role of coach, it was hardly even work and it made me happy. "So become a trainer and do it every day," Peter Park told me. "You already know it all. Trust me, I taught it to you." So I did.
I’ve been an endurance athlete my whole life, and the idea of longevity...
...has permeated all parts of my life. Staying strong, keeping healthy, enjoying life – the long haul. Those are my goals – and the goals I try to help the people I work with achieve, too.
I always look forward to meeting new clients...
...everyone has a story to tell and I want to hear theirs: what they do for a living, what kind of training they have done, sports they played, their medical history - whatever gives me their most complete narrative. But their bodies, movement, mobility, posture - that tells their story, too. So instead of putting them through movements they know and feel comfortable doing, I put them in positions they don’t typically do that test their stability and strength. Based on all that, and how often they can train, the goals they’re after, I give them an overview of what the coming days, weeks, and months will look like. And then we begin. My personal end goal for them? Health, wellness, and longevity… just like my goals for myself.
The main reason people fail in gyms...
...is boredom. Boredom makes you inconsistent. People get bored doing the same 10 or 12 exercises over and over - I know I do! I constantly change my clients’ workouts, always giving them new challenges, making sure they never get bored. It keeps it fun, different, and always a mental and physical challenge. That produces consistency and that equals success.
I have a lot in common with my ‘second journey’ clients...
...the folks trying to make it through mid-life tough spots that create a lot of damaging stress. So I’m open with my clients about my own background as a divorced, single parent, who knows on-the-job work pressures, and I think they appreciate it. That openness is a good exchange that I think helps both sides.
