BLOG
Finding Health and Happiness on a Gravel Road
When the pandemic brought major restrictions to outdoor activities in 2020, Emir Ibrahimovic – a leader at health and wellbeing company Amway – wanted to figure out creative ways to become more active.
“I found one of the things I could do was ride a bike,” he said. He then began a journey that would take him down new trails, literally, and rediscover the joys of competition – something he’d been missing since his days of being a competitive swimmer in college.
Emir enjoyed his daily rides tremendously. Not only was it good exercise, it also allowed him to savor the beauty of Michigan’s countryside. But he soon had the urge to take it to the next level.
“I was always competitive when I was younger. “Looking into what kind of races were here locally, everything tied back to gravel,” he said. Emir notes that the sport is particularly big in West Michigan, where there are races on a near weekly basis.
“West Michigan is home to some of the best gravel roads in the country, which is saying something because the U.S. has some of the best gravel in the world. Gravel cycling has exploded in the U.S. over the last 10 years as people venture out to find their own adventures on the backroads and off the beaten path.”
As Emir entered the world of gravel cycling, he found it was a great way to meet other racers, learn more about the sport and get invited onto a cycling team.
“It’s also very scenic and very safe. You can go on a three-hour ride and maybe see three cars. I just enjoyed it whether I was riding on my own or with the whole team. I just found it to be very social, very active, and I got to compete.”
Another benefit, of course, related to Emir’s health.
Competitive gravel cycling gave Emir a new, holistic and intentional way to look at fitness. He was thinking about his overall health in terms of energy management, muscle building and addressing nutritional concerns instead of just referring to the number on his scale – something he had been guilty of doing in the past.
“In cycling, when you lose energy and hit the wall it’s called ‘bonking.’ You know your normal power number and when you ‘bonk’ you just can’t get there – a common result of failing to address your nutritional needs. It’s like your car being capped at 25 miles per hour.”
Emir even did a health screening through Amway’s “Optimal You” program through which he discovered his iron levels were low.
And that’s the day Emir went from being an employee at Amway to an avid customer and brand enthusiast. He discovered several Amway products that helped him throughout his competitive gravel cycling journey. From Amway’s Nutrilite Double X supplements, n* by Nutrilite’s Turmeric capsules and XS CBD Cream for joint and pain relief, plus XS Sports Twist Tubes to flavor his water, which he uses daily to get enough Vitamin B and sodium to avoid cramping – Emir’s needs were fully covered.
“These things all add up to improved performance,” he said. “To remain competitive, you want to make sure your nutrients are always topped off. Taking supplements helped me achieve that goal.”
In his first race ever, held in Lowell, Michigan, Emir placed 102nd out of a few hundred racers. The year after that he placed second, and last year he finished first overall for the series of races that comprise the Michigan Short Course Gravel Series. Emir and his entire team even committed to donating a percentage of their winnings to the Kids’ Food Basket in Grand Rapids.
“It’s not always easy,” said Emir. “There are only 10 days of the year when you’re doing a race and there are many times when the rides are cold and dirty. But it’s being with friends on the team, enjoying time laughing and figuring things out together with your community that makes it worth the challenges you face on gravel roads.”