“You’ll never inspire others, without first being inspired.” This isn’t a famous quote that you’ll find stamped on the cover of a dilapidated text book that patiently waits in that dusty corner of the library that you always look to but never go. You won’t find it being shared, liked and commented on this evening when you log into your Facebook account. Chances are, you won’t even find me referencing these words of wisdom later in the year as I continue to disclose adventurous and inspirational stories of those that we’ve been lucky enough to call part of our Fluid family. It’s a mantra. The way I choose to live my life. Now, who am I you ask? Well, it depends who’s asking. I’m a Type 1 Diabetic. I’m an advocate. I’m a self proclaimed wordsmith. I’m an ex-professional cyclist. I’m an avid surfer. I’ve been there, and I’ve done that. My name’s Dustin Cottle and though I leave a small piece of my heart with each sport I invest countless hours in, making it impossible to classify myself as an enthusiast of one particular pursuit – I will always consider myself an athlete. That’s who we are here at Fluid. We’re dads, bakers, bikers and more. When you wash away the baby spit, flour and mud there lies a purveyor of athleticism, working diligently to improve the lives of you athletes around the world. Welcome to the Fluid family.
A few words about myself: As I mentioned before my name is Dustin Cottle. I’m 23 years young and have every intention of squeezing the life from each tick that’s wound into my biological clock. My story starts off like many young boys in America. Baseball, Soccer, Football and other team sports molded me from a malleable and willing young athlete into an early version 1.0 of what I am today. I am no more and no less than a product of my interactions and experiences with every teammate, third base coach and soccer mom that traded in their valuable time for smiles painted ear to ear on the faces of us young athletes. These influential moms and dads may never realize it but their dedication to my growth as an athlete transcends sport, school and computer screen as I sit here attempting to articulate who I was, and who I am now. Well, I am me, but I’m also them. Ball sports and team environments were traded in for helmets and lycra as I made the transition to racing bicycles in my early teens.
Shortly after graduating high school my earliest “swing for the fences” dream had come to fruition as I was given the opportunity to travel the world racing my bike with a team composed solely of Type 1 Diabetics. I was diagnosed with this life changing condition at the age of 18 and though I was told I would never race competitively again I saw it as a mere hurdle toward a goal that even sans Diabetes had been explained to me as no more than a pipe dream. This was a period of time filled with trial and tribulation that fine tuned a fleeting young cyclist into the seasoned athlete that sits here at peace in the coffee shop, melted into my sofa chair reflecting on my evolution as a human and athlete.
A notable recent addition to “Who’s” of those that influence me is the Founder/CEO of this incredible nutrition company that I’m more than excited to contribute to in 2016. Richard Smith exemplifies transparency and willingness to incubate this idea of evolution and growth of those that dedicate themselves to sport. Choosing to be healthy and excelling at the pursuits you dedicate your after work hours to is the idea that drives the Fluid brand. The college student doing intervals between lectures. The cancer survivor that’s back in the pool – stronger than ever. The single mother of three that needs to harvest the absolute most of her 45 minute workout that never seems to last quite long enough. These individuals fuel the fire the burns at the center of Fluid and Richard’s steam engine and the reason I’m so happy to be considered the newest addition to the roster. There are some incredible and exciting things to come here at Fluid next year and we’re stoked to have you along for the ride. It’s nice to meet you, talk soon.
Cheers,
Dustin Cottle
