The Most Taboo Christmas Gift I Ever Gave and Why It Made Me Want to Work in Fitness Tech

You know the common sitcom trope, where the dad gets the mom a weight watchers membership or a scale for Christmas? In 2025 I basically did this for my entire immediate family.

I should start by saying that everyone in my family has been an elite athlete. My dad was an Olympian, and my mom and sister were both high level college athletes. I was also an athlete in college, and since graduating I have continued to push myself physically and have gotten a lot out of it. I truly believe striving for goals is such an important thing to do, and after leaving structured sports it can be easy for athletes to lose sight of that side of themselves. Same can be said for people who never found their way into structured athletics. This stuff really is for everyone. Its less about the goal being some grand feat, more about the goal being hard for you personally.

So I decided that for Christmas I was going to throw a physical gauntlet at each of my family members. I spent a long time thinking of a goal I was unsure of if they could complete. I think it's important to set goals you aren't sure you can complete, so that when you complete them you expand the range of what you're capable of. Each of them got a year long Strava subscription, a motivational quote, a piece of gear related to the challenge, and a challenge. For my sister, running 120 miles and a pair of running shoes. She had run maybe 5 miles in the previous 5 years. For my dad I challenged him to complete a full Murph and got him a pull up assistant band. For my mom it was a challenge to walk 200 miles over the year, staying consistent through winter, and some walking socks. I was a bit nervous when giving them their gifts, but the response was immediately positive. I was careful with my wording when giving the gifts, I don't remember exactly what I said, but something about how this was a gift that wouldn't feel like a gift until they completed it, but upon completion I hoped it would be an extremely validating gift. They also all know me well enough to know it was coming from a place of love and belief.

Over the course of the year the response only got more and more positive. My sister was running consistently, even signing up for a 5k. My dad had started a Murph club with his friends and was progressing well towards completing a full Murph. My mom was out there walking rain or shine. My sisters goal was the most trackable, and it was great to see her closing in on the finish. If I recall she got a bit behind and put in a big December to smash her goal. So proud. My dad sadly sustained an elbow injury mid way through the year, so his Murph is still on deferral, but he still got a lot out of it. A reminder that it's more about the journey than the destination - especially with fitness. And my mom well exceeded her goal, once she started tracking on Strava we were all impressed by how much mileage she actually racked up.

None of these impacts were temporary either, my sister still runs, she is currently training for her second 10k. Something she would have told you was entirely unattainable at the start of 2025. My dad has really gotten back into fitness, and he still posts his runs, rides, paddleboards, and weight sessions on Strava. My mom is no longer tracking her walks, but we all know she is still piling up mileage.

So this is where I say why the gift was actually taboo. It wasn't taboo in the sitcom way with the scale. My family didn't take it that way and I didn't mean it that way. It was taboo in the way that I got so much out of the gift I got for them it almost felt like I was getting them a gift for me. Like when the sitcom dad gets the sitcom mom a brand new TV so he can watch football on it.

I learned that as much as I love setting and meeting goals, I also love playing a role in enabling others to do the same. I think it is hugely impactful. Beyond just getting a little bit more fit, there are so many positive externalities of this. Self confidence, mental health, community to name a few. So upon this realization I concluded I want to try to shift my career towards fitness tech. I am a data scientist so there is a ton of possibilities of how I can apply my skills in this realm. I am looking forward to the day when the work I am putting in at my career is enabling others to be the best version of themselves.

I'll close with Stravas mission which I align very closely with.

"Strava is Swedish for “strive,” which epitomizes who we are and what we do. We’re a passionate and committed team, unified by our mission to connect athletes to what motivates them and help them find their personal best."