The typical Athlete Spotlight story goes something like this: An athlete trains too intensely and becomes injured, burned out, or frustrated. The athlete then discovers and tries the 80/20 method, experiences a huge breakthrough, and lives happily ever after. We love these stories. But you know what we love even more? Winston Bryn’s story!

What’s different about Winston is that he wasn’t an athlete at all before he discovered 80/20.
“I had such an unhealthy lifestyle the past few years,” says the 32-year-old IT manager from Oakville, Canada, who is married with a two-year-old daughter. “This lead me to gain 30 kilos, and I struggled to run 2 kilometers.”

A family member who was already on the 80/20 train suggested that Winston come on aboard, so he did, shifting from daily redlining in workouts to a gentler, more sustainable approach that soon worked its usual magic. The first thing Winston noticed was that he felt better. Then he started losing weight. And then he got fitter—so much fitter, in fact, that he was able to complete two Ironman 70.3 events in the span of a month earlier this year.

“It’s a lifestyle, not an event,” Winston says. “I feel with 80/20 you get to trust you can train for life.”