The Agenda

Hi! My name is April Zilg, and I'm a professional paddle athlete! Well, I wasn't always. I was an unmotivated couch potato. You can read all about me and my story at aprilzilg.com, that website is about me...  This website, on the other hand, is about the Athlete Agenda... and the Athlete Agenda is about you. 

I'm a bit of an introvert, and sometimes the look-at-me nature of being a pro athlete is a little much - but it's a necessary evil for that part of my life and career. But, I want to do what I love and share it with others, in a space that doesn't put me in the limelight - I want to focus on you, your goals, and how to get there through better training intuition, intention setting, and self-reflection. 

Ten years ago - I had my own version of "the great resignation" and I've learned a lot on my path from couch potato to contender to champion to entrepreneur. I had an agenda

I thought, if I could go from where I was to one of the top paddlers in the world - then maybe we are capable of crafting our own reality. I mean, it was worth a shot. So I left my job. I worked in a paddle shop, gave lessons, tours, and lugged around rental boards. I cut back my hours when I picked up my first sponsor and did the EuroTour for the experience. I never put work before my goals. 

I was an anomaly, committing career suicide. Still to this day, I see many people who let their health and fitness fall to the wayside as they log more hours, maximize profits, and think that work and productivity is the top priority in every day life. I saw my health & hapiness as top priority. I saw the pursuit of my goals, no matter how silly they seemed to others, as the most important thing I could spend my time on. There wasn't any amount of money that could distract me from living my life and learning through each step. I saw everything in my life as training and problem solving. 

This Agenda is my Agenda. Deep down, journaling helped me break through those final steps and reach my goal. It helped me get there by realizing that I didn't need to get there any more. When I found hapiness in the way things were, and I was grateful for exactly how things were then it released me from striving and I was comfortable and relaxed in my efforts to train and compete. 

More than it just being a tool that I honestly enjoy and use myself, it is my Agenda to normalize people prioritizing their health, daily activity, nutrition, and mindset. I want more people to do it, so it reduces the peer pressure on more people when it comes to slowing down, taking time for yourself, and letting things get done in due time.