About me
Where I Came From
My name is Mike Caviston. I spent the first 45 years of my life in Michigan, growing up in a small town in the northern part of the state before starting school at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. I got a BA in Anthropology in 1982. As an undergrad I took up the sport of rowing, and began coaching for U of M shortly after graduation. I assisted with both the men’s and women’s teams off and on for more than twenty years. We had considerable success over the years and I look forward to watching several athletes I helped coach compete for the USA and Canada in Beijing at the 2008 Olympics. Besides staying active with sports like running, cycling, and weightlifting, I have competed for years in the sport of indoor rowing (where athletes compete on rowing machines connected by computers to simulate 2000m races). Since 2002, I have won three world titles in my age group, placed second three times, and won European championships in Birmingham (England), Paris, and Amsterdam. In 1992, I received an MS in Kinesiology from U of M, became a Lecturer, and taught courses in Exercise Physiology, Sports Biomechanics, and Motor Control for fourteen years.
Where I’m Going
In 2007 I made a significant career change and began working for the Navy as the Director of Fitness at the Naval Special Warfare Center in Coronado. Some of my many duties include providing information about training to candidates hoping to join the SEALs or other SpecWar programs; helping to refine the training curriculums for the various SpecWar programs; and helping educate the staff and Instructors in schools like BUD/S (Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL training) about the latest research-based fitness techniques. I also keep active in the rowing community as a training consultant to a handful of college and high school programs, something I may one day expand into a full-fledged business. I’m enjoying life in the San Diego area and exploring new vistas and seeking new challenges. For example, I have plans to run a 50-mile ultra-marathon later this year. In the interest of professional development, I plan to pursue a master’s degree in Educational Technology at San Diego State University, and this web page portfolio for EDTEC 541 is one of the first steps. Enjoy.