Sports for me have often provided opportunities to see life challenges played out live, most often on TV, by real people living their lives and doing their jobs in front of the whole world. I suppose it is different in that the work they do are games for the rest of us. In watching, sometimes we see warts, other times we see behavior to which we aspire.
The last two years have presented such an opportunity, for those like me captivated by cycling, to watch a young man undertake his journey as a professional cyclist at the highest level. That young man is Durango’s own Sepp Kuss.
Over the last two years, he has ridden in all three of the cycling grand tours – the Italian Giro, the Tour de France and the Spanish Vuelta (twice).
Between watching him on TV, listening to interviews and even a few brief moments in person, a picture emerges of a young man on his life journey who is already, at 26 years young, presenting an example of both quality and effectiveness from which we all can learn. I suspect Kuss would be somewhat embarrassed to have someone write about him with such lofty words, but his example is worth emulating.
Here are the values I see Kuss living as he goes about his craft in a very public sport. I suspect the core of this comes from the way he was raised, yet he is making fine choices in how to lead his life as an adult.
Others before self: Kuss displays a sense of selflessness that is very apparent. In a sport where being the winner is pretty much all that matters, Kuss has made it a secondary priority, consistently doing his job to support his team leader even when opportunities to go for it were sitting there to be taken.
Loyalty: Team first, personal ambitions second. In so doing, it is clear he values his relationships with his teammates and will do everything he possibly can to honor those relationships. In a word, he is loyal.
Enjoy what you do/enjoy the journey: The Durango Devo youth cycling program Kuss grew up in has a motto called NFTF, which stands for Never Forget the Feeling. The feeling is the first time you rode a bike and felt the freedom and joy it brought. Kuss has never lost that joy either in the moment as he races and as he grows his way through life. This was very apparent as he first caught the attention of the world when he won a stage of the Vuelta in 2019, slapping high-fives with spectators as he approached the finish line with the look of pure joy on his face.
Humility: Now described as one of the best climbers in the world of cycling and a “super domestique,” few would criticize him if his ego started to get a little full of itself. To his credit, that is not part of his make-up. My sense is this comes from an appreciation of where he is and what it has taken to get there, and that it can be just as easily taken away. The pandemic this year almost did. Chatting with his mom, Sabina, after he won the last stage of the Critérium du Dauphiné this summer, reacting to how calm he appeared, she said, “That is just Sepp; he lets everything roll off his back. He has always been that way.”
Gratitude: Often as we rush through life, particularly when we are young, it can be easy to lose perspective on how good we have it. Kuss has a large dose of gratitude for where he is and what it took to get there. This shows up in his work ethic, not taking things for granted, sharing the accolades and saying thanks to the many who have helped him along the way.
There are definitely lessons to be learned from this young man and his approach to life and sport. Observing these values he lives makes watching him succeed in sport all the more entertaining and worthwhile. Thanks Sepp!
Jay Eagen is a certified professional coach through the Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching. He can be reached at jayeagen@aol.com.
