“Practice what you preach.”
“Walk the walk.”
We’ve all heard these phrases, and we know that they symbolize those who do what they say.
Local physician and competitive athlete Scott Jordan is one of those people.
Dr. Jordan has been practicing medicine in White House and Goodlettsville since 2003. As the owner of Crossroads Medical Group, Dr. Jordan treats patients throughout the Nashville area. While his caseload is diverse, he has a particular interest in treating athletes.
“I have a large number of physically active patients that I get to see from all over the Nashville area," he says “As an athlete myself, I really enjoy taking care of like-minded people that are working hard to be as healthy as possible.”
Although Dr. Jordan has been running since junior high school, he only started keeping workout journals in 1992. Since then, he has completed 316 road and trail races, including 89 marathons and ultramarathons and seven 100-mile trail runs. He is also a competitive triathlete, having completed six full Ironman and 17 half Ironman events.
Through his athletic side, Dr. Jordan has learned to channel his personal experiences to encourage and motivate his patients. He derives particular satisfaction from helping them set and achieve personal objectives, both medical and athletic.
“I love helping people achieve their goals,” he says. “I spend lots of time trying to convince people that they can change their life, their habits, their body and their outlook.”
As part of the process, he always shares frank advice about objectives and barriers.
“Whether losing weight or training for a marathon, your goals and your dedication must align,” he says. “You must have a ‘why’ for your goals that is greater than all of the obstacles you will encounter on your journey.”
Despite his competitive successes, Dr. Jordan has encountered his share of injuries over the years. However, instead of deterring him, he has used these experiences as motivation to help others recover from their injuries.
“I think my years of experience help me relate to patients at all levels of fitness. I can, unfortunately, also relate to most injuries as I have had my share,” he says.
Ironically, Dr. Jordan’s best memories do not come from events that went well. Instead, he treasures the times he has had to push through injuries and weather struggles to make it to the finish line.
“You really don’t know what you are capable of until you struggle,” he says. “By working my way through tough times, I have become a better physician and a better person.”
He is particularly proud of the time he finished his first 100-mile race. Despite extensive training, he had a tough go of it. However, through his ordeal, he managed to learn a lot about himself and others.
“Over the years, I discovered there are three elements in races and in life itself: body, mind and spirit. Your body tires first and wants to quit. Your mind can overrule your body for a while, but eventually it, too, wants to give up. Ultimately, finishing races and life challenges can only be done through your spirit.”
“We can all do much more than we realize. Anything is possible.”
