With the spirit of the great one-day spring classics of Belgium in the air, riders from all over the world clip in each May for a 140-mile cycling adventure like no other in the United States. Complete with categorized climbs, over 40 miles of dirt, 14 water crossings and 13,000 feet of climbing, the Belgian Waffle Ride (BWR) is designed to bring each and every rider to a point where quitting is almost too good to pass up. BWR’s founder and director Michael Marckx purposefully creates an extremely challenging course each year with the intention to give his riders the chance to transcend their demons or succumb to the never-ending intensity of the course. Born into a family of cyclists and runners with a history steeped in Belgian baking, Michael wanted to create an event that was true to his heritage while also challenging the status quo of bike racing in the US. The BWR was the result, a race that grew from just over 100 invited participants in the first year to 1,200 competitors in its young life of six years. Michael has found himself the steward of a life changing experience for many athletes who swear off the race forever only to return the following year. Michael has lived an enriching life, one that is infused with athletic achievement, risk taking and experiments that have broadened his perspective. From a young age, Michael was encouraged to discover his gifts by nurturing his interests and following his passions. This led to running his first marathon at age 12, becoming a professional triathlete, a musician, artist, creative entrepreneur, husband, father and race director among many other life titles. Our conversation with Michael covers the range of his colorful life. He shares the wisdom he’s gained through his experiences and of course, he dives into the play by play of this years BWR. We are so honored to have Michael as a part of the YT community and we hope you enjoy the show. Please share it with your networks, leave a review on iTunes and for all your Amazon shopping needs please use our banner ad below to support the show, it doesn’t cost you a penny. For those of you looking to take your support to another level check out our Patreon page where you can pledge a monthly contribution to help keep us on firing up the mics and creating more connection in the world.

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