BaByliss Pro has introduced a distinctive line of hair care accessories in order to aid for a styling, trendy, and healthy hair styling. All of BaByliss products including flat irons and curling irons are crafted using a special blend of technologies as well as features. In fact, the same is the case with BaByliss hair dryers as well. From hair dryers that aids for faster drying and ceramic hair dryers to travel purpose hair dryers, BaByliss’s each hair dryers has its own uniqueness and discussed further in this article are among the most preferred BaByliss hair dryers, along with its avant-garde features.

BaByliss Pro Ionic Ceramic Hair Dryer

This is a high performance hair dryer fitted with an array of exceptional features such as ceramic grill that radiates far infrared rays for enhanced performance, built-in ion generator that generates negative ions, long life AC motor, two speed and three heat settings, cool shot button, and snap-on concentrator nozzle. Further, it is available in amazing soft velour finish.

BaByliss Pro Professional Twin Turbo Hair Dryer

It stands out in terms of its features like lock-in twin turbo switch, which in turn generates an extra burst of hot as well as cold air. Since it consists of handle with soft-rubberized grip, it provides extra comfort to your hand.

BaByliss Pro Professional AC Motor Hair Dryer

For top class performance, perhaps no other hair dryers would be better than this BaByliss with professional AC motor hair dryer. Lightweight as well as balanced profile, extra long power cord with high-flex cord protector, two speed and three heat settings, and 1875 watts of power are its added features.

BaByliss Pro Professional Ceramic Hair Dryer

To derive the complete benefits of ceramic hair dryer, the usage of this hair dryer is highly recommended, as it helps for even distribution of heat across the hair, elimination of damaging spots, and efficient heat retention. Its specialties, among many others, are removable two-layer filter cap with an integrated filter for longer life, super turbo long-life AC motor, and two speed and three heat settings.

BaByliss Pro Nano Titanium Ionic and Ceramic Hair Dryer

What that makes this hair dryer special is the technology used for its manufacture, which is a blend of nano titanium and ceramic technologies. In fact, it boasts of a lightweight profile that is hot, powerful, and easy to handle.

Are you looking to shop any of these hair dryers at cost effective rates? Then one of the best options would be shop it via Flat Iron Experts – an online beauty care boutique with more than eight years expertise in the scenario. It not only assures low price guarantee on its all items but also renders free shipping on purchases above $75.

In 1964 there was a manufacturing company in Indiana called Monticello Manufacturing, they made square, wire mesh trash burners. One of their customers was using and selling these as a cage to hold puppies. Now, unlike today, the pet trade was practically nonexistent. But, as a forward thinking company, they saw the opportunity and formed a spin off company called General Cage and started making wire dog crates. In the last 40 years, their product line has expanded, but lets take a detailed look at the pros and cons of the original wire General Cage dog crates.

Benefits of wire dog crates:

They allow your dog to see what is going on around them. This can either qualify as a pro or a con, depending on your dog. Your dog may normally have the run of the house, but sometimes he needs to be put in his crate. A wire General Cage dog crate allows your dog to feel more like a part of what is going on in your home because he can see what is going on around him.

Wire crates are well ventilated, this can be especially important if you live in a warmer climate or if your dog has a longer coat. It allows plenty of air flow for your dog to stay cool.

Wire crates are collapsable for easy storage, and can be broken down quickly and conveniently.

They are easy to clean with their slide out tray. If your puppy does have an accident, the wire bottom keeps your puppy out of his mess. Being well ventilated, General cage dog crates allow any obnoxious odors to escape.

One of the things that I really like about our wire dog crate is that it has two doors, one on the side and one on the front. Mostly we use the front door, but there have been times when traveling when only the side door has been accessible.

Last, many General Cage dog crates offer dividers. A divider can be used to keep two dogs separated without getting a second kennel, or are great if you have a puppy that will grow to be a large dog. It saves you money by only having to buy one crate that will last your puppies growing spurt. A small puppy in too large of a crate removes one of the benefits of crates in general – allowing your dog to feel secure with a “den like” environment. This problem is overcome with a divider panel that can be adjusted as your puppy grows.

Disadvantages of wire crates:

If your dog has a tendency to whine or bark, then a wire crate can accentuate the problem because he can see what is going on around him but he cannot join in the fun. Sometimes this problem can be solved with a cover or a chew toy.

Wire General Cage dog crates offer less insulation than a plastic crate, this can be bad for smaller dogs or puppies, or if you live in a colder climate.

They are not airline approved, so if you travel, you will need a second crate.

Another bad thing if you travel or have to move the crate often is that they are heavier than plastic crates, especially if you have a large dog.

It is funny how an advantage for one person, can be a disadvantage for another, depending upon circumstances such as where you live, the breed of dog or even your dog’s personality. We have a wire dog crate, and it works great for our dog and lifestyle. But if a wire crate does not fit your needs, remember that General Cage dog crates come in other styles as well. The one thing I do know, is that a crate trained dog makes for a happier dog and dog owner!

All Pro Trailer Superstore, just outside of Harrisburg Pa, operates a full service trailer facility offering trailer sales and service, trailer repair and trailer inspection, as well as a department designated to trailer customization, warranty and trailer financing.

As one of the leaders in the trailer industry, All Pro understands the value of the trailer shopper’s time, cargo and investment when purchasing a new enclosed trailer. “We take the time to listen to our consumers fully on their trailer needs and budget” replies Scott Smith, Sales Manager for All Pro “Then we educate them on all the options available to them in enclosed trailers, trailer accessories and trailer financing .”

Enclosed trailers serve a wide variety of purposes and many consumers in the market for an enclosed trailer are not fully aware of all the options they have with trailer accessories. “We specialize in customizing enclosed trailers with features to protect & organize your precious cargo.” states Smith “Our team installs hundreds of trailer alarms with GPS capability each year to protect the consumers cargo from theft, cargo control systems on walls and trailer floors to protect cargo from shifting, spare tires, custom trailer cabinets, trailer flooring and landscape trailer accessories.”

All Pro has custom designed and built trailers for everything from outdoor enthusiasts, show car collectors & realtors to bands, DJ’s, race car teams and emergency services professionals. “The list goes on and on.” remarks Smith “Our consumers are becoming quite creative when it comes to cargo trailer & enclosed trailer uses, if they can envision it, our team can design it.”

All Pro’s Trailer Superstore offers a travelers discount to consumers traveling to their facility to purchase a new trailer from surrounding states, such as Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, New Jersey and New York or you can take advantage of their “Call Ahead Trailer Package” which conveniently allows consumers to choose their trailer online, add additional trailer accessories if needed, receive on the spot trailer financing and top it off with trailer delivery right to your home or business.

Whenever I talk about irons in my golf lessons, students invariably ask which style is best—cavity back or blade. The cavity back has its advantages and its disadvantages. It also has its fans.

Golfers, however, shouldn’t choose an iron style because it’s popular in the clubhouse, since the style many not fit their game. The key to iron styles, as I’ve said in my golf tips, is finding what’s right for you.

Cavity backs are popular these days—and for good reason. A cavity back has a small amount of metal removed from the back of its clubface, producing a small hole. Removing the metal re-distributes the clubhead’s weight around the edges of the clubface, father away from the center of gravity (COG).

Re-positioning the COG creates a much more forgiving iron, with a larger sweet spot along the blade. Thus, a mis-hit with a cavity back is more likely to stay on target than a similar shot with a blade. Why? Because the cavity back twists less in a player’s hand when the ball is mis-hit. A mis-hit with a cavity back is also more likely to travel farther than with a blade.

Cavity backs are “game improvement” clubs, offering special features that help golfers play better, like an oversize head. I’ve talked about these clubs in my golf tips. Players with high and mid golf handicaps prefer cavity backs, although some low handicappers and touring pros use them.

Blade irons are not as popular as cavity backs. A blade iron features a solid clubface back, distributing the weight more evenly across the clubface, closer to the clubhead’s COG. Thus, a blade has a much smaller sweet spot than a cavity back. A blade is also much less forgiving than a cavity back because it twists more in a player’s hands on mis-hits.

Distributing the weight evenly across the clubface, however, creates an iron with better control and more feel. These irons need to be hit nearly perfectly, though, to avoid a bad shot. Thus, it takes a lot of practice and experience to hit these irons well, something I work on in my golf lessons with low handicappers.

The blade iron is known as a more traditional iron because it lacks the cavity back’s special game improvement features. Players with low golf handicaps and touring pros prefer the blade style iron because the added control and feel enables them to shape their shots better—a necessity when playing on challenging courses.

Manufacturers make cavity backs and blades in cast and forged versions. The terms “cast” and “forged” refer to the manufacturing process used to form the iron head’s shape.

Casting turns the metal from which the iron head is made into a molten liquid, which is then poured into a mold to form the iron head. It’s then left to cool.

Forging involves pounding or compressing the metal, in it’s solid form, from which the iron head is made into the desired shape. Other machining and drilling steps complete production.

The manufacturing process has no impact on the iron’s capabilities, as I’ve explained in previous golf tips. If you have two irons, one forged and one cast, of exactly the same shape, with the same center of gravity, same loft, same grip, hitting the same ball, and so on, the shots will travel the same distances 99 percent of the time. And the players won’t know which iron head is cast and which forged.

You need to find the iron style that best fits your game, as I point out in my golf instruction. If you’re a less experienced golfer, the cavity back is probably a wiser choice, since you’re more likely to mis-hit a ball. If you’re a more experienced player, then a blade is probably your best choice, since it provides more control and better feel for shaping shots.

The best way of choosing a style that fits your needs is to test it out. Hit a few balls with each style. If one style feels better than another does, and you have confidence in it, that’s the style that’s right for you.

Last-minute travel certainly has its advantages, appealing to spontaneous travellers from all over the world. But leaving your travel arrangements until the very last minute can also leave you with a few dilemmas. Either way, knowing the various pros and cons of last-minute travel can help you make travel arrangements that are right for you.

One of the biggest allures of last-minute travel is that it’s just that: last-minute and spontaneous. Many travellers are excited by the prospect of just packing their suitcase and going at the drop of a hat. What’s more, last-minute holiday destinations are often just as spontaneous as their timing. Many people choose their last-minute travel destinations randomly or with minimal thought, giving the overall experience of last-minute travel an even more inspiring and rejuvenating feel.

Another big advantage to last-minute travel is reduced cost. Many hotels and airlines will lower their rates at the very last moment, in hopes of filling more rooms or seats. As a result, package deals also become much cheaper, and travel companies begin advertising holiday deals for specific destinations – ultimately making it easier for travellers to make a booking.

If you already have a specific travel destination in mind, however, you can call hotels or airlines to ask whether they have last-minute deals available. Bear in mind though that it’s often much easier to find last-minute travel deals if you allow current deals to navigate where you ultimately travel.

However, despite some great advantages, there are also a few drawbacks to last-minute travel – one of them being an immense requirement for flexibility. Last-minute travel deals usually come in a “take-it-or-leave-it” format and cannot be altered in any way. That means that if you like one aspect of a last-minute deal, but not another, you might very well have to practice flexibility with regard to the dislikes.

In addition, many last-minute deals are dotted with restrictions – so it’s best to know exactly what you’re booking, as well as to ensure you won’t need to make any changes to your travel plans once you’ve booked.

And finally, last-minute travel deals won’t always fit your schedule – so unless you have some time during which flexible travel is possible, last-minute bookings simply might not be realistic for you.

Ultimately, last-minute travel is a great way to find unbeatable deals on travel arrangements – whether its Rome hotels or flights to Spain. So if you’re able to get past a few hurdles with regard to late bookings, you can certainly benefit from last-minute travel.

Tuff-Luv Shoulder case Bag for digital SLR camera in size: XL / colour: Beige Compatible with (Casio Exilim EX-P505 PRO / Pro EX-F1 / Pro EX-FH20)

Product by Tuff-Luv
Product model S7_1(BEIGE)

Feature Tuff-Luv Shoulder case Bag for digital SLR camera in size: XL / colour: Beige Compatible with (Casio Exilim EX-P505 PRO / Pro EX-F1 / Pro EX-FH20)

To fit cameras up to size: 250mm x 150 mm x 170mm Water resistant fabric 2 x Buckle Snaps 2 Side pockets / zip interior Closure Also avaialble in 2 colours (grey & beige).

Overview Tuff-Luv Shoulder case Bag for digital SLR camera in size: XL / colour: Beige Compatible with (Casio Exilim EX-P505 PRO / Pro EX-F1 / Pro EX-FH20)
Our Newly designed Travel-Bag camera case for a range of digital SLR cameras up to (250 (L) x 150 (W) x 170 (D). The case protects both camera and lens from the outside elements. Interior Zip closure to ensure your camera and lens remain protected. Can hold up to 3-4 additional lenses.Compatible with all digital / Traditional SLR cameras. This is not, nor do we claim it to be an official product of the brand that its designed to fit. All i-nique / tuff-luv cases are styled to our own designs and

Overview Tuff-Luv Shoulder case Bag for digital SLR camera in size: XL / colour: Beige Compatible with (Casio Exilim EX-P505 PRO / Pro EX-F1 / Pro EX-FH20)
Our Newly designed Travel-Bag camera case for a range of digital SLR cameras up to (250 (L) x 150 (W) x 170 (D). The case protects both camera and lens from the outside elements. Interior Zip closure to ensure your camera and lens remain protected. Can hold up to 3-4 additional lenses.Compatible with all digital / Traditional SLR cameras. This is not, nor do we claim it to be an official product of the brand that its designed to fit. All i-nique / tuff-luv cases are styled to our own designs andspecifications.
Specifications Tuff-Luv Shoulder case Bag for digital SLR camera in size: XL / colour: Beige Compatible with (Casio Exilim EX-P505 PRO / Pro EX-F1 / Pro EX-FH20)

If you have browsed the internet for just a few minutes, the chances are you have read some content written by a freelance writer. This is because it is one of the easiest and most reliable ways to get unique content in a place where unique content is valued above all other things. It is valued so highly as web pages will only rank well if there is unique content, any plagiarized text will severely hurt a sites rankings.

So who writes this content? College professors? Journalists? Well sometimes yes, but often it is written by your everyday person, with no official qualifications. That means that even you can earn an income from freelance writing! However there are both pro’s and con’s to this very current and fluid business.

The pros of freelance writing seem so obvious. Firstly you can often work the hours that you want, whether it is in your lunch break or in the middle of the night. As long as you have your work completed by the deadline, it doesn’t matter when you do it. The other benefit related to this is you can do this work wherever you like: at work, home or in between. A lot of people can fit freelance writing into their spare time to increase efficiency and make use of time that would otherwise be wasted.

If these benefits don’t tempt you, then imagine going to work, marching up to the boss and telling him how much he has to pay you. This is the freedom that freelance writing gives you, if a client wants your writing skills, then they have to pay what you ask for, though staying competitive is important.

Also, don’t forget that there is often no middle man in these client-writer relationships, cutting costs even more. You don’t have to travel in and go through a range of interviews before you are even hired, you just have to do the work and you will get paid, much less paperwork.

Not only can you skip interviews and often a resume, but you also don’t have to drive or spend time getting to work, therefore cutting down on the rising costs of car use, petrol or public transport. This in itself is a major benefit and will make the amount you are paid for writing seem even greater.

Although there are many good reasons to pursue an income through freelance writing, there are also many disadvantages which make freelancing a lot harder to find success in than it may first seem.

Firstly, you have to have a certain level of writing skill, without this you will probably not get far or not make enough income to warrant the time spent. It is possible to improve your current level of writing ability but this takes much time and practice. However even if your writing level is decent, there will probably be many other people who also have a decent writing ability, even if English is not their first language. Remember that there will always be someone who will work for less than you, even when rates get ridiculously low.

Most pay in the freelance writing business is per a certain amount of writing and not per your time, so if you are unable to write quickly, it may be difficult for you to succeed in this business. However if you are confident in your writing ability and you think you can create lots of content in a relatively short period of time, your chances are certainly looking better.

So what if you are given a job, told a whole group of articles is due in a week and then you will be paid.

The most essential part of any work at home opportunity is the ability to stay motivated and have enough self-discipline to get the job done. Many writers give up half way through a project and as a result not only develop a bad reputation but also have wasted the time that they spent on all work in that project as they will not receive any pay.

In order to combat these disadvantages you must never take on a project which you doubt you can complete, whether it be due to length, subject, or other commitments. You also must be realistic about your quality of writing and how much you are getting paid compared to the effort you are putting in.

It is from this that we can see freelance writing is definitely not for everyone, no matter how simple it may seem, it takes a lot of work and commitment that often rivals your usual day jobs. However if you have the skills with the motivation to match them, you can make a steady and handy income and even enjoy yourself at the same time.

Are you single and dreaming of taking a cruise, but unsure what to expect? Worried about sticking out like a sore thumb, being surrounded by smug singletons or everyone trying to be your friend and having to hide in your cabin to avoid them? Cruising is an ideal get way for solo cruisers; it offers the breathing space of a resort getaway, pampering service and the chance to visit a new place almost every day. Here are some of the top reasons and tips for going solo.

Booking your cruise

Like any holiday you need to ask yourself what appeals to you. Do you want something where you can relax, or that’s informal, or has plenty of entertainment on offer, etc? Your local travel agent should be able to pick the cruise line and ship that’s right for you. If you want to do some initial research yourself, the internet is a minefield of information whether you search on the cruise lines’ own pages or on a cruise community such as Inside Cruise where people post their own reviews.

Roll call

If you want to check out some of your fellow cruisers before you set sail, sign up on a cruise forum like Inside Cruise. On there is a section called “Roll Call” where you can meet others who are going on the same cruise. A lot of cruisers start a roll call a year or more before the cruise itself, giving them a chance to get to know other passengers beforehand and maybe arranging to share excursions and guides. For solo cruisers it’s a great way to find out if there will be other singles onboard. If you join a roll call before booking a cruise and find someone you seem to get along with you could end up sharing a cabin and saving on single supplements.

Plenty to keep you busy

The trouble with staying in a resort is that there aren’t always lots of activities you can take part in. All you end up doing is wondering around the local sites by yourself. Cruise ships, however, offer plenty of activities both aboard and on-shore. Onboard you could be learning how to cook, wine tasting, taking part in a keep-fit class or listening to a guest lecturer. If you choose to go ashore as well as visiting the local sites, you could go cycling, horse riding, abseiling, snorkelling to name a few! Getting involved in activities is a great way to meet people as you’ll have a common interest, which is good for breaking the ice.

Easy to meet people

Many cruise lines welcome singles onboard with receptions where they can meet other solo passengers. For example, Island Cruises hold a ‘Solos Lunch’ at the beginning of each cruise. Even if they don’t, getting involved in organised activities is ideal for meeting fellow passengers and making friends. Dining rooms mainly have seating for groups of 4, 6 or 8 people and can be an easy way to meet new friends. If you want to be seated with other solo cruisers, make sure you ask the Maitre’d and they will accommodate your needs. Passengers tend to be grouped together with others of a similar age and background, so you’ll never feel left out.

Dance the night away

If you like to dance but don’t want to be a wallflower, fear not. Some cruise lines, such as Fred.Olsen and Orient Lines offer male dance host that are selected on their dancing ability. If you’re a male travelling alone and love to dance, you’ll certainly have your pick of the ladies as they outnumber men travelling along by three to one.

Sense of community

As everyone is literally in the same boat (excuse the pun), there tends to be a lot of camaraderie. Unlike holidaying in hotels where you tend to see fellow holidaymakers at mealtimes only, you can (if you want to) see other passengers throughout the day, whether it be lounging by the pool or taking part in activities. Therefore, as a rule, cruisers tend to bond giving a sense of community where people look out for each other.

Safety

For starters, there are always plenty of people, including staff, around so you’re highly unlikely to get pestered. Also, you don’t have to worry about wandering around late at night to get back to your room as you won’t be walking along dark streets trying to find your hotel. If you take an organised excursion you will be in a group on land too, best in certain countries if you’re a solo female traveller. Although, of course if you want to you can go it alone and go at your own pace if you prefer.

Hopefully we’ve set your mind at ease about going on a cruise by yourself. The only downside we can think of is single supplements. Some cruise lines hit you harder than other, but if you don’t mind sharing a cabin some lines offer a share scheme and will partner you up with someone of the same sex and similar age. But don’t forget, your cruise agent should know which cruise lines are best for singles, whether it be age range, single supplements or special activities offered to introduce single cruisers to each other.

So go on, book that cruise. You don’t know what you’re missing out on.

Virtual assistants are becoming a popular alternative to traditional on-site office support for many entrepreneurs and small businesses.  Now that there are more qualified VA’s available, there are also more choices to be made.  When a small business owner decides it’s time to delegate some of the workload so they can focus on growing the business, it can be difficult to know where to start.

There are a wide variety of skill levels and services to choose from.  Most VA’s fall within one or more of the following categories:

Traditional administrative support such as typing correspondence, transcription, data entry, basic bookkeeping, reporting, customer service support, calendar and phone management, travel arrangements, proofreading, etc.

Executive administrative support such as meeting and event planning, complex PowerPoint presentations, proposal and contract review, coordinating projects, vendor management, budget management, financial reporting, managing administrative staff, etc.

Web 2.0 and Marketing Support includes social networking management (Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, LinkedIn, etc.), blog design and management, article writing and submissions, SEO, press releases, website copy and updates, teleseminars, ezine and newsletter design and management, shopping cart set-up and maintenance, autoresponders, e-books, promotional materials, brochures, etc.

 

Additionally, there are a number of specialized niche markets that a VA may focus on including real estate, insurance, law, finance, entrepreneurs, non-profit, and small business.

STEP 1 – Determine Your Needs

Decide what you need help with.  Are you falling behind on billing clients?  Do you need standardized internal processes and documentation?  Do you need to expand and target your marketing efforts?  Are you going to be launching new products or services?  It’s important to think this through – you need to know where you are before you can move confidently toward where you want to be.

Decide how much help you need.  How many hours per week/month are required to complete these tasks and reach your business goals?  This should not be an arbitrary guess.  If you could use some help estimating time and figuring out which tasks should be delegated, click here to get my Delegation Checklist (no charge!).

Determine whether you need short-term or ongoing support.  Depending on where you are in growing your business, your support needs may be different.  A new start-up may need a lot of help in the short-term to get up and running, whereas a more established business may need regular ongoing assistance with a predictable list of tasks. 

Estimate your support needs for the coming year.  Based on your business plans and goals, how fast do you expect your business to grow over the next 6-12 months?  How will this affect your workload?

Determine the skill levels needed for completing your tasks.  Are they mostly traditional administrative tasks (e.g., calendar management, documents, presentations, bookkeeping) or specific to a niche market (e.g., real estate)?  Do they require specialized knowledge or experience such as website design, article writing, or online shopping cart maintenance?

STEP 2 – Determine Your Budget

What is your budget for retaining support services?  Obviously, this is a critical consideration in deciding on the level of administrative support you need.  Individual VA’s tend to have a lower rate than VA teams.  The reason for this is that VA teams offer a range of skills, from basic to highly specialized, and are able to cover a wide variety of needs.  This frequently results in a blended rate for most tasks with flat fees quoted for special projects (e.g., website design).

STEP 3 – Compare the Benefits

At this point, you should know what your needs are and how much you can afford to spend.  The following is a list of benefits to consider when choosing between an individual VA and a VA team. 

Benefits of Working with an Individual VA

Single point of contact
Opportunity to build strong one-on-one business relationship
Easier to manage one person
May have very specialized niche skills/experience applicable to your business
More likely to accept small assignments and lower number of guaranteed hours
Lower hourly rate

Benefits of Working with a VA Team

Team of people can handle larger workload
Multiple tasks can be accomplished in a shorter amount of time
Opportunity to build a multi-faceted support team
Offer a wide variety of business skills/experience
Able to take on large projects and accommodate fast growth
Many offer discounted retainer packages

 

All businesses have unique needs, which change and evolve over time.  Take the time to carefully examine your needs, consider your options, and choose the type of virtual assistant services that best fit your business.

What’s Your Fitness DNA?

How to understand the apple doesn’t fall far from the family tree

Why do you like Fitness? Why are you passionate about the topic? Obviously, you were blessed with the gift of health, fitness, maybe even athletics. So is it possible that DNA mapped your path in life before you were born?

When Mary Lou Retton catapulted to international fame by winning the All Around Gold Medal in women’s gymnastics at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, becoming the first American woman ever to win a gold medal in gymnastics she visualized her winning and success for years prior to her great achievments. Practicing time and time again for this event in her head became the fuel for her relentless drive to become a top gymnist,  motivational speaker and corporate spokesperson and also travels the world as a “Fitness Ambassador” promoting the benefits of proper nutrition and regular exercise. Mary Lou serves as national chairperson and sits on the Board of Governors of the Children’s Miracle Network. Mary lou is following what I would call her DNA.

Dana Torres, otherwise known as the even dozen
won three silver medals in Beijing, bringing her career total to 12. That ties her for first with Jenny Thompson for the most for a U.S. female Olympian. Her meet started on the first day of finals, when she anchored the U.S. 4x100m free relay team, and ended on the last, when she anchored the 4×100 medley relay team. She also won a silver in the 50m free, losing the gold by just .01 of a second. Torres already was the oldest U.S. swimming gold medalist at 33 in in Sydney. At age 41, she’s the oldest Olympic swimming medalist in history. She’s also the only swimmer to win a medal in five Olympics. She is another athlete that “inherited” her drive and DNA.

In another example, it is a sheer coincidence that the world has never been the same   before the golfing phenom of Tiger Woods. A golfer whose amazing youth and amateur exploits were followed up by equally amazing professional exploits.

Woods was imitating his father’s golf swing at age 6 months, while still in his crib. At age 2, he appeared on the “Mike Douglas Show” and putted with Bob Hope. At age 3, he shot 48 for 9 holes, and at age 5 he was featured in Golf Digest.

And then the really impressive stuff started. Woods won the Optimist International Junior tournament 6 times, starting at age 8. He won three U.S. Junior Amateurs, the first to do so. His first of three straight U.S. Amateur titles came in 1994.

He turned pro in late summer 1996 and played 7 tournaments on the PGA Tour, needing to finish in the Top 125 to avoid having to go through Q-School. Woods won twice and posted 5 straight Top 5 finishes.

In 1997, he won the Masters for his first major. Woods won just once in 1998, but in 1999 he began a string of consecutive Player of the Year awards that didn’t end until Vijay Singh won the title in 2004.

He won 8 times in 1999, then 9 more times in 2000. Woods’ 2000 season is arguably the best ever on the PGA Tour. He became the second golfer to win three professional majors in one year and broke Byron Nelson’s more-than-50-year-old scoring average record.

In 2001, when he won the Masters, Woods became the first golfer to hold all four professional majors at the same time.

Tiger Woods holds or shares the record for the low score in relation to par in all four professional majors. He’s won the U.S. Open by 15 strokes, the Masters by 12 and the British Open by 8 strokes.

A swing change slowed his winning a bit in 2004, and his record streak of consecutive cuts ended at 142 in 2005. But he roared back with two majors in ’05.

Woods took a couple months off in 2006 following the death of his father, and missed the cut in his return at the U.S. Open. But then he won the next two majors and reeled off wins in the next eight tournaments he played.

In 2008, Woods won a dramatic playoff victory in the U.S. Open, then revealed that he was playing with a torn ACL and with a fracture in his leg. He underwent surgery shortly after and missed the next eight months. The 2009 WGC Accenture Match Play Championship marked his return. He is a perfect example of following his destiny, God given talents, and DNA.

As an Author, NSA speaker, advertising copywriter, Fitness and Weight loss Expert, Nutrition Specialist, and Wellness Coach, I am convinced that I inherited “Fitness Entrepreneur DNA.” I credit my mother for my way with positive, encouraging words, and the early memories of my father who died when I was 13 for my zest for life. My ability to inspire from the platform, paper, face to face, or even by phone was ingrained in me by my parents and significant events that happened to them before I was born.

Resources:

NBC Sports.com, www.marylouretton.com/new_site_biography.htm, about.com/ golf

By, Natalie Pyles

Author, NSA Speaker, Fitness and Weight loss Expert, Nutrition Specialist, and Wellness Coach