Our Heart & Soul of Precor series highlights the incredible, inspiring people who work at Precor. These articles focus on employees who embody the Precor creed both inside and outside of the workplace. We hope you enjoy this glimpse into the people who make our company so unique!

Please let us introduce you to Ben Lonsdale, who has been working for Precor for 6 years, currently as our Asia Pacific Technical Manager. Not only does Ben spend hours a week commuting, traveling, and completing his daily work commitments, he also makes time for enjoying his hobbies of cooking, mountain biking, and living a sustainable lifestyle.

What is your fitness story?

Before Ben started working at Precor, he had some years under his belt of being on the “unhealthy” side. But since starting at Precor he has been inspired to live a more healthy and sustainable lifestyle. Ben and his wife just recently moved out of the city to the Macedon Ranges in Central Victoria to help with living more sustainably. He has a lot of ways he stays active in his daily life as well, including attending personal training sessions at Anytime Fitness in Brighton, Australia. Ben also bikes or runs the trails behind his house at least once a week and he uses his Adaptive Motion Trainer® (AMT®) in his garage when he needs a more convenient option to get his workout in.

What inspired you to start biking and cooking?

Ben was involved with both biking and cooking from a young age. In high school, Ben was a state champion-level mountain biker but after graduating, he did not bike as much. Working at Precor and living in the countryside inspired him to get back into it and he is really happy to be biking again! Similarly, Ben’s mom started teaching him how to cook from a young age and now that he lives in an area where he can get fresh produce and meat, cooking is more enjoyable. The nice kitchen in his new house inspires him to cook more as well!

How do you find balance working at Precor while still making time for your passions?

Ben says that it is definitely a struggle finding enough time in the day between commuting, cooking, exercising, and work. But in order to make the time he finds that structuring and scheduling out his day really helps. Working across multiple time zones means Ben often has early or late meetings with other regions. Waking up early helps Ben get his exercise in, have a good post-workout meal to fuel his body, and then be ready to continue working for the day. He also says that having an AMT® at home helps when he is in a time crunch.

How has working at Precor/Amer Sports influenced your journey?

Ben shared that he travels a lot in the role he is in, but being able to experience other cultures and lifestyles has inspired him to start living the healthy and sustainable lifestyle he does today. He would not have the opportunity to have this outlook and experiences without Precor.  

Ben’s boss and friend Tomokazu Ihara has been a big inspiration toward how he has made changes in his life and is pursuing his goals. Tomo pushes Ben to work harder in and out of the office. At IHRSA 2016, Tomo encouraged Ben to run a 50-mile race in Florida while Tomo completed the 100-mile run!

What is your favorite dish to make?

Ben loves to cure and smoke his own meats for charcuterie plates. And, by the look of this plate, he is a master at it!

Where is your favorite place to bike?

Hands down his favorite place to bike is La Larr Ba Gauwa Park in Harcourt. It is about a 15-minute drive from his house and is gorgeous!

Do you have any specific goals (long or short term) with cooking and/or biking?

Ben doesn’t have any specific goals set at this time but he would like to try enduro racing (a type of mountain bike racing where the downhills are timed, and the uphills are not) sometime in the future! He is always up for challenges when they present themselves, so if you have something to put him to the test, let us know!

What achievement are you most proud of so far?

Ben is proud that he keeps his fitness level to a point that he has the ability to be able to say yes to fitness challenges and opportunities as they present themselves. He loves that he can jump into races and complete rides without having to prepare for weeks. He recently completed the Amer Sports sponsored Warburton Trail Fest 25km trail run with only a few days of notice.

What is your favorite line of the Precor Creed and why?

“I believe tomorrow will be even better because of what I do today.”

One of the big reasons Ben and his wife recently moved to the countryside was to be able to have the ability to live a more sustainable life. Ben says that it is such a good feeling to be more environmental friendly in order make our planet better for tomorrow and the future. Ben truly is the Heart and Soul of Precor!