7 minute read
Dr. Jeffrey Sawyer Doctor, Ironman, Family Man
DOCTOR / IRONMAN / FAMILY MAN
How Surgeon and Triathlete Dr. Jeffrey R. Sawyer Keeps on Course
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At 56, Dr. Jeffrey R. Sawyer, MD, a triathlete and pediatric spine surgeon at Campbell Clinic, says he’s faster today than a decade ago. The fourtime full Ironman finisher grew up playing and loving sports but didn’t have a physically active father.
When Dr. Sawyer started a family of his own, he set out to change that. “I have three boys. They’re 14, 13, and 8, and they’re very active,” he says. “I wanted them to grow up with exercise as part of their lives.”
REVOLUTIONARY PEDIATRICS
Jeff’s dedication to the well-being of all children is what led him to specialize in pediatric orthopedics. “I get the best of both worlds because I get to take care of kids, which I think is probably my greatest joy in medicine, but I also get to be a surgeon, too,” he says.
In 2005, Jeff returned to the Campbell Clinic, where he completed his fellowship with the goal of centralizing care. Thanks to a research and treatment plan collaboration, through the clinic’s involvement with the Pediatric Spine Foundation, young patients no longer need to travel to various cities to receive their surgeries.
When combined with its emphasis on in-house research, instruction, and patient education, the clinic’s collaboration helps lead the way in implementing new treatment options, such as growth modulation using vertebral body tethering (VBT) of the spine for scoliosis. “Instead of straightening out the spine with rods, we’re trying to surgically go in and control the growth of the spine to make it grow straighter,” Jeff explains.
ONE STEP AT A TIME
Morning workouts suit the surgeon best. Jeff says, “That’s my quiet time. That’s my thinking time, but also, if I can get one percent better that morning on a run, that drives me during the day to get one percent better at work or one percent better as a dad.” Given that Jeff’s day begins at 7:30 a.m., his training often happens between 5 and 7 a.m. but can start as early as 4:30 a.m. He says, “This also allows me to drive my kids to school, which I’ve always done, and it sets the tone for the day for all of us.”
You won’t catch him sleeping in on Sundays, either. Instead, he’s often participating in a tradition that began 17 years ago when he moved from Chicago to Memphis. “I started running with a friend of mine, Todd, on Sunday mornings, and he and I are still running together,” Jeff says. Additionally, Jeff and his wife, Julie, often finish the mornings with another tradition, a run with their two dogs at Shelby Farms Park.
In 2008, Jeff ventured to Florida to participate in his first full Ironman. The second one he completed took place in Tempe, Arizona, and coincidentally landed on his 50th birthday. He has since returned twice to The Sunshine State for Ironman Florida, including in 2021, when Jeff says he shaved 47 minutes off his finishing time - completing the event in 12 hours and 13 minutes, a personal record.
A WINNING FORMULA FOR TRAINING AND NUTRITION
In and out of race season, Dr. Sawyer works with his triathlon coach, Jeff Fejfar, and logs his runs in the TrainingPeaks app. The surgeon says, “That tracks all my metrics, you know, speed, pace, everything, and then my coach looks at it on Sunday and pings back my workout for the next week. Knowing that he can see my real-time workout efforts also helps with accountability.” In addition, Alisha Parker, MS, RDN, LDN, of Accel Performance and Wellness and Memphis Nutrition Group, has helped Jeff nail his race-day hydration and nutrition.
Currently, Dr. Jeff is preparing for his 15th half Ironman, the St. Jude Ironman 70.3 Memphis, on October 1. In addition, he hopes to one day qualify for an Ironman World Championship and complete the Escape from Alcatraz triathlon.
Because of the demands training puts on his time, which he prefers to devote to family and work, Jeff puts a few years between his long-distance full Ironman triathlons.
WHAT REALLY COUNTS
For Jeff, the fun isn’t on race day. He says, “I love the process… there’re tons of little wins along the way, like here in Memphis when it’s 100 degrees out and humid, and you don’t feel like going for that bike ride, and yet you do - that I think is more important probably than the big race.”
When race day does arrive, Jeff enjoys embracing the challenges that can arise, like hitting “the wall.” He says Navy SEAL and author David Goggins’ notion that we all have an internal governor, the system in a car that holds it back from its maximum ability, is accurate.
“My favorite time in a triathlon is when you’ve reached the governor, and you can go another mile, and nine times out of 10, it’s just your brain telling your body to quit,” Dr. Jeff says. “Spine surgery is very much the same way. Sometimes our operations go six or eight hours. So, there’s time in a spine operation where things are going well, and there are times when they aren’t going well, but that concept of facing the governor and always trying to do a little better is relevant.”
Prioritizing Fitness and Staying Limber
with Former NBA Player Brevin Knight
A devoted husband and father of three, Brevin Knight, 46, is a beloved figure in the Memphis basketball scene. A former Memphis Grizzlies guard who has been a color commentator for the team on Bally Sports Southeast for the last 12 years, Brevin is, in his own words, enjoying “[his] dream post-NBA career.” Despite the demands of his career and his devotion to his family, Brevin still prioritizes his fitness and ensures he stays active.
NBA and Memphis Grizzlies early days
A New Jersey native who always had a passion for basketball, Brevin began his professional basketball career in 1997 when drafted by the Cleveland Cavaliers. Throughout his 12-year tenure in the NBA, he played for nine different teams.
Most notably, as far as readers of this publication are concerned, Brevin played for the Memphis Grizzlies from 2001 to 2005 and was part of their inaugural season.
Brevin describes his first few seasons as a Grizzlies player as tough. “Everyone was so focused on U of M basketball at the time,” Brevin recalls. “We had to work to impress people on and off the court.” However, Brevin maintains that he knew from the beginning that it was a great opportunity and knew what the team could be.
As any Memphian and Grizzlies fan knows, that initial reluctance about Memphis’ own NBA team in 2001 has long faded. The fanfare and hype surrounding the Grizzlies have risen to new levels during the playoffs, and for someone like Brevin, who has always believed in the team’s potential, “it’s been amazing to see how far they’ve come.”
Making time to stay active
After retiring from the NBA in 2009 at 32, Brevin jumped right into his commentating career. However, he has always stayed active and has made a point to prioritize his fitness even more as he’s gotten older. In addition, he describes his family as pretty active: his wife plays tennis regularly, his son plays basketball, and they all enjoy going on walks as a family.
Brevin’s primary exercise comes from his passion for golf, which keeps him on his feet and gets his steps in. He golfs at TPC Southwind a few times a week with his golf buddy.
However, a successful golfer needs to stay limber, which has gotten harder with age. That’s where the secret to Brevin’s success comes in: Stretch Zone.
Staying limber at Stretch Zone
Brevin has always struggled with flexibility and would often suffer from hip and hamstring pain after an intense round of golf. However, once he discovered Stretch Zone, he realized how beneficial assisted stretching is for his overall wellness and physical fitness.
“I started going to Stretch Zone about six months ago, but it’s already made a huge difference,” Brevin proclaims. “It’s allowed me to feel better and stay limber for golf.”
At Stretch Zone, Brevin enjoys a 30-minute session where an expert stretch practitioner stretches any specific part of his body that’s hurting, improving his overall flexibility and mobility.
“I’ve got to keep my old bones limber,” Brevin laughs. “They took a beating playing basketball all those years.”
Building his dream career
Now, in his career as a color commentator calling the games for the Grizzlies, Brevin has had a unique opportunity to see a team that he was part of in the early days enjoy massive success.
“It’s been a magical season for a team this young,” Brevin proclaims. “My favorite part of my career is the opportunity to be close to the NBA action while watching the team grow - it’s such a change from how they used to play.” He especially loves watching Ja Morant in all of his greatness up close and personal.
“To experience this season the way I have... it’s nothing short of the best time of my career,” he says.
