This month’s W.O.W Employee of the Month is Wyoming Rehab Physical Therapist, Darrin Goyn. Wellness has been a part of Darrin’s life from a young age and running was and continues to be, one of his favorite activities.
“I grew up outside of town and we would ride bikes all over the place. My two older brothers had bikes and for whatever reason, I didn’t have one so the only way I got to go with them was to run. I think that’s where I got my start in running,” said Goyn.
Darrin was involved in athletics throughout school including track, cross country, and wrestling. He also had the opportunity to compete in track at the college level but decided not to. After high school, he still enjoyed running and continued to do it throughout his life for leisure as well as competing in races.
“I started out with 5ks, then 10ks, and then a few half marathons. I’ve never done a full marathon. In the last 4 – 5 years I started doing trail running which I enjoy a lot more and the trails are easier on my legs,” said Goyn. “I’ve done the Big Horn Trail run: the 18 mile and the 52 mile. I trained a while for it and everything went well and I enjoyed it.”
Outside of running, Darrin enjoys woodworking, remodeling homes, and gardening with his wife. It’s also important for him to stay active at home and he’s not someone who can’t sit for very long. Along with staying active, he also prioritizes a healthy diet.
“My biggest motivation is general health and stress reduction. I just eat a healthy well-balanced diet. I try to eat more fresh food, watch the sugars and the carbs, but I still indulge. Just a good overall general healthy diet. My wife is a good cook so that helps,” said Goyn. “My wife and I both eat wild game so we don’t buy a whole lot of other meat because we know how it’s processed. We do a lot of fresh vegetables and fruits and don’t buy too many canned items.”
The advice he would give to others who are ready to make lifestyle changes is to focus on consistency and to know your limitations.
“The biggest part for anyone is the consistency of doing it. We’re all creatures of habit that have a tendency of getting out of the habits that we have worked to get into. The consistency of stressing the body and making sure you’re not injured is important to maintain a general fitness level and staying active,” said Goyn.
He also emphasizes the importance of eating a healthy diet and avoiding certain foods.
“Number one: stay away from fast-food restaurants and avoid eating out too much. Especially when you’re going out and spending money, you feel like, oh I have to eat all of this because I bought it,” said Goyn. “Focus on quantity and portion control and avoid carbonated drinks as much as you can. Just focus on eating fresh food and good lean meats.”