For Roger Kahn, a resident of New Rochelle and owner of a Long Island-based virtual office firm, balancing his work and his passion for swimming comes naturally ”“ no small feat when considering his family obligations, which he says come first.
But to merely call swimming a passion would be shortchanging Kahn, 56, who recently competed at the U.S. Masters National Swimming Championships in August and is ranked among the top five swimmers in the nation in the 55 to 59 age group.
“I think swimming has given me a very important balance to my business,” said Kahn, owner of Champion Office Suites in Garden City. “I also think competing in sports and competing in business ”“ really I think it”™s one and the same.”
As businesses small and large constantly seek ways to save on health care spending, Kahn said that the solution should be a focus on staying active and on wellness programs and incentives.
“It creates an energy level within that person that is very positive for their own well-being and rubs off on the business and what they”™re doing in the office place,” he said. “The whole idea with the health care plan I think should be to promote wellness ”¦ Somehow they should create incentives for wellness and for working out.”
After swimming up through college at the University of Pennsylvania, Kahn took a 10-year hiatus from competition. Then working for a different real estate company, Kahn picked swimming up again on the suggestion of a co-worker. “I got back involved and I haven”™t stopped since.”
Today, Kahn swims for the Badger Swim Club in Larchmont, which has produced several Olympians for the U.S. national team. He placed in 6th in the men”™s freestyle and 5th in the men”™s butterfly at the Masters Championships in August.
Kahn said that the same competitive mentality that he has gained through his swimming career has helped him to stay ahead of the curve with his business as well.
“You can”™t just show up every day and expect to excel in business,” he said. “You have to keep up to date with how the industry is changing. Everything that an athlete has to do to stay in shape physically and mentally, you have to do to stay in shape” from a business perspective.
Kahn said that he often exercises before work, swims afterward, and is up early on the weekends to get in additional practice time. He travels to several meets each year, with most in Long Island, in addition to the national championships, which were held this past year in Alabama and which will be in Omaha in 2012.
