Do you know that truck driving is one of the unhealthiest professions? Obesity, high blood pressure, limited physical activity, fewer than six hours of sleep per day … In a national survey, 61 percent of long-haul truck drivers have two or more of these health issues. I know what that’s like because for nearly four years, I was a truck driver for Prime Inc., one of the largest trucking companies in America.
Now I do something different: I’m the driver health and fitness coach for Prime, an unusual occupation, especially for a Yale graduate with a philosophy degree. So how did I end up here? Because I’ve never done what was expected.
When I was a kid, I went in the sport of swimming. I kept winning all those years. The culmination (巅峰) of my swimming career was at our meet against Harvard and Princeton University when I was at Yale. We ended up winning the relay and, with it, a share of the Ivy championship.
But I didn’t go all the way down the road. By nature I wanted to explore the world and find out who I was meant to be, so for the next 15 years, I traveled Europe, the Caribbean, Africa, working odd jobs. In my mid-thirties, I was tired of scraping by (勉强维持). I couldn’t imagine myself in a nine-to-five office job. A friend who was a truck driver suggested I try his line of work. Then I signed up with Prime Inc.
I’d weighed 140 pounds all my adult life, but in just two months of driving, I’d gained 15 pounds. I definitely wasn’t feeling good. In trucking, it’s all about the delivery schedule. Every second counts. How was I going to fit in working out?
There was only one fix. Anytime I had a few minutes, I worked out. Burpees (立卧撑), mountain climbers, jump-tucks … Some drivers came up to me and said, “Man, I really need to be doing this. Can you show me?” Then I realized my new routine wasn’t just for me. It meant to help other people find their way to health.
Soon I drew up a proposal and became the in-house health and fitness coach in Prime. For once, I’m doing what’s expected of me. And I’ve never felt more fulfilled.
【小题1】What can we know about the author?| A．He once went to Yale to compete as an athlete. |
| B．He suffered a lot before serving as a truck driver. |
| C．He possessed a remarkable talent for swimming. |
| D．He initially had a prejudice against truck drivers. |
| A．He needed a sense of achievement. |
| B．He wanted to stand out among peers. |
| C．He decided to find out who he wanted to be. |
| D．He wanted to acquire more wealth during traveling. |
| A．Controlling the rapid weight gain. |
| B．Making the most of time to work out. |
| C．Keeping a balance between work and life. |
| D．Avoiding working in a tight delivery schedule. |
| A．Dutiful and devoted. | B．Expressive and generous. |
| C．Unusual and caring. | D．Ambitious and unchangeable. |
