Khalipa - As many reps as possible: succeeding in competition, business, and life by making the most of every single minute

To my family, friends, and all those facing lifes challenges head on.

This is for you.

www.mascotbooks.com

As Many Reps As Possible

2019 Jason Khalipa. All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form by any means electronic, mechanical, or photocopying, recording or otherwise without the permission of the author.

The author and publisher advise readers to take full responsibility for their safety and know their limits. Before practicing the skills described in this book, be sure that your equipment is well maintained, and do not take risks beyond your level of experience, aptitude, training, and comfort level.

CrossFit, Forging Elite Fitness, 3...2...1...Go!, Fittest on Earth and Sport of Fitness are trademarks of CrossFit, Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries, whose endorsement or sponsorship is not to be implied.

For more information, please contact:
Mascot Books
620 Herndon Parkway #320
Herndon, VA 20170

ISBN-13: 978-1-68401-981-6

CONTENTS

• Preface
  The Day Things Changed
• Chapter 1
  A SET OF TOOLS TO SET YOU FREE
• Chapter 2
  UNLOCK YOUR WHY AND BUILD A PERSONAL POWERHOUSE
• Chapter 3
  NEXT-LEVEL FOCUS
• Chapter 4
  THE ONLY REAL-LIFE HACKWORK REALLY HARD
• Chapter 5
  THE ART OF SHIFTING GEARS
• Chapter 6
  MOMENTS OF RE-EVALUATION
• Chapter 7
  LIVING THE AMRAP MENTALITY

Preface

The Day Things Changed

I began working on this book in the fall of 2015. At the time, life was really good. I experienced some personal and professional success, and I felt strongly about what I wanted to say in regard to building a successful business, being an entrepreneur, and doing both while staying balancedmentally, emotionally, and physically. My work and family life were firing on all cylinders. I felt like we had it all.

Things changed suddenly on January 20, 2016.

It was a Wednesday, and we had taken our four-year-old daughter, Ava, to the doctor. She had been experiencing pains in her legs. At first, we thought these were growing pains, something every child experiences. But soon after she started to experience severe bruising that just didnt make sense. Shed also had a series of ear infectionsbad ear infections. The doctor told us that one of the infections was the worst theyd ever seen. It was pretty ugly stuff. I started to think something was really wrong.

At around 2 p.m., the nurse drew blood for a test. They thought that Ava might have some sort of significant deficiency that was throwing her system out of whack, like a severe lack of iron. They put a rush on the samples and sent them to the lab.

While waiting for the results, we had gone back home. My wife, Ashley, was making dinner when the lab called at about 6 p.m. They reported that there was something irregular in Avas blood work, and that we should expect a callback shortly. This was not the kind of thing we wanted to hear.

Five minutes later, Avas doctor called.

You need to take Ava to the Stanford emergency room right now, he said.

That was all he told us, but the urgency in his voice told us to not hesitate. We didnt have to be told twice. Leaving our dinner on the counter, we made the nerve-wracking thirty-five-minute drive from our home in Los Gatos to Palo Alto.

Our initial thought was that the irregular blood work must have had something to do with that kind of significant deficiency and it needed to be addressed right away, but we were just guessing and hoping for the bestwe were in the dark about what was actually going on.

We entered the hospital through the ER and were directed to an individual room for immunocompromised children. We were alone in quarantinethings started to get really heavy. I will never forget that first trip. Unfortunately, its one that we would become very familiar with. A nurse led us to the room, and before she handed us off to other staff, she said something that took my wife and me off guard.

Theres one piece of advice that I have for you, she said. Ive seen a lot of things happen here, a lot of stories. Keep a date night for yourselves. You have to keep your relationship strong.

Ashley and I just looked at each other. What the hell is that supposed to mean? I thought. For a split second, I considered telling her off, but I held back. Her words slowly began to make sense. It was like she had seen couples like us pass through those rooms for yearsand she had. She knew we were in for one hell of a rideafter all, we wouldnt have been called in like this if it wasnt a big deal.

Soon enough, we would figure out what all this was about. My father-in-law, Jeff, joined us in the treatment room with Ava as soon as he could. We sat there for hours, until around 1 a.m., when a doctor came in. She told us that two more pathologists had looked at the blood test results and asked me if I wanted to step outside the room to talk about their findings. We went out into the hallway to speak privately.

Were fairly certain your daughter has leukemia, the doctor said.

Are you sure? I asked.

Were 99% sure.

More emotions hit me at that moment than I can accurately describe. I broke down and cried for a while in the hallway. As you can imagine, a thousand thoughtsmostly bad oneswent racing through my head. I wasnt an expert on cancer, but I knew it wasnt good. No one ever wants to receive a cancer diagnosisespecially for your four-year-old daughter.

I pulled myself together, went back into Avas room, and shared the news with Ashley and her father. Ashley and I went back out into the hallway and cried together. After some time alone, we made a pact that after we told our families the news, we would not allow tears in front of Ava. No matter how badly we felt or how grave the situation may lookwe would always be positive. To this day, after many surgeries, treatments, and hospital stays, we have held to that commitment.

We also made another pact: we were going to crush this thing. Starting that very moment. So, we went back into the room and got to work. We talked with Ava about the disease, and why we were at the hospital in the middle of the night. Because she was so young, she didnt know what words like cancer and leukemia meant, so it was up to us to explain it all. Shes a smart kid, though, and she knew that something big was happening. Ashley and I were able to define the disease in a way that was honest, but also hopeful and positive. Ava had an illness that was going to take some hard work to treat, but we were all in it together.

I knew right then that everything I had been fortunate enough to accomplish in my lifein business, as a world champion athlete, as a person, and with the financial foundation we had put in placehad been preparing me for this challenge. This was the test. We had a strong family. We had good health insurance. Our company, NCFIT, a fitness startup, had become a thriving, successful business staffed by competent people I trusted. I knew that Matt Walker, our CFO, and the rest of our team could run the show while I shifted one-hundred percent of my focus to this new fight against leukemia.

Later that same night, I sent Matt this email: