Ahead of the 2024 Paris games, we sat down with Jay Palais, a former pro baseball player, who is also a key member of the Withings finance team in the Boston office. We delved into his athletic journey and found that something close to home had a profound influence on his lifelong love of health and fitness.
在 2024 年巴黎奧運會之前，我們採訪了前職業棒球運動員 Jay Palais，他也是 Withings 波士頓辦事處財務團隊的重要成員。我們深入研究了他的運動歷程，發現離家很近的事情對他一生對健康和健身的熱愛產生了深遠的影響。

 

Jay, 25, works at Withings as a member of the finance team and hails from the small town of Farmington, Connecticut, a place he describes as being “a little bit suburban and a little bit rural.” When we learned he had previously played professional baseball and still gets up before the roosters do to throw, we wanted to know more and maybe get some inspiration as a bonus. That’s when we learned there was a lot more to the story of his excellence in sports.
25 歲的 Jay 是 Withings 的財務團隊成員，來自康乃狄克州法明頓小鎮，他形容這個地方「有點郊區，又有點鄉村」。當我們得知他以前打過職業棒球並且仍然比公雞投球早起身時，我們想了解更多信息，也許還能得到一些靈感作為獎勵。就在那時，我們了解到他在體育方面的卓越成就還有更多的故事。

A team effort supports Jay on the road to going pro
團隊的努力支持傑伊走上職業之路

 

Raised in a multi-talented household, Jay’s parents, pictured here with him, instilled in him the strong drive needed to excel in athletics from a very early age. Both his Mom and Dad were professional Taekwondo fighters who met while competing in high-level championships.
傑伊的父母在一個多才多藝的家庭中長大，（這張照片中與他合影）從小就向他灌輸了在運動方面取得優異成績所需的強大動力。他的媽媽和爸爸都是職業跆拳道選手，他們是在參加高級別錦標賽時相識的。

 

In fact, Jay’s Dad, Jonathan, was a past captain of the USA Taekwondo team at the Olympics throughout the 1980s and 90s. He and his Dad would often wake up before dawn to work out together — a habit Jay didn’t always love as a kid, but one he still incorporates into his exercise routine today, noting that the “early bird mentality” can help you get one step ahead of the competition.
事實上，傑伊的父親喬納森 (Jonathan) 曾是 20 世紀 80 年代和 90 年代奧運會美國跆拳道隊的隊長。他和他的父親經常在黎明前起床一起運動——傑伊小時候並不總是喜歡這種習慣，但他今天仍然將其納入他的日常鍛煉中，並指出“早起的鳥兒心態”可以幫助你領先競爭對手一步。

 

With two stellar role models at home, Jay—perhaps unsurprisingly—participated in many activities growing up, from wrestling to soccer to playing the piano, before discovering baseball as his true passion. He told us, “I played five years in college, and my senior year in 2020, I figured I could give it another shot after getting an accelerated MBA.” That shot paid off and Jay went all the way to Triple-A in pro baseball, joining a team called the York Revolution, which is based in York, Pennsylvania. 
傑伊家裡有兩個傑出的榜樣，也許並不令人意外，他在成長過程中參加了許多活動，從摔跤到足球，再到彈鋼琴，然後才發現棒球是他真正的愛好。他告訴我們，“我在大學打了五年球，2020 年是大四，我想在獲得加速 MBA 學位後我可以再試一次。”這一擊得到了回報，傑伊一路躋身職業棒球三甲，加入了一支名為“約克革命”的球隊，該隊總部位於賓夕法尼亞州約克。

Pitching and perseverance
投球和堅持

 

Jay played different positions during his baseball career, but his primary focus was pitching. He was dedicated to continuously improving, remarking, “I added significant increases to my output and production through various training methods, and I started throwing a lot harder than usual.” With his family close by in Connecticut, he says they were a valuable support system, and would often come out to cheer him on at games.
傑伊在他的棒球生涯中扮演過不同的位置，但他的主要關注點是投球。他致力於不斷提高，他說：“通過各種訓練方法，我的輸出和產量顯著增加，而且我開始比平時更加努力地投擲。”他說，他的家人就在康乃狄克州附近，他們是一個寶貴的支持系統，經常會在比賽中出來為他加油。

However, Jay’s journey also had its share of challenges. While pitching, he faced a significant shoulder injury that put his baseball career on pause. He needed a repair surgery and the recovery that followed was tough. Jay recalls it as “probably the worst six weeks I’ve ever been through with pain.” But the discipline ingrained in him from childhood is what helped him never give up — as soon as he was able, he was outside his apartment complex practicing his pitching by throwing against a wall. Jay emphasizes that “Setting goals is important because it gives you something to strive for. Even in baseball, I constantly set goals for myself, like improving my control.”
然而，傑伊的旅程也面臨挑戰。在投球時，他肩部嚴重受傷，這使他的棒球生涯暫停。他需要進行修復手術，隨後的恢復過程非常困難。傑伊回憶道，「這可能是我經歷過的最痛苦的六個星期」。但從小就根深蒂固的紀律幫助他永不放棄——只要他有能力，他就會在公寓外面靠牆練習投球。 Jay 強調，「設定目標很重要，因為它會給你奮鬥的目標。即使在棒球比賽中，我也會不斷為自己設定目標，例如提高我的控制力。

Balancing life beyond the field
平衡田野之外的生活

In Jay’s post-baseball life, it’s not a huge surprise he found Withings — a company that aligned with his passion for fitness and health. He regularly uses fitness tracking technology and likes how his devices help him closely monitor his progress. Jay’s enthusiasm has extended to his family, who have also embraced the benefits of health tech in their daily lives.
在 Jay 退休後的棒球生活中，他發現 Withings 並不令人意外——一家與他對健身和健康的熱情相一致的公司。他經常使用健身追蹤技術，並且喜歡他的設備如何幫助他密切監控自己的進度。傑伊的熱情也延伸到了他的家人，他們也在日常生活中享受了健康科技的好處。

 

Today, Jay carries forward the lessons he’s learned from his parents and his time as a pro athlete. Just as his dad continued to coach professional fighting after he retired, Jay gives back to his community in his spare time by coaching youth baseball. He even passes on his top tips for pitching in one-on-one lessons, shaping the confidence and skills of the next generation. 
今天，傑伊繼承了他從父母和職業運動員那裡學到的教訓。正如他的父親在退休後繼續指導職業拳擊一樣，傑伊也在業餘時間透過指導青少年棒球來回饋社區。他甚至在一對一的課程中傳授他的最佳投球技巧，塑造下一代的信心和技能。

Expressing a desire for a potential return to baseball, Jay highlighted the importance of maintaining a balance between professional pursuits and personal life. And as he continues to hone his throwing skills, we’re confident he will reach whatever goals he sets for himself. We applaud Jay’s unwavering dedication and are proud to have him on our team as we continue to cheer for his success both in the office and on the field. 
傑伊表達了重返棒球的願望，並強調了在職業追求和個人生活之間保持平衡的重要性。隨著他繼續磨練投擲技巧，我們相信他將實現他為自己設定的目標。我們讚揚傑伊堅定不移的奉獻精神，並為他加入我們的團隊而感到自豪，同時我們將繼續為他在辦公室和現場的成功歡呼。

 

If you want more inspiration to go for the gold in your daily life, Withings has made a limited-edition smart scale to celebrate the Paris games. See it here: Body Smart Paris 2024
如果你想在日常生活中獲得更多的金牌靈感，Withings 推出了限量版智慧體重計來慶祝巴黎奧運。在這裡查看： Body Smart 巴黎 2024