Mike Dawson is a 2X New Zealand canoe slalom Olympic athlete, adventurer, and filmmaker. When not paddling around the globe, Mike resides in New Zealand, where he began competing at age 17.
To finance his trip to the 2016 Rio Olympics, Dawson created and sold a cookbook, filled with recipes from his travels around the world. After exceeding his fundraising goals, he shared his wealth with poverty-stricken families in Rio, with the aim of funding a years’ worth of food to multiple families.
Location: Tauranga, New Zealand
Favorite Vegetable: Mushroom
Favorite Way to Center: Meditation
Favorite Book: Endurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage, by Alfred Lansing
Personal Motto: Live rad everyday!
Mike’s Daily Routine:
- 7AM – Wake up/shower/meditation
- 7AM – Breakfast & emails
- 830AM – Travel to training
- 9AM – Training session
- 1030AM – Travel home
- 11AM – Work – computer/email
- 1230PM – Lunch
- 130PM – Relax chill
- 230PM – Travel to training
- 3PM – Training session
- 430PM – Travel home
- 5PM – Chill
- 7PM – Dinner/ relax/ friends
- 830PM – Stretch/meditation
- 10PM – Bed
What gets you out of bed every morning?
The day. I’m usually not a morning person but I love getting up for breakfast before training.
What is your #1 wellness habit?
Meditation & stretching.
What is the most important part of your daily routine?
Eating, Sleeping & mediation.
What about your daily routine do you think is unique or special?
It’s well planned based on what I need to get done outside of sport each day.
What is your favorite part about living a healthy lifestyle
Feeling good, having energy. I notice when I am traveling a lot or in circumstances where I’m unable to maintain as healthy a lifestyle as I need it’s energy sapping.
If you could give one piece of health advice to your kid(s), future kid(s) or relative(s), what would it be and why?
Try to exercise everyday.
Describe your sleep ritual.
I head to be around 10PM each day. Usually I’m quite tired and fall asleep fast. I’ll wake up and doze from around 6AM.
What’s your biggest wellness challenge?
Eating right while on the road.
What is the best piece of health advice you’ve ever received?
Eat what makes you happy!
Tell us about a time you were stuck in an unhealthy cycle and how you got out of it. What was the main inspiration for positive change?
Usually post a major competition like the Olympics, I let it slip, but my motivation to pull it back is feeling good and feeling energetic out on the water.
Mike Dawson is a two-time Canoe Slalom Olympic athlete. For more inspiration from Mike, follow him on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. You can also learn more about Mike on his website.