( CNN ) -- Growing up near the South Side of Chicago , a good portion of my youth was spent on the fields or on the courts . Whether it was baseball in the summer or basketball in the winter , being an athlete pretty much defined my existence . Sports were the No . 1 thing I cared about . ( It did n't hurt that Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls were in pursuit of their six NBA championships at the time . ) Needless to say , staying in shape and getting enough exercise were not problems I had to deal with . In high school , my participation in sports meant more training . Practices and workouts were exhaustive and took up a good portion of my afternoons and evenings . Playing sports helped me develop friendships , hone my skills and stay in great shape . Once again , getting enough exercise was not a problem . Then I hit the ripe old age of 22 . Get fit and others will follow . After high school , my fitness levels began to decline . Besides my poor eating habits , I attribute this to one factor : I 'd been benched . My access to team sports was dwindling , and there was an extreme unlikelihood that the NFL and NBA would be knocking on my door any time soon . Daily practices and games were replaced by long work hours , dinner out with friends and nights in front of the TV . I joined weekend sports leagues where beer , not winning , was the primary goal . ( Not that I complained . ) Staying in shape and getting enough exercise were now big problems . T-shirt tales : The athlete I used to be . I was not prepared to enter the world of individual sports in order to stay active . I found going on a `` long '' run or swimming laps in the pool to be quite boring . Where were my teammates ? Where were the screaming coaches ? Throughout my life , the concept of `` team '' had been stressed on a daily basis , and now it was nowhere to be found . I realized that I needed to find a team . I needed to be a part of something bigger than myself . Believe it or not , my biggest reason for applying to the CNN Fit Nation Triathlon Challenge was not the free bike or the cool gear . Rather , I loved the idea that we would be competing in the triathlon in Malibu as a team : six people , from all parts of the country , coming together for one goal . The journey thus far would not have been possible without my Fit Nation teammates and coaches . I rely on them daily for their motivation , their expertise and their unwavering support . Getting fit for the family I love . Being a part of a team has always played a large role in my success as an athlete , on and off the field . The camaraderie and accountability present within a team setting are things I have been unable to replicate when going at it alone . My sudden cardiac arrest in October 2011 created a daily reminder of my health and my need for exercise , but my selection to the CNN Fit Nation team pushed me to think deeper about where I am right now , where I 've been and where I hope to go . My team is the reason I 'll complete my workout this afternoon , and my team is the reason I will cross the finish line in September . Follow Doug 's journey on Twitter @ TriHardDouglas .
Participating in organized sports helped Douglas to stay fit as a teen . After high school , sports were replaced by long work ##outs , dinner out . Now Mogle ##n the Navajo Nation will inspire him to push his fitness limits .