Welcome to my blog – Unconquered. This being the first of what I hope is many, the goal of this blog is not only to get my thoughts onto paper but, in some way, to inspire or help people struggling or dealing with adversity. Many self-help books and blogs exist, but this is not one of them. This will be an account of what I have been through and what helped me along the way.
While adversity is not new in the world, and appreciating the fact that millions around the globe suffer a way harsher reality than I have, I believe we all have subjective obstacles that we will face in our lives. Life, to a degree, is suffering; whether it is unforced or forced, we will ultimately reach a point in our lives where we must face something difficult ahead of us. Before we can run, we need to learn how to walk. I can positively say I have great experience in learning how to tackle these challenges.
My name is Richard van der Westhuizen. I was born in South Africa and am now based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. I've experienced many challenges throughout my life, dealing with adversity. Also dealing with some success too! I've been very fortunate with many opportunities that have come across my path. I think now, more than ever, I am grateful for all of these things. As you get older and go through more of these ebbs and flows of life, your tolerance for what you can endure increases. Knowing your tolerance can help you in difficult times, a perspective I learned from United States Navy SEAL member (and non-human) himself, David Goggins.
I was fortunate enough to grow up in a loving family. I love my parents and my brother immensely, and I have special relationships with every one of them. My parents unfortunately divorced, leaving a wake of destruction in its path. Through my parents, my brother and I raced motocross from an early age. We lived for the sport. We spent every weekend away, and it was great family time. They sacrificed so much of their lives for us, and I know they would do it again. I was five years old when I started racing, stopped at 31 when two broken ankles would ultimately end my career. I learned many lessons throughout the years, racing and travelling the world. While many athletes struggle post-career (admittedly, I struggled deeply with this), I have tried my best not to let the sport define whom I am as a person while living in the past. Instead, learning these lessons and applying them to everyday life is something I strive for every day.
I am also an entrepreneur. In 2008 I started a business from the ground up, learning invaluable lessons and reaching heights I never would have thought possible. Modestly small, what the company was able to achieve with the resources we had was nothing short of amazing. I am not a proud person by nature, but the pride I have when I look back at what the team achieved is difficult to describe. The brand, the culture, the products we produced, and the team are all parts I have fond memories of. Blood, sweat, and tears were poured into that business.
I am a recent MBA graduate. Well nearly. I submitted my final dissertation two weeks ago at the time of writing this (2nd week of May 2023), and I am just waiting for the results and transcripts. I have done some difficult things: I raced Motocross, raced Enduro, finished challenging cycle races and training competitions. This is by far one of the most difficult things I've accomplished. Perhaps I put too much pressure on myself, but from the day I started to the day I submitted my final dissertation, I never felt like I could take my foot off the gas. I will get into detail throughout this blog journey, but in a nutshell, I started studying for a bachelor's at 31 years old and didn’t stop until now at 37 years old, having just finished my MBA.
I am happily married to the love of my life, Tracy. I count my lucky stars every day that I have such an incredible wife. She pushes me and has so much faith in me. It's not hard to push at everything I do when I have her behind me. She was also born in South Africa, and currently, we are both permanent residents of Canada, navigating our way through this beautiful country. Not a day goes by that I am ungrateful for Tracy and for being here with her.
That is me at a super high, 100 000 ft view. I have many stories to share and hope you enjoy your time here. Feel free to engage and comment if my stories resonate with you. Nothing brings people together more than shared experiences. I am excited to start this journey.
Until next time. Keep grinding.
Richard
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